The Klezmatics: 40 Years of Revolutionary Joy

Episode Description: In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steven Roby sits down with Frank London, trumpeter and founding member of the Grammy Award-winning band The Klezmatics.

For four decades, The Klezmatics have been the world’s leading voice in blending traditional Yiddish roots with the energy of punk, jazz, and gospel. Frank shares stories from the band’s origins in New York’s gritty East Village scene of the 1980s and discusses their landmark collaboration with the Woody Guthrie estate—a project that unearthed lost Hanukkah lyrics by the American folk icon.

We also get an exclusive preview of their upcoming album, We Were Made for These Times, and discuss why bringing "happy, joyous" energy to the stage is a necessary form of activism today.

In This Episode, We Cover:

· The East Village Spark: How the 1980s avant-garde and punk scenes helped launch a global klezmer revival.

· Woody Guthrie’s Lost Lyrics: The incredible story of how Nora Guthrie discovered her father's Jewish-themed writings and tapped The Klezmatics to bring them to life.

· 40 Years of Music: How the band has kept its core lineup together and evolved its sound over four decades.

· New Music Preview: Frank discusses the socially conscious themes behind their upcoming 2026 album, We Were Made for These Times.

· Live at SFJAZZ: Why the band goes "full throttle" on improvisation when they play the Miner Auditorium.

Featured Music:

· "Spin Dreydl Spin"

· "(Do The) Latke Flip-Flip"

Links & Resources:

· Tickets: The Klezmatics at SFJAZZ (Dec 15)

· Website: The Klezmatics Official Site

· Album: Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah (Vinyl Reissue out now)

Connect with Backstage Bay Area:

· Website: Backstagebayarea.com

· Instagram: @BackstageBayArea

· Host: Steven Roby