Balkan Brass World

The Amsterdam Klezmer Band (AKB) is an energetic and poetic stage-act consisting of 7 musicians that have charmed an international audience for over 10 years. Their music is a very lively and refreshing mix of Eastern European styles that transcends traditional Balkan and Klezmer music.

Their strength lies in the ability to appeal to a remarkably broad audience across all age groups; they play clubs, theatres, festivals, parties, weddings and formal functions. AKB can both fire up a crowd and create pure listening pleasure with the vibrancy of their playing. Their instrumental skills are complemented by the unique vocals of Alec Kopyt (Odessa) and Job Chajes (Amsterdam). The AKB has managed to extract Klezmer from its dilettante ambiance and added a good dose of Balkan and original influences bringing you the pleasure of Eastern European music.

The AKB was founded in 1996 and soon gained a reputation in Amsterdam with their many vibrant performances on the street, in parks and pubs. Soon the rest of the Netherlands caught up: the band performed frequently at the infamous Oerol Festival between 1999 and 2006 to great acclaim and was invited to the Noorderslag Festival in January 2001, the press describing their performance as 'the great surprise of the festival', followed by the Lowlands Festival 2001. The band performed at North sea Jazz 2002 and 2007 and again at Lowlands 2006.
The AKB also played in the USA, Canada, Russia, France, Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Portugal, UK, Hungary, Italy and 3 tours in Turkey.

By now traditional Balkan tunes make up only a small part of the Amsterdam Klezmer Band repertoire. Most of the music has been written by the band members, who all contribute musically to an ever-growing collection of infectious Balkan/Gypsy/Klezmer crossovers. In this manner the band endeavors to breathe new life into the Eastern European Balkan, Klezmer and Gypsy music tradition.

The members of the Amsterdam Klezmer Band are passionate musicians and are well versed in a wide range of styles. They have made their mark on the Dutch and European club and festival scene and are well known for their parts in various other remarkable pop, jazz and world music projects in the Netherlands, past and present.

Amsterdam Klezmer Band line-up