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The Klezmatics raise the roof in festival doc.
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hen a band has been
together for nearly a quarter
of a century, a celebration is
warranted. If ifs a Jewish band, you can
assume that a certain amount of tzuris
has accompanied the success.
That's the case with the Klezmatics,
the world-renowned klezmer band
founded in the mid-'80s in New York's
East Village. Beloved for their rous-
ing, soulful performances, the group's
onstage camaraderie masks a surpris-
ing amount of offstage tension.
Music documentaries such as
Erik Greenberg Anjou's excellent The
Klezmatics: On Holy Ground, screening
Tuesday, March 29, at the JCC Stephen
Gottlieb Music Festival, acknowledge
fans' demands that their spirits not just
be raised but untethered.
I can report that the music is indeed a
highlight, with a slew of toe-tapping num-
bers and poignant Yiddish ballads record-
ed in a variety of venues and settings.
But the heart of the documentary,
somewhat unexpectedly, is the unique
and sometimes heated dynamic among
longtime members Frank London (the
high-energy trumpet player and key-
boardist), violinist Lisa Gutkin (the lone
woman in the ensemble), saxophone
and clarinet maestro Matt Darriau, Paul
Morrissett (bass and tsimbal) and the
charismatic accordionist, guitarist and
pianist Lorin Sklamberg.
The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground is
not a Behind the Music-style, rags-to-
riches chronicle of a successful group
undone by drugs, egos or nefarious
record-company executives. Nor is it a
saga of serious artists forced to com-
promise to attain mainstream popular-
ity or refusing to bend and therefore
suffering commercial ignominy.
At its core, the documentary is about
the challenge of being a middle-aged
artist in America and struggling to earn
a consistent income (and perhaps sup-
port a family). It's almost incidental,
in a way, that the art form is a kind of
eclectic ethnic music with avant-garde
elements that has a niche audience.
Anjou filmed the band on and off over
more than four years, and the musicians
graciously (albeit reluctantly, at first)
allowed the film crew to record some of
their meetings. While it is fascinating
to observe mature, mutually respectful
adults fighting fairly — talking straight
without manipulation, name-calling or
sugar coating — the tension eventually
darkens the mood of the film.
Although creative disagreements are
inevitably part of the mix when strong-
willed musicians play together, the
real angst on display in The Klezmatics
involves clashing priorities and oppor-
tunities. Frank London has numerous
side projects and session dates, to a
seemingly greater degree than the other
members, which complicate scheduling
a Klezmatics tour. And for at least a few
of the other members, live performance
is their main source of income.
What we glean is that all the acclaim,
and the galvanizing inspiration of col-
laborating over the years with the likes
of Allen Ginsberg, Tony Kushner, Itzhak
Perlman and Chava Alberstein, and
even a Grammy Award for best contem-
porary world music album for Wonder
Wheel (2006), is tempered by the real-
world realities of making a living.
To be sure, this valuable documen-
tary amply honors and salutes the
band's steadfast contribution to Jewish
music and Jewish culture. Indeed, all
the mishegas melts away when the
ensemble takes the stage and connects
with both Jewish tradition and diverse
audiences as it always does. I I
The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground, presented by the Lenore Marwil Jewish
Film Festival, will be screened 7 p.m. Tuesday, March, 29, at the Berman
Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield.