The Klezmatics are an American klezmer band based in New York City. Formed in New York's East Village in 1986, the band plays an updated form of the music, mixing it with other musical traditions, singing in English and Yiddish. They have also participated in cross-cultural collaborations, most notably with the Palestinian musician Simon Shaheen.
Guitarist Ivar Grydeland and percussionist Ingar Zach, prime movers and catalysts for free improvised music in Norway, got in touch with Christian Wallumrød after hearing his “Sofienberg Variations” on ECM and they have since worked together in diverse combinations including, since 2004, ‘Dans les arbres’ a project completed by French clarinettist Xavier Charles. Their radical all-acoustic improvisation explores sonorities and textures that frequently sound electronic, and also often sounds ‘composed’ – with echoes of Cage and the New York School.
Acker Bilk (b. Bernard Stanley Bilk, Pensford, Somerset South West England, 28 January 1929), known more familiarly as Mr. Acker Bilk, has been one of the world's best known clarinetists since the late 1950s. His trademark goatee, bowler hat, and striped waistcoat are almost as recognizable as his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register clarinet style.
The Tango Saloon is an experimental tango band from Sydney, Australia. Their self-titled debut, a tango-flavored album with a twist of spaghetti western, was released in 2006 by Ipecac Recordings, the American record label run by Mike Patton and Greg Werckman. The followup, Transylvania was released in 2008. In June 2007, the band was seen supporting Ipecac label-mates Peeping Tom on the East-coast leg of their Australian tour.
Evan Christopher was born in Long Beach, California and began his musical training on clarinet at age 11. In high school, he received the Louis Armstrong National Jazz Award and was one of the first graduates of the prestigious Idyllwild Arts Academy. He continued studies at the University of Southern California and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1969, James Carter began playing saxophone at age 11, first recorded with a Detroit student ensemble in 1986 and, by 1991, had recorded with legendary trumpeter Lester Bowie on The Organizer and contributed to the 1991 collection The Tough Young Tenors. Mastering a family of reed instruments, from sopranino to contrabass saxophones to contrabass and bass clarinets, James Carter mesmerized the jazz world after arriving in New York City in 1988 to play under the auspices of Lester Bowie.