| De Amsterdam Klezmer Band |
 |
De Amsterdam Klezmer Band plays Eastern European Jewish music, influenced by Gypsy and Balkan music. Klezmer is dance and festival music which has been played throughout the ages at weddings and parties all over Europe.
|
| The band has rapidly evolved since it was started in 1996 by alto sax player Job Chajes. The band became world-famous in Amsterdam in next to no time for its countless vibrant performances on the streets, in the parks and in the pubs. The rest of The Netherlands soon followed: the band performed at the Oerol Festival in 1999, 2000 and 2001 to great acclaim and was invited to the Noorderslagfestival in January 2001 (the media described their performance as 'the great surprise of the festival'), followed by the Lowlands Festival in August 2001. During the same period the band toured in Slovenia, Switzerland and Italy and had three succesful tours in Turkey. De Amsterdam Klezmer Band's third CD, 'Limonchiki', was released on the New York label Knitting Factory label and the band had a grand tour of the Dutch club scene in the autumn of 2001. The tour highlight was the presentation of 'Limonchiki' in Paradiso, Amsterdam. The AKB also acquired fame as the house band of the NPS Culture Awards 2000 radio show, Club Lek (VPRO Radio 3). The Amsterdam Klezmer Band performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in July 2002. |
| These days only a small percentage of the AKB repertoire consists of music from the Balkan and klezmer tradition. A larger part of the AKB repertoire has been created by the band members themselves, who all contribute musically to an ever-growing melting-pot of infectious Balkan/Gypsy/klezmer cross-overs. In this manner the band endeavours to breathe new life into the Eastern European dance music tradition. |
 Photographer: Bokkie Vink |
| The AKB has extracted klezmer from its dilettante ambiance and has added a good dose of STREET CREDIBILITY, bringing you Eastern European music as it’s meant to be. The AKB guarantees a spectacular live show at which there is only one option: DANCE TIL YOU DROP! |
| De Amsterdam Klezmer Band: Janfie van Strien - clarinet Gijs Levelt - trumpet Job Chajes - alto saxophone, vocals Joop van der Linden - trombone, baritone, percussion Theo van Tol - accordion Jasper de Beer - double bass, guitar banjo Alec Kopyt - percussion, vocals |
For more details please refer to the homepage of: |