KLEZMANIA! Reviews
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"Amazing klezmer/ jazz / swing band we hired for our wedding! Ben Brussell, the band leader, was professional and friendly, and helped us greatly to enjoy our reception. The band played a mix of traditional Jewish music, popular hits, jazz and swing. Ben was happy to oblige us with some non-traditional requests, and spent two hours helping us to outline our event and prepare us for the evening. On our wedding day, he took great pains to arrive early, helped non-Jewish guests feel comfortable about participating in the Hora, and responded to the crowd's moods with a variety of music. Thanks Ben!"
Mark & Juliah "Thanks to YOU!!!! You were a pleasure and a dream to work with---And, your beautiful music added immeasurably to the success of the openings. Please send anyone my way who wants a recommendation….I look forward to working with you again soon!" (Played all donor, member events and Grand Opening of Museum) Susan--Contemporary Jewish Museum "KLEZMANIA! is a by far the best Klezmer/Israeli/jazz band in the Bay Area. Not only are the band members professional and easy to work with, they are SUPERB performers! I have hired them for large dance parties and for more intimate functions and have never been disappointed. Ben Brussell, the manager, has been at this for years and is an great resource for planning your event, gauging the type of music desired and maintaining a level of professionalism not often seen with vendors who book their own gigs. They have always arrived on time with all equipment set to go. "If you are looking for a band that will get folks on their feet, and a built in MC to help run the schedule of events then this is the band for you! They are affordable, trustworthy and lots of fun. I have recommended them to all my friends." Hagar--Congregation Kol Shofar "Thank YOU and KLEZMANIA! for making our wedding unforgettable. People had a blast dancing to klezmer music - really energized the crowd! People kept coming up to us later saying they wish they were Jewish too, so that they could have a Klezmer band at their (Anglo-Saxon) wedding as well. "Thanks again for all the magic you brought to the room and we'll be in touch soon. Also, please let me know next time you're playing. It would be great to hear you guys live again." Masha & Paul "The musicianship was splendid, the music was both joyous and poignant, and personally, this sound is part of my cultural identity, and it was so wonderful to hear the music of my family and ancestors come alive. I rarely sit in the front row, but I felt that I wanted to participate and lend my support and my sense of joy to the music." Old First Concerts "Many thanks to you for adding so much spirit to our celebration. We both truly loved the music, as did our guests, who were just thrilled to listen, to dance, and to clap along. You were also a pleasure to work with, both before and during the celebration. We could not have been happier with our having chosen KLEZMANIA for our celebration!" Mark "I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated the wonderful job you did providing music for my son's Bar Mitzvah party. Because of your expert handling, the party went smoothly and everyone loved the music. We all appreciated the care you took to help us choose the songs and arrangements. What lovely memories we have of that magical night. We will certainly call you again for our future simchas!" Brenda "The best part of all was that Ben and the band got our guests on their feet doing an energetic chair dance and some frenzied circle dancing, which is exactly what we wanted -- lots of laughter and people having a good time. I recommend Ben to anyone looking for a complete package of music/dance/mc services for their wedding -- we were glad that he was there." Dan & Kay “People are *still* complimenting me and my new husband on our choice of wedding band! We had seen KLEZMANIA! perform at another friend's wedding before we were engaged, so we didn't hesitate to call Ben Brussell as soon as we decided that we wanted a band at our own wedding. We picked our wedding date around this band's availability, and luckily for us, it worked out wonderfully!" Mark "The guys in KLEZMANIA! have a way of reading the crowd and determining what kind of music is appropriate for the moment, and their talents do not end there. The band's renditions of many popular songs sound a.m.a.z.i.n.g. -- even better than the originals, according to some of our guests! The wild hora set was a huge hit at our party: we heard rave reviews from those who are very experienced in Jewish dancing and also from those who'd never before witnessed a hora. Ben and his band-mates are inspiring musicians; their performance of a few songs during our wedding ceremony had guests in tears, and their background music during the cocktail hour was also very fitting for the occasion." Libby & Josh "I truly can not recommend Ben Brussell and his band highly enough. Every single aspect of working with Ben was easy and actually a joy -communicating and planning my daughter's Bat Mitzvah celebration. The band's music was extraordinary - beautiful and motivating and energizing. Ben and the musicians understood the mood and energy level and we literally had 100 people (children, teens and adults; Jews and non-Jews; dancers and non-dancers) all holding hands and twirling and swirling together on and on. It was a once in a lifetime experience. (Maybe twice in a lifetime - we will definitely hire them again for our son's Bar Mitzvah!)" Lisa "Thank you for providing all the wonderful music at Congregation Etz Chayim throughout the wedding day of our son Benjamin and Eva. The string trio sounded beautiful and it was delightful to hear KLEZMANIA! live. You met the many challenges of the location and the extremely diverse gathering of people. Thank you again!" Muriel & Felix "KLEZMANIA! made our event! The band was truly outstanding & completely professional. As a long-time klezmer fan, I’d rank you amongst the best!” Eric & Leyne “You were absolutely FANTASTIC...many thanks to your entire group....No words can describe how terrific you were...You made the entire wedding as special as it was!” Maria & Michael “You are fabulous! It was the best night ever! Thanks so much!” Cindy & Aaron “Wonderfully spirited group. Excellent selections. You helped make our event a success!” University of Judaism “You guys are great musicians & entertainers." Berkeley Symphony “We thank you! You were great! Everyone really enjoyed your musical talent. No one wanted the evening to end...!” Irina & Michael "We hired Benny B. to play at our wedding in August after a long and frustrating search for a violinist. Obnoxious people and insane prices -we seen and heard it all. We were just about to give up on the whole violin idea when we accidentally discovered Benny on CL. From the first time we called Ben we knew that this guy will be playing our wedding and no one else. In every sense our experience dealing with him is nothing short of remarkable. Ben is a professional of an utmost grade (musicianship and business both). His music list is a mile long and when my wife asked for an old Jewish tune for our ceremony that he did not know, Benny voluntarily learned it and played it beautifully. There was not a single heart in that place that Benny's violin did not touch that night. What else can I say? Benny is a true mensch. He will spend as much time with you and give you all attention you need without rushing you or looking or acting irritated. Incredible guy. Astounding musician. I will recommend Benny to anyone in a heartbeat. As a matter of fact already did. Thanks again Ben and the best of luck to you!" Alex & Julia "Thank you very much for a great wedding. All of our guests said it was the best wedding they ever attended. We absolutely loved KLEZMANIA!" Arin & Oanh "Thank you for a delightful round of music reminding us of our roots. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and that of course is the bottom line. Best wishes for your continued success." Erin & Jack |
