The Cultural Summer Opening Concert with the Jazz Greats Uri Caine, Tim Sparks, and Greg Cohen

Press Release, Mon 23 May 2011

On Thursday 9 June, the Jewish Museum’s eighth Cultural Summer commences with a double concert featuring three jazz greats – Uri Caine, Tim Sparks, and Greg Cohen. This year’s Cultural Summer program running from June to August is tuned in with the music theme of the current special exhibition "Radical Jewish Culture." Events include the well-loved Sunday matinee "Jazz in the Garden" series, a concert by the Canadian klezmer-hip-hop maestro Socalled and a performance by two Berlin choirs on Long Museum Night. We warmly invite you to the Cultural Summer’s opening concert:

„New Voices in Jewish Music: Caine, Sparks und Cohen“

Improvisations and Variations

The jazz bassist and composer from New York, Greg Cohen, became known as a long-standing member of Tom Waits’ band. At the Jewish Museum, he and the genre-breaking guitarist Tim Sparks (Minneapolis) will play fresh interpretations of international klezmer tunes and titles from the recordings they made together for the renowned Tzadik Label. They will be accompanied by two young talents on the contemporary jazz scene - Francesco Bigoni on the tenor saxophone and clarinet and Max Andrzejewski on percussion.

Uri Caine (New York) is unique on the landscape of modern piano improvisation. He is as much at home with classical music as with jazz, boasting the whole spectrum from Barrelhouse to Bach, from Motown to Wagner. The New Yorker has recorded over 20 albums and worked with musicians such as Don Byron and John Zorn. In his piano solo at the Jewish Museum, he presents variations on Mozart, Mahler, and traditional Jewish tunes.

Due to the limited seats available, media representatives are also required to reserve tickets by Wednesday 8 June. Please see the registration form at the end of this press invitation.