Paul Klemperer hosts a wild and fun variety show in celebration of a completely made up holiday (unlike all those other ones!)… The first year it was a modest undertaking held at Tom’s Tabooley, with a funky aluminum pole provided by owners Brigid and Tom.  The response was unexpectedly fervent, and a new tradition was born!

Last year Paul took his message of unrealistic hope and jaded sentimentality to the Paramount Stateside for a mix of song, dance, and airing of grievances.  This year the mayhem will go down at the Spider House Ballroom, where the audience can choose to sit, stand, or dance (or even wrestle each other to the ground if the moment seems right).

The theme this year is “It feels so real.”

When we were young, wintertime had a certain magic.  Christmas was everywhere, full of candy canes, reindeer, pine scent, treacly tunes played over and over.  In Boston, where I grew up, the possibility of snow meant that school might be canceled, or at the very least, thrown off schedule, which was magical in its own way.  Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, whatever, it was all magical!

Then we grew up, and the magic seemed to fade.  The maw of hypocrisy became visible under the veneer of the holiday spirit.  There was no peace on earth, goodwill toward men.  There never had been, and likely never would be.  The blanket of snow heralding the stillness of winter no longer meant sledding and snow angels, but only shoveling your car out of drifts made by uncaring snowplows.  Sidewalk Santas reeking of cheap whiskey, stores full of crap made by minimum wage elves, bills piling up while you run around trying to find gifts you can’t really afford, nerves getting frayed as the days dwindle down…

But even so, a little voice in your head, a little corner of your heart still hold out some small unrealistic hope for a feeling, a completely deluded belief that it all means something, that your childhood innocence and your deepest unvoiced dreams were part of some greater truth, some abiding connection that transcends our temporal frailties.  Are we deluded?  Yes.  Is it all a bunch of hooey? Yes.  But it still feels real, and that is reason enough to celebrate it!

That has been the underlying theme of my previous Festivus Celebrations, and it seems to resonate with folks.  It doesn’t matter what your background is, your religion, your traditions.  We are all equally delusional in our need to attach heartfelt emotions to a bunch of random words and images.  So let’s do it.  Whether it’s a cartoon reindeer, an angel-shaped lightbulb, red and green shrubbery, an eight-pronged candle holder, or a handful of yellow powder… Let ‘er rip!

This year’s Festivus Celebration will carry on our tradition of ecumenical smorgasbord, with some sweet soul and Latin music for dancing, jazz, Bollywood dancers, and much, much more.  Bring your dreams, tattered though they may be, and join us!

 

Paul Klemperer

Lunar eclipse on Oct. 8 they say.  I’ll be watching in from the deck of the Navigator of the Seas, the ship which is hosting our merry band of jazz revelers.  Wish you were here!  Next year maybe you will be.

The Texas Jazz Jam Cruise.  Leaving from Galveston, the cruise is October 5-12, and is designed for jazz players and fans who want to get a little deeper into the music.  Workshops offered by day, jam session at night, and in between, ports of call in the Caribbean.  Not bad!  I’ll be leading the band and facilitating the jam sessions, as well as offering a few workshops on jazz topics. Details: www.texasjazzjamcruise.org

Coming in December…  Paul Klemperer’s 3rd Annual Festivus Celebration.  Date: 12/18/2014.  Location: Spider House Ballroom.  It will be a musical extravaganza like last year’s event at the Paramount, but even groovier!

Through the end of the year I’ll be continuing my third Wednesdays residency at the Skylark Lounge.  Check the calendar for details!

Paul Klemperer’s Festivus Celebration: The Performers

 

 

Paul Klemperer and The Festivians:

 

 

Bandleader Paul Klemperer discovered jazz at an early age, sneaking into smoky Boston nightclubs clubs by age 13. He studied with jazz legends Archie Shepp, Max Roach and Ray Copeland before moving to Austin in 1982 where he worked with such blues greats as Marcia Ball and members of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Paul earned his master’s degree in Ethnomusicology at the University of Texas in 1991. His eclectic style reflects a wide range of influences from music around the world. He has toured nationally and internationally for over 25 years, and continues to divide his time between Austin and the road, bringing his soulful saxophone sound across the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia.

 

Peggy Stern’s music draws from European, American, Brazilian, African, Jewish, Irish, Cuban, and traditional jazz influences. After studying at the Eastman School of Music, and the New England Conservatory, she played extensively in California and New York. Peggy has worked and toured with many wonderful musicians: Lee Konitz, Diane Schuur, David “Fathead” Newman, Jay Clayton, Gary Peacock, Gene Bertoncini, Bud Shank, Red Holloway, Thomas Chapin, Machito, Puck Fair, Bobby Shew, Stanley Turrentine, Gerry Mulligan, Eddie Henderson, Emily Remler, to name a few. Now she has made Austin her home, and we’re happy to have her!

 

 

Dr. Utah Hamrick is a Lecturer in Jazz at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and is one of the most in-demand bass players in Austin. Utah has performed with such diverse talents as Houston Person, Bill Watrous, Butch Miles, Eddie Holman, Elaine Stritch, and Marilyn Maye. He performs regularly with Graham Reynolds and the Golden Arm Trio, and Will Taylor and Strings Attached.

 

 

Wayne Duncan‘s musical style was deeply influenced by the years he spent studying with drummer Joe Morello. In addition to the traditional drum set, Wayne has studied doumbek and tablas; diving into Middle Eastern, Persian, Eastern European, and West
African music. Some of the artists he has worked with include: Willie Nelson, Ikey Owens, Cindy Cashdollar, Red Volkaert, Glover Gill, Robert Kraft, Arthur Brown, Joel Guzman, and many others.

 

San Antonio-born vocalist, conguero and bongocero Rey Arteaga has co-founded or played in some of the best Latin bands in Austin over the last twenty-two years (La Tribu, Son Yuma, Centzontle, Melecumbe, Sarah Fox and Joel Guzman, Charanga Cakewalk). He leads the Afro-Latin ensemble Son y No Son.

 

 

Guest Artists:

 

 

 

Guitarist Dave Sebree has performed throughout the US, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. He is currently the leader of the Dave Sebree Band, which released a debut CD for Flying Fox Records in 2009. His previous ensemble, Native Sun, was voted “Best Jazz Band” for an unprecedented four consecutive years in the prestigious Austin Chronicle Readers’ Poll.

In his more than 30 years in the business, Dave has worked with such stylistically diverse artists as Double Trouble, Doyle Bramhall, Eric Johnson, Bob Schneider, Terry Bozzio, Martha Reeves, The Four Tops, Vallejo, Stephen Bruton, and legendary jazz trumpeter Clark Terry, to name a few.

 

Roberto Riggio is well-known in the Austin world music scene. He is known for his “oriental” touch on the violin, earning him a place on the national tours of legendary Arab artists Fairouz and Kazem Al-Saher. Most recently, Roberto toured as a member of Fathy Salama’s Cairo Egyptian Orchestra with Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour on the North American tour for the Grammy-winning album Egypt, premiering at Carnegie Hall. His range as an artist is not limited to oriental music, and he has worked with many singer-songwriters from Texas, including Alejandro Escovedo and Tucker Livingston, as well as session work and guest appearances with artists around the world.

 

 

The HotWax Soul Music Revue has been an Austin institution since 1986. The wonderful vocals of Rudy Williams, Joy Moore, Cicely Jones, and Judy Arnold, create rich harmonies in a “live celebration of classic soul music.”

 

 

Spike Gillespie is the critically acclaimed author of seven books and countless magazine articles. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Real Simple, GQ, Esquire, Elle, Smithsonian, National Geographic Traveler, Interweave KNITS, The Christian Science Monitor, Texas Monthly, The Dallas Morning News, and other publications. In 2006, Austin Chronicle readers voted her Best Author in Austin. Spike also provides commentary for Austin’s NPR affiliate, KUT.

 

 

The Diya Project is an Austin-based organization dedicated to creating experience through arts, entertainment, and active community engagement. Featuring Bollywood-inspired dance choreography, they are a high-energy troupe with a mission.

 

Paul Klemperer hosts a wild and fun variety show at the Paramount Stateside.

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I was very fortunate to be asked to be musical director for a great show on Oct 2.  Visiting Indian singer Sandhya Sanjana was in Texas for a short visit and music promoter Jakes Srinivasan jumped on the opportunity to have her give a special performance here in Austin.  His music organization WOBEON (World Beat Online) has a regular monthly showcase at the One2One Bar, the first Wednesday of each month.

I put together an ensemble of some of Austin’s tastiest and hard-hitting musicians to back up Sandhya.  With Carter Arrington on guitar, Evan Arredondo on bass, and Wayne Duncan on drums and darbuka, we laid down some nice grooves for Sandhya’s voice to soar over.  Jakes added great rhythms on congas and his brother Jay also sat in.  After our set, Zoumounchi kept the grooves going with high energy Afro-Beat.

It was a pretty magical night, and I think Sandhya got a good taste of how we do things in Austin.  I hope she comes back soon!

September has been busy, like every month so far in 2013.  I’m already planning events for 2014 and I’m probably not the only one who wakes up in the morning and groggily asks, “What year is this?”

As most folks who know me already know, I play a lot of different kinds of music, as long as there’s some kind of woodwinds involved, sax, clarinet, flute, or a paper straw with finger holes cut into it.  I teach private and group instruction by day, then don my superhero costume for music performances by night.  Somewhere in between, I sleep.

I have had a couple great shows already this fall with my world music project My Exotic Other.  We’ll be back at the One2One Bar in October.  Meanwhile, I’m playing several shows with Sangeet Millennium, an Indo-Jazz Fusion project.  We’re at the Concert For Peace on 9/20, Marigold on 9/24 (part of HAAM Benefit Day), and the Sahara Lounge on 9/28.

My classic American music group Manteca Beat started a monthly residency at the Skylark Lounge in September.  We will be playing the 3rd Wednesday of each month (mostly).  The Skylark is just getting started and is already becoming a popular watering hole for those in the know.  It’s tucked away on Airport blvd & Manor rd. in beautiful East Austin.

Manteca Beat is also playing a new venue for us: The Syndicate, in Lakeway.  Food, drink, dancing, for those over on the West side of Austin.  The fun goes from 8pm-midnight on 9/27.

Then it’s back to one of our favorite joints, Tom’s Tabooley, over by UT campus.  Backed up by my band Manteca Beat, I invite students and music friends to sit in and show us some of the songs they’ve been shedding on.  It’s a great family atmosphere and it happens 9/28 from 7:00-10:00pm.

And then suddenly, irrevocably, it will be October, with the age-old question, what will you goes as for Halloween?

– Paul Klemperer

After a great working vacation in New England, Paul K returns to his home base in Austin for a busy fall.

Sept 6 finds Paul joining with Larry Lange and the Lonely Knights for some old time Texas blues, Louisiana swamp pop, and Tejano roots R&B at Evangeline Cafe.

The following week, Sept 14, Paul teams up with jazz combo J’ai Beaux at the swanky sushi restaurant Takara in Cedar Park.

Sept 20, Paul teams up with the Indo-jazz fusion Sangeet Millennium for the Concert for Peace (see www.amalafoundation.org for details).

Sept 21 Paul is with Bett Butler & Joel Dilley  in San Antonio.

Sept 27 Paul leads Manteca Beat at the sophisticated club The Syndicate in Westlake.

More events to be added soon.  Check Paul’s calendar for details.

My Exotic Other Spring Concert…

The concert is set for May 26 at the Stateside at the Paramount Theater in Austin. 7:00-10:00pm.

There will be an intermission with cash bar and concessions.

The concert will feature new compositions, both instrumental and vocal.  We will also have special guests for the Drum Invocation, and Finale Jam.  The music is going to take you to familiar and new places and should be quite exciting.  The theme of the Spring Concert is to explore musical styles from around the world and discover new connections through the music.

As we say in the band, My Exotic Other plays “where the fire meets the dark.”