New Sounds Live
New York, NY —
SILENT FILM, NEW MUSIC
Live performances of a newly commissioned original score by David Krakauer and Socalled for the classic film Battleship Potemkin
World Financial Center Winter Garden
Battleship Potemkin
Wednesday, February 20th at 7PM
Thursday, February 21st at 7PM
220 Vesey Street
Battery Park City Directions
Admission FREE
» New Sounds Live 2007-2008 Concert Season
The long-awaited New Sounds Live winter film series returns to the World Financial Center on February 20 and 21, 2008. Witness a classic silent film under glass - Sergei Eisenstein’s "Battleship Potemkin," featuring a new score from clarinet powerhouse David Krakauer and beat scientist Socalled, commissioned by Arts>World Financial Center. A visit to the legendary city of Odessa, (the location for Sergei Eisenstein’s classic, Battleship Potemkin), was the catalyst for these musicians’ first collaborative film composition. The performances will be taped for later broadcast on 93.9 FM WNYC.
As a leading figure in world music, clarinetist David Krakauer has redefined klezmer through his innovative recordings and passionate stage performances. With his band Klezmer Madness!, Krakauer has forged alliances with a multitude of musical genres including jazz, rock, funk and most recently hip-hop. The band’s newest release entitled Bubbemeises: Lies My Gramma Told Me, marks the first full collaboration between Krakauer and hip-hop artist Socalled. Krakauer cites this CD as a whole new chapter in his life as a composer, a musician and a producer. It is a partnering that ushers these two eclectic and influential musicians on to the world dance music stage. “Klezmer has always been dance music, and I see this collaboration with Socalled as a revamped continuation of that,” says Krakauer. With a powerful line up of world-class musicians, including free-spirited bassist Nicki Parrott, cutting-edge jazz guitarist Sheryl Bailey, masterful accordionist Will Holshouser, soulful drummer Michael Sarin, and hip-hop beat architect Socalled, Krakauer’s compositions are infused with a hard edge and a spirited passion. His music easily finds its home in the tumultuous times of the twenty-first century and speaks simultaneously to those who know klezmer from its traditional roots, to the dance club frequenters and world music enthusiasts of today. This is definitely not your gramma’s klezmer, unless gramma likes remixed Hasidic chant, klezmer tributes to James Brown, and an in-your-face raving battle for reinvented Jewish identity.
Socalled is a musician, photographer, magician and writer based in Montreal. He was born Josh Dolgin in Ottawa, Ontario and raised just north, in Chelsea, Quebec. As a kid he was always in musicals and drew cartoons for the Ottawa Citizen. He hated soccer. He was bribed by his mother to continue piano lessons until high school, then he picked up the accordion. He wrote for the newspaper and played in any kind of band – salsa, gospel, rock, funk – then discovered MIDI and hip hop. He worked with rappers, he made madd beats, he got into studios. He graduated from McGill and made a 50 minute animated film for the Canada Council, meanwhile writing for Hour Magazine and performing. He has now appeared on a dozen recordings as pianist, singer, arranger, rapper, writer and producer. He rocks the machine with in David Krakauer’s Klezmer Madness!, sings with Toronto-based Beyond the Pale, performs with home-base band Shtreiml in Montreal, with LA-based the Aleph Project. He conducts the Addath Israel choir for High Holidays. Socalled performs and records widely with a crew of mixed-up freaks and geniuses from around the world, including Killah Priest, Susan Hoffman-Watts, Frank London, and Irving Fields.
Additional Resources:
» David Krakauer’s website
» Socalled’s website
» New Sounds Live 2007-2008 Concert Season
» World Financial Center
