ANDY STATMAN

Andy Statman is a musical innovator whose style emerged as a result of the numerous musical traditions he has studied. At 15, Andy took Bluegrass Mandolin lessons from a young David Grisman. By 17, he was playing saxophone and learning jazz. At 19, his interest turned to the folk music of Eastern Europe which led to serious study with a number of Master musicians including one of the fathers of contemporary Klezmer music, Dave Tarras. Mr. Tarras embraced Andy as his protege.

That music became a catalyst for Andy’s own spiritual search for identity, and today, he is a practicing Orthodox Jew living in Brooklyn New York. He’s considered one of the country’s most gifted clarinetists (as well as Mandolinists) and leads his own Klezmer ensemble in New York City.

Andy began recording traditional Jewish music in 1979. He then followed by recording his own music a year later. A collection of compositions called “Flatbush Waltz,” which is now a landmark in the annals of modern acoustic music. With his instantly recognizable sound on the clarinet and mandolin, Andy has had a prolific and influential musical career.