KLEZMEPHONIC
Sunday, September 27 @ 4:15 PM
One of the most in demand Klezmer / Eastern European music ensembles in the Midwest, KLEZMEPHONIC is a dynamic and creative musical powerhouse! Rollicking freylakhs, blazing bulgars and spirited horas are brought to life by the Ann Arbor based Klezmer band whose old world sound will get you dancing in your new world living rooms! With Eric Schweitzer (in for Janelle Reichman) on clarinet, Henrik Karapetyan on violin, and Dave Sharp on the upright bass, Klezmephonic features a core trio of world-class, multi-faceted musicians who bring energy, texture and harmony to the beautiful and uplifting tunes of Klezmer and Eastern European Gypsy music! Joining them this Sunday are guests Mike List on percussion and Alex Belhaj on guitar.
Henrik Karapetyan, a classically trained Armenian-American violinist holding a doctorate in Music Performance and a permanent position in the Michigan Opera Orchestra, has performed at numerous prestigious venues nationwide such as Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. Combining his classical virtuosity with his deep knowledge of Eastern European and Near Eastern music, Henrik brings a unique attitude and energy into the world of Klezmer violin.
Dave Sharp, bassist, composer, and arranger has led bands and organized festivals for many years. Trained in the jazz tradition, he has since expanded his musical interests to explore the music of the East (Egypt, Ukraine, India, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, etc.) bringing unique and creative concepts of interpretation. Currently the Artistic Director of the Ann Arbor-based jazz club Blue Llama, Sharp also leads Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet and is one of the founding members of Klezmephonic.
Alex Belhaj is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he led his own Crescent City Quartet in addition to playing folk music and original music. He also worked with the James Dapogny Quartet, the Cakewalkin’ Jass Band and guitarist Joe Summers before moving to New Orleans in 2015.
In the Crescent City, Alex works frequently with Duke Heitger, Steve Pistorius, Tim Laughlin, the Riverside Jazz Collective and Hal Smith’s On The Levee Jazz Band, to name a few. Alex is an outstanding interpreter of vintage Jazz guitar stylists like Johnny St. Cyr and Kid Ory’s longtime sideman Bud Scott.
