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An American Master Fills a Landmark With Music – Come Listen

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Andy Statman, who plays mandolin and clarinet, photographed by Christoph Giese in 2012 for his NEA National Heritage Fellowship.

“You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s real Jewish rye,” was the slogan for a brand of bread baked in Brooklyn, and offered with a memorable ad campaign to the wider world.

Well, you also don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy a feast for the senses tomorrow evening, Thursday October 22, when one of the finest living American Jewish musicians, Andy Statman, gives a concert in one of the most stunning Jewish sites in America, the Eldridge Street Synagogue. All you have to be is a ticket-holder: see all details here.

Statman and Eldridge have come together to put on a fundraiser for GVSHP through its Brokers Partnership – which has produced quite a few special events, but we think they’ve outdone themselves with this one.

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Inside the Eldridge Street Synagogue sanctuary.

A Queens native, Brooklyn resident, and frequent performer in the West Village’s Charles Street Synagogue, Statman is best-known for playing klezmer music, a lively Ashkenazic Jewish style in which clarinet is a star, alongside the violin, bass, drum, accordion, and any number of other pieces that can be added. This week, Statman will play in his usual trio alongside percussionist Larry Eagle and bassist Jim Whitney. He’s also known for crossing over styles, as in his work with bluegrass banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck, or country music artist Ricky Skaggs.

The synagogue, meanwhile, can hardly be beat as a concert venue. The 1887 building completed a 20-year renovation in 2007, when it reopened as a museum, while continuing to host a small congregation that has worshiped there throughout its entire history. It was designated a New York City landmark in 1980, and a National Historic Landmark in 1996. The building now serves as a hub of education and tourism as well as spirituality.

All that, and benefiting GVSHP too? Hurry up and get your tickets here or by calling 212-475-9585, x 32.

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