A zissen Pesach (a sweet Passover) to all - next year may everyone be free to sing about borsht together! Full video of the 2025 Phoenix Yiddish Culture Festival finale song on our YouTube channel.
š„ @therealsnapdad
š¤Dario Miranda
š£ Announcement! š£
We are excited to introduce you to our 2026 cohort for the Artists to Work Grant Program!
Max Schwimmer | Artist Bio
Max Schwimmer is a classically-trained saxophonist specializing in Eastern European folk music. He is Artistic Director of the Phoenix Yiddish Culture Festival, leader of the Little Chef Klezmer Band, and founder of Arizona's first academic klezmer ensemble at Paradise Valley Community College. He performs regularly with JFUNK and the Bergamot.
To learn more about the Artists to Work Program, visit: phoenix.gov/arts.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
Stay connected to future opportunities from our department by joining our newsletter! https://bit.ly/phxartsnews
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Mickey Katz was a klezmer clarinetist and purveyor of Yiddish-inflected American novelty music in the 50s and 60s. We performed his āTrombonik Tanzā with @negleyben playing the role of the Trombonik (Yiddish for āloudmouthā, a pun on the similar-sounding ātromboneā). The snide remarks in Yiddish by @jordanwax.dzhordnvaks are typical of Katzās arranging style.
The original recording features trombonist Si Zenter, a leading Hollywood studio and session musician who worked on films like āSinginā in the Rainā and āA Star is Bornā.
Full video from the 2025 Phoenix Yiddish Culture Festival on our YouTube channel.
š„ @therealsnapdad
š¤ @dario.g.miranda
Finally got a chance to work on a tune I learned from @benji_trompet ās @eefc_org class. With a newborn at home, I couldnāt attend any of the online classes live, but I could watch them on my own time, which also allowed me to repeat and slow down the difficult parts. It was also a very new way of learning for me, as I havenāt had much time with the horn in my face over the past couple months. Instead, while spending time with the baby, I would listen and sing along with the tunes one phrase at a time, making sure I could hear the melodies and ornaments correctly. Then when I finally got my saxophone out, it was just a matter of getting my fingers around what I already had in my head.
Excited to Welcome the talented Saxophonist @maxophonist to Brasserie Melrose this Friday for Happy Hour. Hit up @melroseon7thavenue First Friday and come by for savory food, crafted drinks and the soulful sax. š· Brasserie Melrose, A Brasserie for Everyone š«š·
Getting ready for Christmas shows with @thebergamot ! If I do a good job channeling Clarence Clemons, maybe Santa will bring me a new saxophone this year.
A little preview for my session at @yiddishnewyork - Howie Leessās tenor part on the Tish Nigun track from the Klezmer Plus! record. Schmaltzy saxophone accompaniment at its finest. š·
Much more where this came from on December 24th at 9:30am in HUC 526! Bring your horns, listening ears, and sax questions and letās get into it! Link in bio
Tuning and grooving on āYasā inspired by the record āKlezmer Plusā. Gotta practice over tempo since I know the rhythm section gets excited for this one. I will be playing this tune and lots more this week with @littlechefklezmerband at the Phoenix Yiddish Culture Festival - check it out at Phoenix-Yiddish.org!
Saxophonists of @yiddishnewyork , assemble! Join me to explore the saxophoneās past and future role in klezmer.
Weāll examine classic recordings of saxophonist Howie Leess and discuss practical exercises for developing a historically-informed klezmer saxophone style. Iāll also share some of my own recordings that demonstrate applying a clarinet-inspired klezmer playing style across the members of the saxophone family, including an EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PREVIEW of a bari sax doina I recently recorded with @jfunk.world !
And there will be time to talk through your most pressing saxual issues in a safe sax environment!
Wednesday, December 24 at 9:30am HUC 526
