Uwishunu.com

This March Ars Nova Workshop hosts a weekend long Radical Jewish Music Festival. The Festival boasts an impressive collection of musicians and diversified array of events for only four shows. It also boasts two native Philadelphians participating in spiritually and musically evolving collaborations: Jon Madof and Daniel Blacksberg. Madof has an impressive collaboration list including John Zorn, Marc Ribot, and Matisyahu. His own various ensembles include trio Rashanim and CircuitBreaker, but for this festival he teams up with southern boy Tim Sparks, who has culturally stretched his musical roots and shed his chops on everything from country blues, be-bop, Brazilian, classical, to an assortment of eastern and middle-eastern styles. The music will range from selections from Zorn’s 208 tune Masada repertoire to original material, classic rock and a few things in between.

Also featured in the festival is trombonist Dan Blacksberg, a Masterman alumnus returning home after schooling at the New Conservatory of Music. His Yiddish Sextet (with Frank London, Michael Winograd, Brandon Seabrook, Jorge Roeder, Ritchie Barshay) highlights his much sought after sound as an emerging klezmer instrumentalist.

I had a quick chance to ask these musicians some questions via email:

What musician do you think has influenced you the most?

Madof: The musician who has had the biggest impact on how I write, play and think is John Zorn. He’s simply one of the most brilliant musical minds of the last century, and it’s been an absolute honor for me to work with him.

Blacksberg: I’ve gotten so much from the African American contribution to Experimental music in the 20th and 21st Century’s. People like Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, and George Lewis have directly and indirectly influenced me a lot. I have played a lot with Frank London and have learned many things from him as well. Otherwise, I feel that being involved in the world-wide klezmer community has really given me a special window into this Jewish music.

How has Philadelphia influenced your music? What do you like most about the city?

Madof: Philly has an amazing musical history from John Coltrane to the Philly Sound to the Roots, not to mention the jazz guitarists (Jimmy Bruno, Pat Martino, etc.) It’s hard to say exactly how that’s specifically impacted me, but my Philly blood is there every time I strum the guitar. The things I like most about the city are the places my family used to go: the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Fairmount Park, Penn’s Landing, etc. Oh, and I love Bob and Barbara’s Lounge.

Blacksberg: I’ve also greatly benefited from the emerging scene of young improvisers in town and have had the pleasure of watching Philadelphia grow as a place for great radical music. One thing I love about Philadelphia is that it is still incredibly fertile ground for music and I think that anyone who dedicates themselves deeply to a project will reap great benefits and make great things happen.

Masada Guitars with Jon Madof and Tim Sparks
Saturday, March 1 8:30pm

Penn Hillel – University of Pennsylvania
215 S. 39th Street
$12 General Admission
www.arsnovaworkshop.com