When Seth Kibel founded the Alexandria Kleztet in 1998, he put his many years as a professional musician in New York to work. He found outstanding musicians, booked a ton of gigs and played his heart out. Now, with the release of the band’s third album "Close Enough for Klezmer," Kibel is pushing the boundaries of traditional music with modern sensibilities of swing and jazz.
"Klezmer has always been a hybrid," said Kibel, who refers to the band’s music as "alternative" klezmer. "So our new album combines a number of musical styles, and it represents a transition for the band."
Half of the album was recorded with the original fiddler, Claire Cardon. The other half was recorded by Helen Hausmann, a New Orleans native who has brought a Cajun spice to the band’s eclectic music. The new album has a track titled "Bashana Haba’a" that sounds as if it could have been recorded in Jackson Square — a signpost of the band’s new direction.
"We’re very eager to promote the new CD," Kibel said, adding that the group has several upcoming performances. "The album kind of documents our transition."
Cardon left the band when her husband got a job in Utah, and now Hausmann has brought her own style to the band. The album includes a variety of musical influences in five original compositions as well as imaginative recreations of traditional material. Most of the musicians live in Alexandria, although Kibel moved to Baltimore in 2001.
KLEZMER MUSIC is a quintessential American art form, subjected to the constant give and take of evolving cultural tastes and at the whim of their often fickle practitioners. "Klezmer" is a Hebrew word that means "tool of song." It became the watchword for a group of musicians that blended Old World traditions with the sound of Tin Pan Ally jazz in the melting pot culture of immigrant communities in early 20th century New York City.
By the 1970s, the music was almost dead — its veterans facing their waning years. It was then that a group of ethnomusicologists and scholars resurrected the form of music, analyzing its patterns and cataloging its moods. Revival groups brought new life to klezmer, some of them faithfully preserving its heritage while others pushed its boundaries.
Now, revival bands such as the Alexandria Kleztet keeps the music alive — playing at bar mitzvahs, senior centers, local congregations and coffeehouses. In December, the band will be part of the Holiday Vaudeville Show at the Millennium Stage of the Kennedy Center, a free show in the grand lobby of the cavernous building.
"The show includes a magician, a juggler and a tap dancer," Kibel said, adding that the Alexandria Kleztet has played the Holiday Vaudeville Show for the past six years. "It’s a lot of fun."