New Klezmer All Stars Record out
This- hot off the press! I composed and arranged a lot of it…
Upcoming shows through the end of Jazzfest
Hope you can make some of these…or all of them….
April 10- with Helen Gillet’s Rebelle- the Broadside, 8pm
April 11- with Washboard Chaz Blues Trio- 3 Muses- 8pm
April 12- with The Sleazeball Orchestra- The Domino-7pm
April 13-with Washboard Chaz Blues Trio- French Quarter Fest, 3:45pm
April 14- with Helen Gillet- French Quarter Fest, 3:40pm
April 14- with The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars-French Quarter Fest, 5:30pm
April 16-with The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars- Happyland Theater, 7:30pm
April 18- with The International Accordion Kings- Manship Theater, Baton Rouge, LA, 7:30pm
April 19-with The International Accordion Kings- F.G. Bulber Auditorium, Lake Charles, LA, &pm
April 20-with The International Accordion Kings-George and Joyce Wien Jazz and Heritage Center, New Orleans, 8pm
April 24- with The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, record release party at Chickie WahWah, 11pm
April 25-with Washboard Chaz Blues Trio- 3 Muses- 8pm
April 26- with 007 at The Broadside, record release party, 11pm
April 27- with The Midnite Disturbers Brass Band- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 4:45pm
April 27-with 007 at Santos Bar-record release party, 11pm
April 28- with Nolatet- Happyland Theater, 8pm
April 29- 007 in store performance at Louisiana music Factory, 3pm
April 30- with Skerik’s Saucefest at Hi-Ho lounge, 10pm
May 1st- Double Bill- James Singleton Band/ Jonathan Freilich band- Happyland theater, 8pm
May 3rd- Klezmer All Stars-Happyland Theater 8pm
May 4th- Double Bill-Klezmer All Stars/The Iguanas- Vaughan’s Lounge, 9pm
May 4th- with the Valparaiso Men’s Chorus, Saturn Bar 10:30pm
May 5th- with The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars-New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 6pm
May 6th- with The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars-in store performance at Louisiana music Factory, 12pm
Current yoga teaching schedule at Mudita
Correction to the last post.
Only one class since my Tulane teaching schedule interrupted things.
Tuesday 1:30-3pm-intermediate yoga class.
Teaching regular yoga classes again. Starting October 5th, 2023.
After a 5 year gap, I will be teaching two classes a week at the new center, Mudita Yoga and Therapy. It is located in the Healing Center. The website for further info is here...
My classes:
Mondays 12-1:30pm- Intermediate
Fridays 10:30-11:45am- All levels.
Since most of this website is about my life and interests in music not much has been said about my background in yoga. The short bio I wrote for the new center says:
Jonathan began the adventure of yoga in 1997 at the old BKS Iyengar Institute of New Orleans. He studied with many of the senior students of BKS Iyengar and was certified in 2001. He has taken many trips to study with Prashant Iyengar in India, as well as continuing study with expert teacher, Ramanand Patel and spiritual teachers from other lineages. He was also co-founder and owner of Yoga Bywater. Although his teaching points towards the classical, he believes that each individual has to find the interests and fire that will drive their personal practice and that yoga offers something for every seeker regardless of background or perceived limitations.
That’s the short story. For further inquiries or for private classes feel free to contact me through this website.
On a couple of recordings coming out- Helen Gillet and Layla Musselwhite
I played on a couple of cool things just recently-
with my good friend Helen Gillet on her new record: ReBelle. Check out her site for information about record releases and shows.
Layla Musselwhite’s most recent recording- American Primitive. check out her site too!
And I hope to play with her more upcoming after recent great gig.
"New music is never beautiful on the first acquaintance."
Very nice video of the revolutionary composer himself talking about how it happens, and what the surrounding forces were…
Getting the site back on the move- Post-Pandemic
Well the site definitely went on hold. I’m going to be making all efforts to get it back moving. For starters, gigs are being posted to the schedule page so you can come to the shows. It has been a historical break but I’m glad to be moving back into web action mode.
Interview with frontman, Tony Green
Here is an intriguing interview that I have been hoping to get around to for many years. Tony is a great performer from New Orleans. He is a lone wolf of sorts- a frontman in a city of side musicians. He really delivers too. I first heard him in the unbelievably unique band from the early 90s, The Frank Spencer Quartet. He did much of note before that and since. Currently he has renewed energy for some great projects he describes here, like The Gutter Broithers. There are recordings in the works.
This interview goes through his early start and working in London after that, how he came there, how he returned, his visions in music and his collaborations. It’s well worth the listen and you might find out about some new music you knew nothing about.
Interview here…
Tony Green (front)
Back to listing gigs-check the calendar.
It’s hard to know what to say about the last year or more yet. There are so many interesting feelings of re-awakening things that had been rendered completely dormant.
Here is one…having a schedule of performances listed on my site. Yay! getting back to putting stuff on the calendar. If you are here. Take a look and come out if you get a chance. I am a lucky musician- I only get to do great projects whose music interests me in some way or another…or more likely, completely.
Interview with Taj Mahal
I recently had the opportunity to interview Taj Mahal for the Banjo Studio. For as much of an influence as his records have had on me, it was a very special moment.
Banjo Studio says:
Taj Mahal has been one of my favorite musicians since I was a teenager. We were very honored that Taj would take time to speak with us. Initially slated for a short 15-20 minute interview, Taj had a good time speaking with the Banjo Studio Podcast host, Jonathan Freilich, and spoke with him for over an hour!
Listen as Taj talks about his beginnings, how he got started playing the banjo, his approach to the banjo and the way he tunes it, and much more.
If you aren't familiar with Taj Mahal, now is the time to start checking out his very deep catalog of recordings.
If you are interested in Taj’s life and work, the blues, music around the world, and/or the banjo, you will find it fascinating.
Interview with David Grier for Banjo Studio
At the end of January I interviewed flat picking guitar phenom, David Grier for the Banjo Studio Podcast.. He has a very extensive career and an incredibly dextrous touch. If you are interested in bluegrass at all, this will be something to check out.
Banjo Studio says:
David Grier is one of the greatest flatpicking guitarists of all time. Listen to his reflections on Tony Rice's influence, the direction of bluegrass today, his own influences, and more.
Check out the podcast here…
NPR covers "Peter Stampfel's 20th Century".
Here is an album 20 years in the making. Peter Stampfel’s favorite songs of the 20th century, one from each year. I’m on most of it and was also Associate Producer.
Peter Stampfel is most famously of the Holy Modal Rounders, a band that I was a huge fan of after coming across their amazing first two albums when I was about 14. Mark Bingham produced many of Peter’s solo stuff over the years and I am really happy that he brought me in so generously for this amazing project.
It has an incredible lineup across the multi record set and is well worth having in your collection if you enjoy some very unusual song delivery and also an introduction to some incredible songs from the earlier part of the 20th century.
And here is the NPR coverage of it…
The "neo-classical" movement
“…simplification may be a necessity. The “neo-classical” movement had its inception in a reaction against over-complexity; but neo-classicists failed to see that the real necessity is to clarify the materials belonging to this age, not to attempt to return to the use of materials which not only have no specific relation to the present time, but were more perfectly handled by classical masters than is possible today. No renaissance in art has ever been entirely successful.”-
Henry Cowell-(New Musical Resources, 1930)
Check out the interview with purple witch of Culver.
Interesting name, don’t you think. This is a fairly new project based in Los Angeles with two very interesting people, Evan Taylor and Sarah Safaie. They have been putting out about one new single a month. Available on their band camp page
Purple Witch Culver
interview with Phil Degruy/Cranston Clements
Cranston Clements
Phil DeGruy
… a rambling conversation with two killer guitar players and subversive musical comedians from New Orleans, Phil DeGruy, and Cranston Clements. They often perform together as The Self-Righteous Brothers. In this episode we eventually meander through their musical origin stories. Light listening on heavy topics…or is it the other way around?
New Podcast to handle interviews of folks out of the New Orleans galaxy
I have been doing some interviews with some artists not connected to New Orleans directly. In order to not cross wires, have started a new thing called ‘Music Speaks Now’. It means there are now 4 connected here:
Interviews with Notable New Orleans Musicians podcast
U2/Elton John/Hal Willner tribute to T.Rex is out...w/ horn arrangement by Jonathan Freilich
My latest credit is somewhat high profile. The late Hal Willner was making a tribute album to T.Rex and asked me to write and contract the horn section for the track. It’s the single from the record. It’s also the great T.Rex number, Bang A Gong. I see it’s now available on iTunes and elsewhere so I thought I’d throw the post up. Hit the link and check it out.
I got some of my favorite fellows from New Orleans to play on it-
Ashlin Parker-tpt
Charlie Halloran & Jeff Albert&Trombone Shorty-tb
Brad Walker/Ray Moore-sax
Interview with David Immergluck for the Banjo Studio Podcast
I recently interviewed David Immergluck, the multi-instrumentalist dripping with personality who is quite notorious for his long membership in the Counting Crows, as well as Camper Van Beethoven, John Hiatt, and Monks of Doom. He also has an intriguing new project with Dave Alvin that you can find out about in the interview. It is really worth hearing.
Banjo Studio says:
David Immergluck is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom, as well as for his tenure with American singer-songwriter John Hiatt. A versatile musician, Immerglück plays mandolin, pedal steel guitar, bass, slide guitar, electric sitar, keyboards, and sings.
David Immergluck
Interview with Mark Bingham on Michot's Melody Makers Live album and Peter Stampfel's 20th Century
A new interview with Mark Bingham. There are a few different interviews with him on the site but this one is narrower in scope and hinges around a couple of very cool recent records he is playing on and producing. (One of them I have an Associate Producer credit on…so look out for that.)
The interview is on the page with them all…HERE.
