The Klezmatics

Kosher Gospel Meets Klezmer: The Klezmatics, Joshua Nelson & Lavender Light Gospel Choir 📅 July 8, 2025 | 📍 City Winery New York Prepare for a transcendent night of soul-stirring music as Grammy-winning klezmer pioneers The Klezmatics reunite with the electrifying Joshua Nelson, the Prince of Kosher Gospel, and the soaring voices of the Lavender Light Gospel Choir for an unforgettable evening at City Winery New York. This extraordinary collaboration—first sparked in The Klezmatics’ acclaimed 2004 live album Brother Moses Smote the Water—blends the fiery energy of klezmer with the deep-rooted passion of Black gospel and the universal power of spirituals and liberation songs. Now, two decades later, they return to the stage with something new. This concert is more than a reunion—it’s a world premiere. Joshua Nelson and the Lavender Light Gospel Choir are both featured on The Klezmatics’ upcoming album, The New York Sessions, currently in production. Together, they will debut brand-new material live on stage for the very first time, fresh from the recording studio. 🗞 “One spiritual transformation after another… makes being Black and Jewish seem as obvious and natural as matzo.” — The Village Voice 🗞 “A moving summit of African-American, Jewish workers’, spiritual and festive songs.” — Berliner Morgenpost About the Artists The Klezmatics are the trailblazing, Grammy-winning band that has revolutionized Yiddish and klezmer music for nearly four decades. Formed in 1986 in New York City’s East Village, they’ve merged traditional Jewish melodies with punk, gospel, folk, jazz, and global sounds—creating music that is deeply spiritual, fiercely political, and joyfully danceable. They’ve toured the world and collaborated with artists like Itzhak Perlman, Arlo Guthrie, Chava Alberstein, and Tony Kushner. Joshua Nelson is the internationally acclaimed creator of “Kosher Gospel,” a genre-blending force that fuses African-American gospel with Jewish spiritual themes. A powerhouse performer inspired by Mahalia Jackson, Nelson has brought his voice to audiences around the globe, performing with icons such as Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, and Oprah Winfrey. The Lavender Light Gospel Choir is a Black-led, intergenerational, mixed-voice chorus based in New York City. Founded in 1985 by two Black gay men reclaiming the power of gospel music for LGBTQIA+ communities, Lavender Light continues to offer a joyful, resilient, and inclusive spiritual voice. The choir has performed everywhere from Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium to City Hall and the United Nations, and has become a cherished institution in both sacred and activist spaces. 🎟 Tickets available now at: www.klezmatics.com 💿 Proceeds from this performance support the recording of The New York Sessions, The Klezmatics’ 14th studio album, releasing in 2026. Don’t miss this groundbreaking concert where klezmer meets gospel, tradition meets transformation, and three powerful musical voices unite—live at City Winery New York.