A very klezmer weekend

This weekend (it's Friday afternoon at the time of writing) is going to be a great weekend for "getting my klezmer on."

It's already started out on a great note, with the first rehearsal of what will probably become the initial European version of KlezFactor (yes, I'm keeping the "c" . . . I already own the domain name). 

I didn't necessarily know what to expect, particularly since I had only met the drummer and bassist, both from Buenos Aires (no names yet, people), through the mysterious internet.  I had put up a posting on the couch-surfing website looking for "serious" musicians for this project, and the drummer had replied.  I knew they would be professional caliber players from the sound files they sent me, but would they be the "right" kind of professional players - flexible enough to be able to play KlezFactor's music.  Well, the tunes that they really had time to prepare were rock solid, and even the ones that we were looking at without preparation started to groove pretty quickly!  An excellent beginning!

On guitar is an Italian jazz player that I met at a couple of the jazz jams here in Berlin.  He's very solid reading chords and I'm sure once he can bring his effects and gear to rehearsals, he'll have no trouble rocking out!

On violin is a very special Hungarian player who is not only bringing her classical training (gained while she studied at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto), but her experience playing Hungarian folk music!  I can already hear some of the wonderful Hungarian inflections that I can hear when I listen to Budowitz, and it gives me goosebumps!  And she improvises!

So, as any band-leader knows, now comes the hard part.  Booking, scheduling rehearsals, managing scheduling conflicts, etc. 

Also on the klezmer docket this weekend is another klezmer Stammtisch in Berlin at Cafe Oberwasser.  That's going to be Sunday night, and hopefully it'll be as much fun as it was the last time!  I'm also going to be getting together with Franka Lampe (the great accordionist) to play some klezmer tomorrow afternoon!  Which reminds me... need to get little gifts to drop by my neighbours so that they know I'll be making noise, and that I appreciate their understanding!