Our music is KLEZMER....a raucously infectious Jewish wedding dance genre that arrived from Eastern Europe with Jewish immigrants at the turn of the 20th century.Songs in Yiddish and Ladino (hebraic spanish), have fascinated folk and concert audiences since the roots revival movement in the 70's. We have performed at Folk Festivals such as Summerfolk (Owen Sound), Ottawa Folk, Mill Race (Cambridge) and Ontario Place (Toronto). Band leader and founder Gary Weinger's background in teaching history in High School and Adult education allows him to reveal the history of the genre knowledgeably and in detail. His Yiddish language upbringing allows him to reveal the story behind the lyrics.
The Gypsy Jive Band was started in the mid eighties to introduce Klezmer to our friends in Collingwood and Owen Sound. The band consists of: Gary Weinger (violin and vocals), Murray McKay (guitar) and Rachel Melas (double bass). Our background training runs the gamut from classical, cajun, country, to jazz and beyond. Get in touch with the Gypsy Jive Band: gweinger@hotmail.com 519 620 2163 
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The G J B's most recent CD is called "Yennevelt". In Yiddish it means "the other world"...... the world of music, joy and dance. It is an old world of haunting and boisterous melodies from the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Chassidim and beyond. Yennevelt is a treasure trove of Klezmer,Yiddish, Sephardic and Greek music for your enjoyment. Check out the music and video page for a taste. |