Isle of Klezbos Debuts at 54 Below Tonight

ISLE of KLEZBOS, the swinging all-women's klezmer sextet, will debut at 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, tonight, September 25 at 9:30 PM. The ensemble performs a spellbinding array of original and neo-traditional music, with highlights from the acclaimed run of "J. EDGAR KLEZMER: Songs from My Grandmother's FBI Files" - musical documentary theater by bandleader Eve Sicular, now featuring performer Moe Angelos to reprise her role in a pivotal number from J. Edgar Klezmer. The group's lushly-arranged music, hailed as "cutting-edge Klezmer" by New York Magazine, spans moods from rambunctious to ethereal, with inspired solos and vocal scatting in a multi-lingual setting: neo-traditional dance rollicks, mystical melodies, Second Avenue Yiddish swing, haunting retro soundtrack tango, Soviet Jewish drinking song, re-grooved standards, and genre-defying originals (klezmer cumbia and beyond).

Dubbed "internationally-acclaimed and much loved" by Time Out New York and a "super-group" by Jewish Week, ISLE of KLEZBOS features the stellar talents of vocalist Melissa Fogarty, reedplayer Debra Kreisberg, trumpeter Pam Fleming, accordionist/pianist Shoko Nagai, double bassist Saskia Lane, and drummer/leader Eve Sicular. At 54 BELOW, they will be joined by performer MOE ANGELOS (Five Lesbian Brothers; Sontag: Reborn / Builders Association) for her J. EDGAR KLEZMER cameo with the band, reprising her formative role in the hit musical documentary theater piece written and composed by bandleader Eve Sicular.

Fun-loving powerhouse ISLE of KLEZBOS klezmer sextet has toured from Vienna to Vancouver, approaching tradition with irreverence and deep respect. Formed in 1998 by drummer/leader Eve Sicular, the group also features in Sicular's own musical documentary theater hit "J. EDGAR KLEZMER: Songs from My Grandmother's FBI Files" which enjoyed a full-house run at HERE Arts Center in June. The band's set will feature highlights from the show praised by Laura Collins-Hughes of The New York Times: "lively score... smartly written," as well as repertoire from the group's latest CD "Live From Brooklyn," lauded among "Best Albums of 2014" by New York Music Daily.

IOK bandmates are alumnae of Juilliard, Eastman and Manhattan Schools of Music, Harvard and more whose individual credits include stints with Beyoncé, Burning Spear and Seattle Baroque, as well as Natalie Merchant, Natalie Cole and New York City Opera. Bandleader Eve Sicular and several others from the sister sextet also perform with NYC-based Metropolitan Klezmer octet, and IOK broadcast credits range from "CBS Sunday Morning" to "The L Word." Other recent projects: studio recording with Grammy-nominated Scissor Sisters, commissioned concert for artist Kiki Smith at NYC's Museum at Eldridge Street, and dynamic house band for singer/songwriter Jill Sobule's original Music from Yentl at Lincoln Center and Joe's Pub. Isle of Klezbos also packed Joe's Pub for the group's own acclaimed set this June for KulturfestNYC.

ISLE of KLEZBOS will debut at 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on Friday, September 25 at 9:30 PM; doors open at 8:45 PM. There is a $30-$70 cover charge and $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.com. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00 are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.