The first Newish Jewish Music Festival, set for New York’s Town Hall in March, will feature two shows focusing on contemporary manifestations of Jewish music. The first, March 19 at 8 p.m., will mark the world premiere of John Zorn’s “Masada Book Three: The Book Beriah,” featuring 20 new compositions by 20 different ensembles, all performed for the first time. The second show, on March 23 at 5 p.m., features the Klezmatics in a program titled “Havana Negila,” with special guests pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill and Cuban vocalist Xiomara Laugart.
Zorn’s “The Book Beriah” follows 1993’s “Masada Book One” and 2004’s “Masada Book Two: The Book of Angels.” The newest Masada songs will be presented in what a press release describes as “a special marathon ‘shuffle’ concert featuring no less that 20 different bands and more than 50 musicians from wildly divergent backgrounds-jazz, rock, classical, world music, pop and more.” The concert will feature Zorn, Marc Ribot, Uri Caine, Secret Chiefs 3, Steve Lehman, Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, John Medeski, Jon Madof and Zion 80, Klezmatics members Frank London and Matt Darriau, Abraxas, Cyro Baptista and Banquet of the Spirits, Many Arms, Sofia Rei, Eyvind Kang, Ikue Mori, Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, Jamie Saft, Cleric, Uri Gurvich and many more.
The Klezmatics’ afternoon concert, “Havana Negila,” will explore the symbiosis between Jewish and Latin music styles. The klezmer group, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, will be joined by O’Farrill, the leader of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and Cuban vocalist Laugart.
The Newish Jewish Music Festival will also include yet-to-be-announced shows at Le Poisson Rouge, Jazz at Lincoln Center and City Winery.
For ticket information for the Town Hall concerts, call the Town Hall Box Office at 212-840-2824 or visit Town Hall.
