Andy Statman
“A master of two idioms linked only by their demand for virtuosity and their down-home origins … ”
-The New York Times
“Andy Statman, clarinet and mandolin virtuoso, is an American visionary…”
-The New Yorker
” … One of the most important Jewish creative artists of the postwar era.”
-The Jerusalem Post
Andy Statman, virtuoso mandolinist, clarinetist and composer, has expanded the boundaries of traditional and improvisational forms throughout his long career. A major figure in Jewish music, American roots music and bluegrass for more than four decades, he is one of the fathers of the klezmer revival as well as a major voice in the music often described as Newgrass. His interest in Jewish music grew to include uniquely personal interpretations of the devotional melodies of the Chasidic movement, which are in turn informed by his affinity for acoustic American roots music, klezmer, and jazz. He has been named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment of the Arts—the nation’s highest honor in the traditional arts.
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Andy’s been a sought-after composer and collaborator for decades, performing and recording with Itzhak Perlman, Ricky Skaggs, Bela Fleck, the Grateful Dead, David Grisman, Vassar Clements, David Bromberg, Tim O’Brien, Michael Cleveland and countless others. His composition “Flatbush Waltz” is a one-song world music festival, occupying a place of honor in the repertoires of klezmer, country, bluegrass, Irish, Scandinavian and Central European musicians.
Andy likes to describe his performances (with long-time trio-mates Jim Whitney on bass and Larry Eagle on percussion) as “a three-way conversation…creating an experience between the audience and us”.