Hazzan Jack Kessler, music director, vocals, bass, composer-arranger, has been called a one-man force of nature in Jewish music (he has also been called the Jewish Sun Ra; he has also been called other things). He sang Jewish liturgical music as a Hazzan (Cantor) for twenty years before he decided that he refers singing with a band. Along with the Klingons, he
directs ATZILUT, a ten-member ensemble that performs CONCERTS FOR PEACE, a duet format with Arab and Jewish musicians.

Bob Butryn, reeds: Bob is adept on clarinet, flute, and tenor sax. He is the principal clarinettist of the internationally known new music ensemble Relache, and is highly respected for his improvisational and harmonizing skills in klezmer, jazz, and dixieland. Bob has also won national awards in swing dancing! his new show "Crazy Rhythm, Fancy Feet.com" (online by the
same name) premiered in October 2001. Bob is cool.

Stan Slotter, trumpet and flute, has been active on the Philly music scene since age fifteen. He has played with Cecil Taylor, Grover Washington, Philly Jo Jones, Reverie, Minas, Seamus Eagan and many others. His favorite styles are jazz, Latin, dixieland and klez. In addition to his virtuosity on two
very different instruments, Stan is known for his passionate, heartfelt approach, which brings a unique warmth to his playing.

Josef Kessler, five-string electric violin, is based in Boston and is one of the most sought after ethnic violinists in the Northeast. He plays klezmer, Irish, Balkan and rock. and has played with Led Zeppelin, Morphine, Boiled In Lead, Wooden Leg, Sunday's Well, Atzilut, and Hank Williams III. He spends a lot of time in airports.

Dave Posmontier, keyboard, a.k.a. Dr. Funk, has been playing professionally for around three hundred years. He has performed with such Philly area stalwarts as John Swana, Steve Giordano, Bootsie Barnes, and his brother Rich in the Posmontier Brothers Quintet. The PBQ has an album out of Dave's original compositions. Several years ago the Philly jazz station named Dave number one jazz pianist in Philadelphia. Dave began his klezmer journeys playing gonzo synthesizer for the High Holidays, backing up Cantor Jack Kessler.

Charly Salinger, clarinet, has a resume to die for. He is principal clarinet with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, artist in residence at the University of Delaware, principal clarinet in the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, principal clarinet for the Kirov Ballet during their stay in Philadelphia, occasionally plays with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and a frequent featured soloist with all the above. Charly can play just about anything brilliantly. He started playing klez because his Jewish soul told him to. Charly is also a superb jazz player on tenor sax. Test on this tomorrow.

AND, OUR WARP-DRIVE PERCUSSION TEAM:

Jim Babb, middle-eastern percussion, has a Western classical background, which he has augmented with studies in Arab classical and Indian music. He has been a regular with several Philadelphia area percussion ensembles, including E-Tribe and leading the percussion battery of the Atzilut ensemble. Jim recently had a baby, which really surprised his wife.

Tom Cohen, drums, is a seasoned veteran (mostly garlic and chili powder, pretty well baked) of the Philly music scene who began to study with jazz great Tony Williams while still in high school. In Washington DC, Tom played with the Harvard University Big Band under Donald Byrd. Since living in Philly he has played with the fusion bands Catalyst, led by Odean Pope, Bootsie Barnes, Shirley Scott, Uri Caine, Charles Fambrough, John Swana, John Blake and others. He has recorded on a number of CD's. and his own debut CD was released in 1997 on the Cadence label.