Jewish Mysticism to American Roots

"Statman's virtuosity has labeled him a genius by his peers." The Village Voice

A formidable and consummate musician, Andy Statman is known for his musical wizardry on the mandolin as well as his innovative interpretations of Jewish music on the clarinet. This program covers the genius of Statman from his distinctive improvisational renditions of Klezmer, music of the Chassidic masters, and American roots (bluegrass and blues) to original works drawing upon jazz and other traditions.

Statman, one of his generation's premier mandolinists and clarinetists, thinks of his compositions as "a spontaneous, American-roots form of very personal, prayerful Chasidic music, by way of avant-garde jazz." This small, modest man takes for granted that a performer might embody several worlds in his art, and seems not to recognize that his music, like his story, is extraordinary.

"Andy Statman is a master of two idioms linked only by their demand for virtuosity and their down-home origins." - NY Times