New York Gypsy All Stars Mix the Lush Sounds of Macedonia, Greece and Turkey with American Jazz and
The Lensic proudly presents the New York Gypsy All Stars, a contemporary Balkan meets jazz, funk and electronica group on Thursday, November 17, 2016, at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $20 (TicketsSantaFe.org).
Direct to The Lensic from the East Village, the New York Gypsy All Stars unite the lush sounds of their Macedonian, Greek, and Turkish roots with American influences to create an original sound that jumps the turnstiles of Balkanalia. Featuring classically trained musicians (including Macedonian clarinet wonder Ismail Lumanovski, who the New York Times called a “brilliant, fearless young clarinetist”), they cover the world rhythmically and harmonically, zooming with Roma-inspired zeal from swinging salsa to pulsing bhangra.
Though members of the group hold degrees from institutions like Juilliard and the Berklee College of Music, they also grew up jamming with local roots musicians (sometimes defiantly attacking traditional zithers with their bare fingers), exploring Latin jazz, and bringing the funk whenever they performed.The band consists of Macedonian born Ismail Lumanovski on clarinet, Turkish born Tamer Pinarbasi on kanun, Greek born Panagiotis Andreou on bass, Australian born (but with Turkish roots) Engin Gunaydin on drums, and American Jason Lindner on keyboards.
“We are taking what the Gypsies did, traveling from India to the Balkans and on to Western Europe and putting together the best musical ideas from every nation along the way,” says Lumanovski. “We're open to the world, and we just take everything we like and make it one.” WNYC radio in New York City describes this mix as “Infectious and hypnotic.”
The New York Gypsy All Stars performance at The Lensic is generously supported by Thornburg Investment Management.
The Lensic Performing Arts Center: Celebrating 15 Years in 2016
The nonprofit Lensic Performing Arts Center owns and maintains a landmark historic theater in the heart of Santa Fe, is the hub for year-round performing arts and culture, and serves the community through affordable programming and groundbreaking educational programs that touch the lives of more than 10,000 students each year. The Lensic Performing Arts Center celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2016. For more information about our presentations and programs, see Lensic.org.