JUBILEE CREEK KLEZMER
Susan Berman is a singer, flutist and choral leader. She coaches a Threshold Choir, contributes musically to Jewish services, plays Clay pots and indigenous flutes in improvisational and contemplative ensembles. Klezmer is her latest delight, as flutist, vocalist and dance leader. Susan has enjoyed her years of work as an Orff music teacher, studio musician, private flute and vocal instructor and gig musician with a variety of ensembles. While living in Taos, NM for 30 years, her exposure to indigenous cultures, instruments and vocal traditions informed her years as a singer/ songwriter with three original CD releases. The albums are a fusion of world music, Jewish heritage and American folk roots. Susan is founder and choral conductor of the Boulder Threshold Choir, was conductor for the Taos Community Chorus and Orchestra in Taos, NM and flute instructor at the College of Santa Fe, NM. Susan is founder of ‘The Matriarchs’, an Assisted Living singing group touring with walkers and wheelchairs.
Howard Branz brings a unique instrument to Jubilee Creek – an electronic wind instrument (EWI) that looks like a Star Trek creation and produces breath-controlled synthesized instrumental sounds. Howard, also an accomplished flutist, uses the EWI to play trombone, baritone sax, bass clarinet and other mid-range instruments with the band. Howard may be the only physicist playing in a klezmer band. He has worked for decades to advance solar energy and other technologies needed to meet the climate crisis. When not working or playing klezmer, Howard enjoys wilderness adventures, running, cross country skiing, amateur mycology and connecting with family and friends.
Ed Secor was introduced to the clarinet in fifth grade band, and over the last 30 years has explored a range of musical genera with his instrument. Involved with band, orchestra and chamber music in high school and college, Ed continues with classical music in a long standing chamber group in Fort Collins which plays a repertoire ranging from the 16th to the 21st centuries. He has also played occasionally with the Denver based Ambler Clarinet Choir. Outside of the classical world Ed performs regularly for contra dances and other American traditional dances on the Front Range with a variety of local musicians. Not content to be a starving artist, he makes most of his living as a carpenter and woodworker.
Paul Erhard is Professor Emeritus (in double bass) at the CU College of Music. Paul’s performance background includes classical double bass solo and orchestra, jazz, improvised raga music of India, and solo improvisations. Locally, Paul has been a member of the ProMusic Colorado Chamber Orchestra and the Boulder Bach Festival Orchestra, and has performed a number of times with the Grammy-winning Takács Quartet. Paul has performed many of the standard double bass concertos as a soloist with orchestra, and most recently, in 2020, premiered the L. Subramaniam Double Concerto for Violin and Double Bass with Dr. L. Subramaniam, violin. Time Art Space Art is Paul’s newest creative venture. Drawing upon his varied performance background, Paul uses improvisation to develop languages of communication with painters, dancers, photographers, and poets. Visit Paul at www.timeartspaceart.com
Yonatan Malin plays accordion and flute, and he is Associate Professor of music theory at CU Boulder. Yonatan is on the research team for the Klezmer Archive Project funded by NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Grants. In 2019, he wrote, produced and performed in The Beregovski Archives: Klezmer Stories from Soviet Ukraine to Boulder with the klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals and jazz pianist Uli Geissendoerfer. Yonatan has studied accordion with Joshua Horowitz and Christina Crowder. His research on klezmer and other topics can be found on his website.
Doug Walter is the only classical marimba/vibraphone artist to win first prize in the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York City. His debut recital in Carnegie Recital Hall received a positive review in The New York Times. Doug has performed over 350 solo recitals and concerti in 40 states, Canada, Brazil and eight countries in Europe. Doug is principal timpanist with the Boulder Philharmonic and Sunriver Music Festival orchestras. As a jazz musician, Walter has recorded (on drum set and vibes) with Michael Pagàn, UNT 1:00 Lab Band (nominated for a Grammy Award), Modest Jazz Trio, CU Boulder Jazz Faculty Quintet, and Doug Walter Vibraphone Trio. His unique flamenco duo with Steve Mullins, guitarist, has toured Europe. Doug holds a dual BM from North Texas State University, summa cum laude, two master’s degrees (orchestral conducting and percussion) from the University of Michigan and a DMA from Temple University. His BA in French Literature from CU Boulder is also designated summa cum laude. Doug is Professor of Percussion at CU Boulder where he has taught for 35 years.
CaraBeth Wilson started her violin career on a cornstarch box and has since graduated to a much nicer wooden box. While pursuing undergraduate degrees in Music and Philosophy at the University of Colorado (CU) she started playing bluegrass with some friends from her high school. She got into English Country Dance and klezmer while still living in the Pacific Northwest after finishing up an MA in Theology from Regent College in Vancouver, BC. Since moving back to Colorado she has gotten to do a bit of Contradance and plays regularly at her church. She is also pursuing an MA in Rhetoric while working as a teaching assistant at CU in the Communication department.