Maxwell Street Klezmer Band

Description

For nearly four decades, Chicago's Maxwell Street Klezmer Band has brought its Big Band energy to the klezmer revival. Named after Chicago's Jewish marketplace of the early 1900s, the band injects Chicago-style horn-driven energy into its performance. With violinist Alex Koffman, graduate of the Minsk Music Conservatory, leading the way, Maxwell Street pays tribute to the klezmer masters while having fun with the tradition. From Carnegie Hall to the music festivals of Europe, audiences of all ages and backgrounds respond enthusiastically to Maxwell Street's warmth and humor. Maxwell Street has collaborated with Chicago Sinfonietta ("Klezmer Rhapsody"), Lyric Opera of Chicago ("The Property"), and Chicago's Goodman Theatre ("The Cherry Orchard"). They have five commercial albums including two on the Shanachie label. Through their Klezmer Music Foundation, they perform in schools and libraries, mentor young musicians, lead grassroots community bands, offer educational workshops, and do interfaith outreach. They perform in ensembles from a Quintet to a full band of 11 musicians and singers. For workshops and concerts, the band can provide program notes, Maxwell Street's own band book for young musicians, and other supporting and educational materials.

This is a compilation of clips from various performances from the past decade featuring several of our vocalists as well as our full performance band of 8 musicians and two vocalists. The concert is a variety show of Jewish music from Eastern Europe and early immigrant communities in America, geared towards audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Although the primary sung language is Yiddish, ample explanation is offered within the introductions and program notes for all to enjoy them. The performance style is entertainment even when educational, and audience engagement is primary. The show is customized to the audience in terms of content and presentation. Maxwell Street Klezmer Band has been a musical good will ambassador for four decades.

Here is one of our most popular videos. (Before it was transferred to a new YouTube channel, it had 45,000 views.) It is an example of the way the band takes a traditional klezmer dance and reimagines it theatrically with a touch of humor. We also play other original compositions that range from comic to soulful. You can hear more of them on Spotify, where four of our five albums are available.

In this promotion of a school music series for the City of Evanston, clips from Maxwell Street Klezmer Band's 30-concert series are included. The band has performed in schools since the 1980s (Urban Gateways) and is dedicated to bringing an appreciation of personal roots and culture to students of all backgrounds. Here is what a school wrote: "I wholeheartedly recommend the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band to be engaged for any school performances. I recommend them for their musicianship and their ability to engage children in their music. On February 2, 2023 the group came to perform for our students. In their performances they had the children engaged and excited to hear their music. After the performance many of my students talked with me about the things they liked and learned. I had one second grade teacher come to me after the concert and thank me for bringing in such a talented and engaging group for her students. They are wonderful musicians who know how to impart their culture and musicality in a fun and captivating way for children."

Two concert samples and school concert clips describe some of the audiences we connect with. The samples should demonstrate the range of music as well as the level of musicianship that has kept us concertizing since the 1980s.

Artistic Vision

The band was founded in 1983 by Lori Lippitz with the vision of keeping klezmer music--the folk music of the Jews of Eastern Europe--alive, and bringing the Klezmer Revival to the Midwest. These Jewish folk music and dance traditions were in danger of disappearing due to assimilation in the U.S. and the annihilation of the Jewish community in Europe. For 40 years, Maxwell Street Klezmer Band has engaged audiences through performances that glow with warmth and humor. Their mission includes outreach to other faith communities, as well as helping young audiences to appreciate their own cultural heritage.

Through live performances and educational programming, the goals of Klezmer Music Foundation are to preserve klezmer and Yiddish music for future generations; to reach out to audiences who would not otherwise have the opportunity to see live performances; and to be musical ambassadors to other communities.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band presents interactive educational concerts, workshops, master classes, demonstrations, and lectures for schools, colleges and other institutions. The band has performed at concerts and presented lectures and workshops at the University of Wisconsin at Parkside, as well as individual participatory educational concerts for grades 3-12 throughout the Chicagoland area. 
Programs include: 

• Jumping Klezmer! Children’s Performances (K-5th Grade)
• An Illustrated History of Klezmer Music (Lecture)
• “Shtetl” (Eastern European) and Israeli Dance Workshops
• Instrumental Master Classes on klezmer techniques

To see a sample workshop, 

click here.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

Since the Middle Ages, "klezmer," or Jewish instrumental folk music, was passed down from parents to children, and provided the musical foundation of weddings and other community celebrations in shtetls across Eastern Europe. In the early 20th century, klezmer musicians who immigrated to America joined the jazz scene and created a new and exciting American-European genre of klezmer music.  Maxwell Street Klezmer Band carries on this tradition in Chicagoland and the Midwest, introducing people of all ages and backgrounds to this engaging art form.

With its Big Band instrumentation, Maxwell Street moves easily among various styles: Russian and gypsy music, Yiddish folk and theater songs from the 1920's-50's, and original compositions. Their performance creates a multi-dimensional picture of the lost Jewish culture of Eastern Europe, spiced with vignettes of America seen through immigrant eyes. Clarinet, saxophone, violin, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass and percussion make up the band, rounded out by vocal duet. Musical Director Alex Koffman spices the band’s potpourri of Yiddish songs, dance and theater music with his original arrangements, inspired by his classical and jazz background. The music and presentation expertly weave together the old and the new world styles, showing how traditional art forms thrive and evolve.  

The band performs in ensembles of various sizes, depending upon the needs and budget of the presenter.