Gig Alert: A Purely Coincidental Night of Klezmer w/ Ben Holmes

A Purely Coincidental Night of Klezmer w/ Ben Holmes
“Romanian Folk Song”
Playing FRIDAY at: Barbes (376 9th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Get: Tickets ($10 suggested donation at the door) | Directions

There’s a great New York City tradition of Christmas Eve events catering to Jews, whose goyim friends will all be too busy cracking chestnuts and putting out cookies for Santa to go out and enjoy the work holiday. Despite the tounge-in-cheek name, trumpeter Ben Holmes has been throwing a very uncoincidental klezmer party at Barbes for the last three Christmas Eves in a row. Holmes leads a number of ensembles--including the Ben Holmes Trio that recorded “Romanian Folk Song,” posted above--but for the occasion he’s assembled something of an all-star cast. It includes accordionist Uri Sharlin, who has toured with Natalie Merchant and Antony & the Johnsons, and violist Karen Waltuch, who has played with Wilco and the Walkmen.