Alan Posner and his 12-piece klezmer ensemble Klezundheit are bringing their unique sound to Millwood United Methodist Church this Sunday at 3 p.m., in the band's first appearance in Kalamazoo.
The group represents a family affair for Posner, a saxophonist and music educator who grew up on the east side of the state. "My father can sing in the band. My wife plays flute in the band. So it's kind of a family experience and a really great time," Posner tells Cara Lieurance.
Klezmer music traces its roots to Eastern European Jewish communities. "Think like Fiddler on the Roof," Posner explains. The music emigrated to America in the 1920s, when "there were like three different Yiddish theaters in New York in the 1920s, doing all-Yiddish productions."
Klezundheit's instrumentation includes saxophone, violin, flute, trombones, trumpet, bass, tuba, accordion, piano, and drums, with vocals performed by Posner's father, Ken. The band draws arrangements from groups like Maxwell Street Klezmer Band from Chicago and Montreal's Oktopus.
Posner emphasizes the music's accessibility. "I don't think there's any wrong way to do it. I really don't," he says, encouraging aspiring musicians to simply listen and try. The genre shares rhythmic elements with bluegrass and Latin music while incorporating Middle Eastern tonalities.
The concert will feature traditional pieces like "Tumbalalaika" and "Romania, Romania," along with klezmer arrangements of contemporary songs. Posner founded the Klezmer Academy in Detroit, now in its second year, to teach students the improvisational nature of the tradition.
"It's joyous music," Posner says. "There's just something about the rhythm and the tonality of Klezmer that just kind of brings joy and a smile to people's faces."
