Internationally-recognized klezmer ensemble Ezekiel’s Wheels brings passion, virtuosity, and contagious energy to every performance. The Wheels improvise with the intimacy of chamber music and the intensity of a rowdy dance band. They are equally at home on the stage of the International Jewish Music Festival, where judges heralded them as “a true musical democracy,” as in the classroom, where sixth-grade student Jonathan raised his hand to tell them, “Y’all got swag.”
The Wheels’ unique style was forged in the subway stations and farmers’ markets of Boston, where the informal setting and ever-changing audience created an ideal environment for musical experimentation. They honed their craft with bulgars and 90’s pop covers for the morning rush hour and mixed doinas and zhoks with fresh produce on the weekends, building a community of fans and friends across the city. On the advice of an admirer from the Porter Square T station, they entered the 2012 Boston Jewish Music Festival’s “Klezmer Idol” competition, winning first place and a recording session. Seven months later, with a brand new EP under their belt, they won botht he jury-awarded City Winery Prize for best klezmer ensemble and the Audience Pick Award at the third biennial International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam.
Ezekiel’s Wheels features Abigale Reisman (violin), Jonathan Cannon (violin), Kirsten Lamb (upright bass), Nat Seelen (clarinet), and Pete Fanelli (trombone). They perform regularly across New England, occasionally around the United States, and every-so-often around the world. For a current concert calendar, see ewklezmer.com/shows. If you’re interested in bringing the Wheels to you, please contact ewklezmer@gmail.com.