Dear Friends,

As the Festival of Lights draws nearer, I wish you and your family and friends a holiday filled with light and hope. It takes only a small flame to light up a room. Share your light with someone you love and someone in need. Your efforts shall be returned to you tenfold.

With Music in my Heart,

Sy Kushner

“Is my music klezmer?”, I’ve been asked. Well, that depends on how you define klezmer. Personally, I’d rather leave that to the ethnomusicologists. What I can tell you is that the strongest influences on my music are Chassidic and Israeli folk dance music. Having heard those genres ever since I was a young boy, and having performed and recorded them as a member and one of the founders of the Mark 3 Orchestra, it was inevitable that I would be influenced by them. Clearly I am also influences by Eastern European Jewish instrumental music commonly referred to as klezmer. I also grew up listening to my father’s collection of cantorial music on vinyl records. This had a major impact on my writing as well. Examples of Chassidic influence in my works are A Nigun from the Arise CD, March No.2, Kush Nigun, A Chusedl from the Journeys CD, and March No.1, Chusedl No.6, Nigun No.2, and Chusedl No.5 from the …from my soul… CD

Another important part of my musical life for many years has been the influence of what is commonly referred to as world music. Music from Latin America, Ireland, Africa and the Middle East has influenced my writing. Examples of my work which have world music influences are: Merengklez, Mishebelly Dance and Jewrish Dance from the Arise! CD, Pentaklez Blues from the Journeys CD, and Terkush, Hoy Down and Pentafreygish Freilach from the …from my soul…CD.

My Israeli folk dance influences can be heard in Back to A in Journeys, and Thank You Fred and Israhora No. 6 in …from my soul…CD.

Klezmer influences can be heard in all of the freilachs, bulgars, 3/8 Horas and doinas which can be found in all three recordings.

I hope the above answers some of your questions and increases your enjoyment of my music.

Sy Kushner

The Mark 3 Book of Transcriptions is now available for Bb and C Instruments. Please visit my website www.nulitemusic.com for ordering info. Also available is the re-release of the 1966 Mark 3 album on CD, a perfect gift for Chanukah!

Sy Kushner

Hello My Friends,
First, let me wish you all a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful, and Musical New Year!
I’m pleased to announce that a book of transcriptions of the music on the 1966 Mark 3 album will be available shortly. The book will be available in three versions, for C , Bb , and, by special order, Eb instruments. Included in the book are some vintage Mark 3 photos dating back to 1960 and 1966.
2011 marks the 45th anniversary of the release of the Mark 3 album. As you can imagine, working on this project was a labor of love. It brought back many wonderful memories of those years. The album, as you might know, was released in CD form last year and has been very well received. I’ve received lovely emails thanking me for reminding them of a wonderful musical time in their lives. The response has been most gratifying.
In addition, my third CD of original tunes entitled “From My Soul” has received a warm reception.
Please visit my website at www.nulitemusic.com for all available products. When the new Mark 3 book is released in approximately 2 weeks, all of you on my mailing list will receive an email.

Sy Kushner

They were literally dancing in the aisles. The crowd was wonderfully receptive;books, cds, and t shirts were sold. The band outdid themselves, playing difficult music beautifully. Kudos to Marty Confurius on bass, Larry Eagle on drums, Aaron Kushner on alto sax, and me(Sy Kushner) on accordion.

The special Nulite Music sale continues through April 30;buy any 3 items and get a beautiful …from my soul… t shirt absolutely free!. Visit nulitemusic.com to order. A free t shirt will automatically be added to your order of 3 items.

Hello Friends,
A reminder that I will be appearing at City Winery on April 3. The two sets are at 10:45 and 12:10 The music charge is $10.00 for both sets and there is no food cover. Order as you wish. City Winery is at 155 Varick St in Manhattan, between Spring and VanDamme Street. Street parking is readily available.
I’ll be joined by Aaron Kushner on alto sax, Marty Confurius on string bass, and Larry Eagle on Drums and percussion. We will be performing music from my new CD, …from my soul…, as well as selections from my Journeys and Arise CDs. I hope that you will all be able to join us in this beautiful music venue.

Sy Kushner

Sy Kushner will be performing music from his new CD, …from my soul… at New York’s City Winery on April 3 at 10:45am and 12:10pm. Joining him will be Aaron Kushner on alto sax, Marty Confurius on bass and Larry Eagle on drums and percussion.

Marty Confurius has performed and recorded with Sy for over 13 years and has recorded on all 3 of Sy’s New Jewish Music albums as well as his KlezSqueeze album. Marty has been involved in the klezmer scene since its revival. He was Andy Statman”s bass player for years as well as playing and recording for many of the top klezmer bands.

Larry Eagle is currently Andy Statman’s drummer. He recently recorded and toured with Bruce Springstein promoting the Pete Seeger-Sessions album. He played at the Klez Kush and Son sold out concerts at Tonic club accompanying  Sy, his son as well as Marty.

Aaron Kushner was a member of the Klezminors, the top teenage klezmer band in the country 12 years ago, performing for thousands at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. Since then he has recorded on all three of Sy’s New Jewish Music album as well as doing the art design on Journeys and Arise CDs

We hope that you will attend and continue to support Sy’s projects. As Sy limits his public appearances, this is a rare opportunity to see him perform live.

Rita Davidson of Accordions USA reviewed my new CD, …from my soul… New Jewish Music by Sy Kushner Volume Three. Please visit http://www.accordionusa.com/default.aspx#art159 and scroll down for the very nice review

Take a look at this link posted by Batya whose wedding the Mark 3 played in the 60′s. Jewish music is alive and well.

http://me-ander.blogspot.com/2010/12/chanukah-day-2-another-kosher-chanukah.html

My new CD, …“from my soul…” New Jewish Music by Sy Kushner is now available along with C and Bb music books with the tunes and chords from the CD. The keys in the books are the same as the CD so that you can play along with the recording.

The CD reflects the many influences on my music, from klezmer to Chassidic,  and Israeli folk dance to Mideastern. I composed a tune in memory of Fred Berk(Thank You Fred), the choreographer of Israeli folk dances in the ’50′s and ’60′s, who taught hundreds of dancers at New York’s 92nd  Street Y on Wednesday evenings for many years. My birthday gift to my son on his 22nd birthday four years ago was the tune Happy Bulgarday Two Two You. It is a reworking of the traditional Happy Birthday tune. I moved it to a minor key, gave it a freilach beat and expanded on the tune. Pentafreygish Freilach is a freilach(up tempo) written in groups of 5 beats rather than 4 or 2. Hoy Down was square dance influenced but moved into a minor key. The CD closes with a series of variations on Hatikvah, the Israel National Anthem.

I want to thank,once again, the dedication of the musicians on this project who took the time and effort to make my music their own. Many of them have played on other CD projects as well as live performances going back many years. I’m deeply grateful to have the opportunity to make music with them.

And last but not least, the joy of performing with my son Aaron is indescribable in words. I am so proud of his soulful playing(listen to Waltz in d) as well as the beautiful job he did in designing the CD and cover.

Thanks to all of you who support my projects through your purchases of my CDs and books which allows me to continue sharing my works with you.

Sy Kushner