Emotive Music at UUCF Kicks Off Holiday Weekend

concluded its Friday night with a performance from the Alexandria Kleztet that one audience member called "electrical."

An enthusiastic crowd of about 50 braved a tornado warning and thunderstorm that caused flickering lights during the show, as the four-member band — founded in 1998 by Wammie award-winning woodwind specialist Seth Kibel — played a combination of traditional klezmer music and original compositions. 

Klezmer is traditional Eastern European Jewish folk music Polish, Russian and Ukranian immigrants brought to the U.S. in the early 20th century. Alexandria Kleztet mixes Old Country sounds with the new sounds of jazz — Dixieland and Tin Pan Alley — as well as classical, world beat, rock and other genres to create vibrant and engaging music. 

"I stumbled across their work and invited them to perform at our Hanukkah service a while ago. I fell in love with their sound and energy," said Mark Vogel, UUCF’s music director.

The free concert had a suggested donation of $10 to $15 with proceeds benefiting the Northern Virginia Mental Health Foundation, a local nonprofit that promotes mental health education and training and fills in gaps in public service for local mental health services.

The band — Kibel on the saxophone, clarinet and flute; Helen Hausmann on violin; Scott Harlan on the electric bass and Tim Jarvis on percussion — played two sets for an audience that ranged in age from 4 to 84.

Seth Kibel describes his band’s music as emotive and melodramatic.  

“It's music that wears its heart on its sleeve,” Kibel said. “There is very little restraint.” 

Kibel said the band believes in preserving the traditional music, but the music is not for the museum. Alexandria Kleztet uses the members' musical backgrounds to create an original hybrid sound.

The Friday night song list included a tango, a Duke Ellington-inspired rift, along with Kibel’s original work entitled “Bad Coffee (Builds Character)" from the album "Peace, Love and Coffee."

While klezmer music almost disappeared in the 20th century, Kibel said the digital age likely help it survive, perhaps even thrive. There are, he says, incredible opportunities to get the music out through digital downloading.

“We might not make much money but we can get the music out there,” he said.

He also noted how klezmer music has evolved with the times, with Alexandria Kleztet exemplifying parts of the evolution with three non-Jewish members, a female artist and willingness to play for many non-Jewish audiences.  

Audience member Andrew Nance, who purchased two CDs for his classically trained violinist daughter, was impressed with the band’s diversity of instruments and their ability to perform across a broad range of genres. 

Eric and Liz Anderson, church members from Centreville, brought 6-year-old Anna and 4-year-old Tessa, who danced the night away to the delight of the band and the audience, which was likely unsurprising to the band.

"I sometimes joke we tend to be the biggest hit with the over 70 and under 7 set," Kibel said.

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