The Alexandria Kleztet

The Alexandria Kleztet is an exciting and innovative alternative klezmer band based in the Washington/Baltimore region. Formed in 1998, they have brought their distinctive brand of this musical tradition to diverse venues throughout the Mid-Atlantic, including NINE annual appearances at the Kennedy Center, the Carter-Barron Ampitheatre, the State Theater (in Falls Church), the Baltimore International Festival, the Peabody Institute, as well as a healthy assortment of bookstores, festivals, and coffee shops. Plus, the usual mix of weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs!

By combining traditional Eastern-European/Jewish music with diverse influences from other genres, such as jazz, classical, worldbeat, and rock music, The Alexandria Kleztet creates a unique sound that is anything but traditional. Their most recent CD, Peace, Love and Coffee, was released in July 2009. All three of their previous albums were named “Best World Music Recording” by the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) following their release. The band has also received Wammies for “Best World Music Duo or Group” in 2003, 2004, and 2006, “Best World Music Instrumentalist” (Seth Kibel) in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 and “Best Jazz Instrumentalist” (Seth Kibel) in 2005, 2007, and 2008.

In January 2007, they undertook their first international tour, in Chile, with dates in Santiago, Vina del Mar, and a featured performance at the Semanas Musicales festival in Fruitillar.

www.kleztet.com
www.myspace.com/thealexandriakleztet

Instrumentation
Seth Kibel — clarinet, saxophones, flute
Helen Hausmann — violin, mandolin
Scott Harlan — electric and acoustic basses, keys, samples and sequences
Tim Jarvis — drums, percussion

Discography
Four full-length CD’s:
Peace, Love and Coffee (2009)
Close Enough for Klezmer (2005)
Delusions of Klezmer (2002)
Y2Klezmer (1999)

Additionally, we have contributed tracks to the following albums:
A Chanukah Feast (2004)
See With Your Heart (2005)
A Chanukah Feast, Volume II (2006)
Azalea City Recordings Sampler Volume II (2006)
Hudson Harding Music Holiday Sampler, Volume II (2007)