Hank Sapoznik - Revivalist
Henry (Hank) Sapoznik can be credited as the leader of the Klezmer Revival. "Today, he continues to be a leading figure in the klezmer scene — performer, recording artist, author (“Klezmer! Jewish Music from Old World to Our World”), founder and director of the annual KlezKamp: The Yiddish Folk Arts Program, founding member of Kapelye, and teacher." (Jewish Chronicle)
“The story goes that in 1977 Henry Sapoznik was down south trying to learn some traditional banjo licks from one of the old timey players and was asked, "don't you Jewish people have ethnic music of your own?" Indeed, Jewish musicians by the score emigrated to the United States at the end of the last century and the first decades of this century. Here they found jazz and other world music cultures. For a few decades an American klez style flourished. You could hear the influences of the Greek and Balkan and Eastern European melodies left behind, but this Americanishe version was also influenced by music from America--especially jazz. Parallel to klez was the Yiddish theatre, and the golden age of Jewish Cantors, and the Yiddish folk traditions. Then our parents and grandparents became "good Americans," and by the Sixties, klez was an unimaginative arrangement of "Sunrise, Sunset," played at Jewish weddings and old folks homes.” (Klezmershack)
Sapoznik proceeded to record his parents, who were holocaust survivors, singing songs from the old county. In addition, Sapoznik also recieved a grant from the Federal Government to study Klezmer music for a year.
“The story goes that in 1977 Henry Sapoznik was down south trying to learn some traditional banjo licks from one of the old timey players and was asked, "don't you Jewish people have ethnic music of your own?" Indeed, Jewish musicians by the score emigrated to the United States at the end of the last century and the first decades of this century. Here they found jazz and other world music cultures. For a few decades an American klez style flourished. You could hear the influences of the Greek and Balkan and Eastern European melodies left behind, but this Americanishe version was also influenced by music from America--especially jazz. Parallel to klez was the Yiddish theatre, and the golden age of Jewish Cantors, and the Yiddish folk traditions. Then our parents and grandparents became "good Americans," and by the Sixties, klez was an unimaginative arrangement of "Sunrise, Sunset," played at Jewish weddings and old folks homes.” (Klezmershack)
Sapoznik proceeded to record his parents, who were holocaust survivors, singing songs from the old county. In addition, Sapoznik also recieved a grant from the Federal Government to study Klezmer music for a year.