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The FLYING BULGAR KLEZMER BAND
presents a CD RELEASE Celebration Concert for their new recording
SWEET RETURN
Saturday, May 10-8:30pm & Sunday, May 11-1pm at Hugh's Room

The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, Canada’s coolest contribution to slammin’ Semitic sounds, is proud to announce a CD Release Concert in celebration of their fifth release entitled Sweet Return, the band’s most diverse recording to date. The Flying Bulgars with special guest Jane Bunnett and others will perform on Saturday, May 10 at 8:30pm and on Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11 at 1pm at Hugh’s Room.

Sweet Return is thirteen tracks of some of the most unique music the Bulgars have ever produced, dancing between Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Lower East Side and Downtown Toronto. For the first time ever, each band member has composed at least one tune for the project, which features special guest, the great Grammy-nominated saxophonist, Jane Bunnett. (In May of 2002 the Flying Bulgars performed Shekhine-Spirit in the Natural World before a sold-out crowd at Toronto’s Isabel Bader Theatre. This inspiring and wonderful evening-length concert featured guest artists Jane Bunnett and Alex Poch-Goldin and was the genesis and initial seeding for Sweet Return.)

The group has garnered rave reviews and international recognition for its joyful performance style, excellent musicianship and complex, far-ranging compositions through numerous European and North American tours and JUNO-nominated CDs. Far from the traditional Klezmer found at weddings and bar mitzvahs, the Bulgars are a dynamic force in Canadian contemporary music, combining a love for tradition with a fearless commitment to experimentation. They are the most prominent Canadian members of the international Klezmer fraternity, as well as being regarded as one of the most adventurous and accomplished Klezmer groups around.

Rooted in Toronto, the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band brings together the remarkable talents of six great musicians. FBKB leader and trumpeter David Buchbinder has been deeply involved with New Jewish music since forming the FBKB over fifteen years ago (their very first gig was February 1, 1988 at Clinton’s). The other members are Daniel Barnes – drums and percussion, Andrew Downing – double bass and bass clarinet, Robert Stevenson – clarinet and bass clarinet, Marilyn Lerner -– piano and accordion and Dave Wall – vocals and alto saxophone.

Joining them on the CD and for the concert is special guest Jane Bunnett, an award-winning musician who is acclaimed worldwide for her contributions to Afro-Cuban music and jazz. Her first Cuban influenced album, Spirits of Havana, was released in 1992 and won a Juno Award. Its success led to further albums: Charmalongo (1997), Ritmo+Soul (2000-another Juno) and the Grammy-nominated Alma De Santiago (2001). Other guest musicians featured on Sweet Return are Stephen Donald, Levon Ichkanian, John Johnson, Rick Shadrach Lazar, Roula Said and Debashis Sinha. The CD was co-produced by Buchbinder and awsome engineer David Travers-Smith, and was designed by the award-winning Michael Wrycraft.

The FLYING BULGAR KLEZMER BAND presents the SWEET RETURN CD Release Concert
Saturday May 10 at 8:30pm and Sunday May 11 at 1pm, Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas St W
Tickets: Sat. $15/Sun. $12 --BOX OFFICE: 416-531-6604

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