In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a six-member world music ensemble formed to infuse traditional dance forms with influences of jazz, funk, klezmer, hip-hop, and more — a concept that will receive its in-person world premiere at Plattsburgh’s Harborside Stage on Saturday night.
Mazel Tov Cocktail Party, founded by internationally renowned clarinet player David Krakauer and virtuoso pianist Kathleen Tagg, came together virtually in 2020 to present a musically and visually stunning online performance as part of Brandeis University’s MusicUnitesUS program. Yet the full band never worked together in person until coming together this week in the North Country, adding a new dimension of energy, improvisation, and collaboration to this cultural melting pot of an ensemble.
Presented as a collaboration with Hill and Hollow Music and Curbside at Harborside, the concert represents the beginning of this group’s journey, which Krakauer and Tagg describe as a celebration of our shared humanity, respectful of past traditions while opening doors to new conversations with diverse voices of the present.
Plattsburgh’s Harborside Stage is located at 2 Dock Street, behind the D&H Railroad Station and adjacent to the City of Plattsburgh Marina. Admission is $20 per carload — not per person — with proceeds going to the artists.
Audience members can bring lawn chairs and sit outside, or sit inside their cars and enjoy the music broadcast directly from the stage over their car radios. Anyone who is not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is required to wear a face mask when they are outside of their vehicle. No alcohol and no pets (service animals are always welcome) are permitted in the Harborside Lot.
Mazel Tov Cocktail Party’s concert is graciously sponsored by generous contributions from Champlain National Bank and Re/Max North Country. The band will also play the following afternoon at Weatherwatch Farm in Saranac. Tickets will be $20 per person for that concert, for which advance reservations are required.
For more information, visit www.hillandhollowmusic.org
Upcoming Live Events
7/17 Hill & Hollow Music Presents: Mazel Tov Cocktail Party
7/24 Beartracks
7/31 Palmer Street Coffeehouse presents the Revenants
8/7 Hill & Hollow Music Presents: Tim Collins with Ingrid & Christine Jensen
