NYC-based ISLE of KLEZBOS approaches tradition with irreverence and respect. The soulful, fun-loving powerhouse all-women’s klezmer sextet has been touring from Vienna to Vancouver for two dynamic decades. Band repertoire ranges from rambunctious to entrancing: neo-traditional folk dance, mystical melodies, Yiddish swing & retro tango, late Soviet-era Jewish drinking song, re-grooved standards, and genre-defying originals. ISLE of KLEZBOS concert footage has been broadcast internationally on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN WorldBeat, and PBS In The Life, and the band’s live and studio recordings have also been heard on “The L Word” (Showtime), WFMU, and worldwide as well as on film soundtracks for “Grace Paley: Collected Shorts, “Esther Broner: A Weave of Women,” and “Torah Treasures & Curious Trash,” among others. The band has also been commissioned in concert by artist Kiki Smith and for studio recordings by Grammy-nominee Scissor Sisters. Singer/songwriter Jill Sobule featured Isle of Klezbos for her genre-spanning, gender-bending Music from Yentl at Joe’s Pub and Lincoln Center Atrium. In addition to annual June KlezBiGay Pride shows, the group has also played for bandleader Eve Sicular’s musical documentary theater hit, J.EDGAR KLEZMER: Songs from My Grandmother’s FBI Files. Their Pride Season debut at NYC’s Center for Jewish History was a multi-media concert version of The Celluloid Closet of Yiddish Film featuring vintage film clips galore plus cinema commentary and live sextet.
“These women will make you shake your tushies!” – Village Voice
“Isle of Klezbos tests the elasticity of the genre – The New Yorker
“Cutting-Edge Klezmer” – New York Magazine
“The absolute top of the klezmer genre” – RootsTown, Belgium