2/17/2008 -- I'm proud and humbled to report that this year I captured a total of THREE Wammie awards at this year's ceremony, held at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia. The Wammies are annual awards honoring musical achievement in the greater Washington metropolitan area. My recent solo album, The Great Pretender, took home the coveted prize for "Best Blues or Traditional R&B Recording." To hear some free samples from that album, or to purchase a copy, just click here! You can also hear excerpts and purchase individual tracks from i-Tunes, or just about any other digital download service.
I also won the awards for "Best Jazz Instrumentalist" and "Best World Music Instrumentalist." And my record label, Azalea City Recordings, was once again named "Best Washington Area Record Company." The Wammies are voted on by my fellow musicians and music industry professionals in the greater Washington region, so it's truly an honor to be recognized by my peers in this way. I offer a heartfelt "thank you" to the entire membership of WAMA.
Finally, click here to read an article that was recently written about me in the Old Town Crier magazine!
1/7/2008 -- It's that time of year again -- the annual nominations for the Wammies (Washington Area Music Awards) are out, and I've got a whoppin' SIX nominations! I've been nominated as "Best Instrumentalist" in both the Jazz and World Music Categories. The Alexandria Kleztet and Bay Jazz Project received nominations for "Best Duo or Group" in the World Music and Jazz categories, respectively. My latest album, The Great Pretender, received a nomination for "Best Recording" in the Blues category. And for the third year in a row, I received a nomination for the coveted "Musician of the Year" award. Finally, my record label, Azalea City Recordings, once again was nominated as "Best Washington Area Record Label."
The Wammies will be awarded on Sunday, February 17 at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia. Click here for more info.
11/24/2007 -- I bet everyone visiting this site would like nothing more than to have me teach them to play the saxophone in a private and intimate setting. Of course, that really isn't possible.
Until now! I'm delighted to announce that I'm a featured instructor on MonkeySee.com, a brand-new website that features free instructional videos. Click here to check out some of my lessons!
7/18/2007 -- It's here! I couldn't be more excited! Although it's official release date isn't until August 14, my new solo record The Great Pretender is available NOW! Please pick up your copy below -- you won't be disappointed!
3/21/2007 -- On Sunday, February 18, at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, I received two awards from the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA). I received the Wammie (as they're called) for "Best World Music Instrumentalist" (this is my fourth year in a row winning that category) and The Alexandria Kleztet was named "Best World Music Duo or Group," an award we also won in 2004 and 2005.
1/1/2006 -- This year is starting off with a flurry of exciting news! A few days ago, the annual nominations for the Washington Area Music Awards, or the Wammies, were announced, and once again, me and my cohorts have done pretty well. In addition to a "Best World Music Duo or Group" nomination for The Alexandria Kleztet, I've managed to snag three individual nominations: "Best Jazz Instrumentalist," "Best World Music Instrumentalist," and the coveted "Musician of the Year" award. I won the first two categories last year : ) The winners will be announced on Sunday, February 18 at the annual awards gala at the State Theatre in Falls Church. I'll also be performing that night as part of a tribute set to the late, great Ruth Brown.
On Monday, January 8, The Alexandria Kleztet will be performing at the Institute of Musical Traditions in Rockville, Maryland, to launch the release of the second CD sampler from Azalea City Recordings, our record label. In addition to us, there'll be performances from Ruthie and the Wranglers, Laura Baron, Karen Collins, and a few surprise guests. Click here for more info!
Not long after that, we'll be embarking on our first ever INTERNATIONAL tour. That's right -- The Alexandria Kleztet will be bringing its unique blend of the traditional and the modern to Chile! The centerpiece of the tour will be a concert on Wednesday, January 31 in Fruitillar, Chile, as part of the Semanas Musicales, a week-long international music festival held in the south of the country. We'll also be giving concert performances in Vina del Mar and possibly Santiago. Tell all your Chilean friends!
10/24/2006 -- Whew! The past few months have been pretty crazy. A successful tour with international blues star Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges, a tour of upstate and central New York with The Alexandria Kleztet, as well as a host of other gigs and recording projects. And things ain't slowin' down for the rest of '06! I'll be at Blues Alley with Susan Jones once again on Monday, November 18. And we'll be celebrating the release of jazz pianist Sean Lane's new CD, Crying Sky Blue, with a release party in Annapolis on Saturday, November 18.
Among other exciting tidbits of news, The Alexandria Kleztet's most recent album, Close Enough for Klezmer, has made it to the final round of voting in the Grammys! We're now a nominee to BECOME a nominee in the "Contemporary World Music" category. D'ya think I'll be invited to Diddy's after-party?
6/23/2006 -- The Alexandria Kleztet got a killer review for our latest album, Close Enough for Klezmer, in the latest issue of Sing Out!, the country's leading folk music magazine. Click here for the complete text! Apart from that, it's turning out to be one heck of a busy summer for me -- hope to see you at a show sometime soon!
4/3/2006 -- Very exciting news! The Alexandria Kleztet has officially joined the roster of Azalea City Recordings. This wonderful record label, based in Takoma Park, Maryland, features some of the best world music, folk, singer-songwriter, and Americana acts in the region. It's an incredibly talented group, and look for many exciting things to come out of this new affiliation. In other news, The Alexandria Kleztet will be headlining a major fundraising event for congressional candidate Oz Bengur on Saturday, April 29. Click here for more info!
2/21/2006 -- I got to go home with THREE Wammie awards last night. I won the Wammies for "Best Instrumentalist" in BOTH the Jazz and World Music categories. And The Alexandria Kleztet won the Wammie for "Best World Music Recording" for our latest CD, "Close Enough for Klezmer." This is the third time we've won that award (once for each of our albums!). It's an honor to be recognized by my peers in the Greater Washington music community.
2/20/2006 -- It's Wammie-time! The annual nominations for the Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies) are out, and I've got a whole bunch! The nominations are voted on by the musicians and music industry professionals of the Greater Washington area, so it's really quite an honor. Once again, The Alexandria Kleztet has been nominated for "Best World Music Duo or Group" (we've won this category the past two years). Our new CD, "Close Enough for Klezmer," was also nominated for "Best World Music Recording," as was "A Chanukah Feast," the Hungry for Music charity CD I produced. The Bay Jazz Project received a nomination as "Best Jazz Duo or Group." And I received individual nominations as "Best Instrumentalist" in BOTH the World Music and Jazz categories. And, astonishingly enough, I also received a nomination for the highly-coveted "Musician of the Year" award. The Wammies will be awarded tonight at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia. Wish me luck!
1/25/2006 -- The Alexandria Kleztet has been beefing up its presence on this new-fangled thing called the internet! We've now got a MySpace website -- come be our friend! And for you industry-types, we've now got an online press kit at Sonicbids.
12/7/2005 -- 'Tis the season for lots and lotsa gigs! The Alexandria Kleztet will be making it's sixth annual appearance at the Kennedy Center's Holiday Vaudeville shows on December 16 and 17, as well as participating in two benefit concerts for Hungry for Music -- one on the 18th at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, and one on the 28th at the Mansion at Strathmore Hall. Then, I'll be making two special "guest" appearances at holiday gigs of some of the biggest names in the Mid-Atlantic music scene. On Thursday, December 15, I'll be appearing as part of "Ruthie & Greg's Holiday Jamboree" at the Half Moon BBQ in Silver Spring, Maryland, and on Tuesday, December 20, I'll be appearing with blueswoman Melanie Mason at her holiday gig at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church, Virginia. Don't forget to do all of your holiday shopping here at www.sethkibel.com! Happy Holidays and best wishes for a healthy and exciting 2006!
11/15/2005 -- Lots of good news! "Where There's a Will, There's a Waltz," one of my original compositions featured on Close Enough for Klezmer, the Kleztet's newest album, has been award the Silver Prize (2nd place) in the "jazz/blues/instrumental" category of the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. We'll be performing the winning tune at the annual awards gala, which is taking place on Sunday, November 20, at Jammin' Java in Vienna, Virginia. Along the same lines, I've also recently been awarded an ASCAPlus grant, which is a program intended to give “recognition to active writers in the early and mid stages of their careers.” I was recognized in the "jazz" category.
10/6/2005 -- It's here -- "Close Enough for Klezmer," the third full-length album from The Alexandria Kleztet is now available for purchase via CDBaby.com. Within the coming weeks, it should be available through a host of other online and retail music sources. Click below to purchase your very own copy!
8/22/2005 -- A release date has been set! "Close Enough for Klezmer," the third full-length album from The Alexandria Kleztet, will be available starting October 22, 2005. Check these pages for more info as the big day approaches.
6/8/2005 -- Next week, The Alexandria Kleztet will perform on the closing concert of this year's Washington Jewish Music Festival. Click here for more info! Lots of other exciting gigs coming up this summer, including an appearance with international blues star Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges at the Pocono Blues Festival on July 31. And finally, stay tuned for the release of "Close Enough for Klezmer" later this fall...
5/18/2005 -- All of the basic tracking for the third CD by The Alexandria Kleztet has been completed. Stay tuned for info on this new album, which will be out sometime this fall.
3/15/2005 -- Coming Home, the brand-new album by bluesman Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges, is now available! I did all of the horn arrangements for this CD and played on seven tracks, as well. It was recorded this past September in the beautiful burg of Dripping Springs, Texas, just a short ways outside of Austin. The final product is truly impressive -- EVERYONE should own a copy of this album. In other news, violinist Susan Jones and myself will be making a return visit to Blues Alley, Washington DC's legendary jazz club, on Sunday, April 10. Click here for more info or to make reservations. Finally, The Alexandria Kleztet will begin recording our third album at the end of this month. Look for a late summer or early fall release date.
2/8/2005 -- Exciting news! Last night, at the brand new Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, I won the 2004 Wammie award for "Best World Music Instrumentalist" and The Alexandria Kleztet won the 2004 Wammie for "Best World Music Duo or Group." This is the second year in a row we won both of these awards! It's just so gratifying to be recognized in this way by our peers in the greater Washington musical community. For a complete list of nominees and winners, click here.
1/27/2005 -- Once again, it's time for the Wammie awards, given each year by the Washington Area Music Association. This time around, I've got a bunch of nominations. The Alexandria Kleztet is nominated for "Best World Music Duo or Group," a category we won last year. Bay Jazz Project is nominated for "Best Jazz Duo or Group." "Nuts and Bolts," the jazz CD I released in 2004 with violinist Susan Jones, was nominated for "Best Jazz Recording." And I also received individual nominations for "Best Instrumentalist" in BOTH the Jazz and World Music categories. The winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony on Monday, February 7 at Strathmore Hall in Bethesda, Maryland. And in other news, I'm proud to be the father of the world's cutest baby, EVER!!!
12/22/2004 -- As this VERY busy year comes to a close, I'll be taking a little time off, or at least slowing down a bit as I eagerly await the arrival of my first child, scheduled to make its debut in mid-January!
11/17/2004 -- It's here! "A Chanukah
Feast" is a brand-new holiday album that features
20 different traditional and original Chanukah songs performed by a variety of
musical acts from the Washington/Baltimore area and from around the nation.
And I'm proud to say that I played an important role in this album – The
Alexandria Kleztet contributed three brand-new tracks, I played on a few
others, and I also helped to produce the entire album! Best
of all, all proceeds from this album benefit Hungry for Music, a wonderful
DC-based charity that promotes music and music education for disadvantaged
youth. Can you think of a better
gift this holiday season than that?
Click here to purchase your very own copy!
9/29/2004 -- The next few months will see a number of new releases that prominently feature my work. By the end of October, the Hungry for Music "Chanukah Feast" album will be out -- if you recall, I produced the entire album, and lent my horns to a number of tracks. Also, Jinny Marsh's new CD should be out very soon, which also features me a great deal. And then look for the new album from Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges right around the beginning of the year. Check out this GREAT review that the Washington Post gave to "Nuts and Bolts," my recent jazz CD with Susan Jones!
8/20/2004 -- Lots of different stuff going on! I'm finishing up production work on the charity Hanukkah album for Hungry for Music (see below). We're right on track for a release date just before Halloween. I'm also traveling a wee bit. Among other things, I'll be doing a few gigs up in NYC with jazz vocalist Christian Josi for the Republican Convention. Don't worry -- I'll be donating my proceeds to the other side! And a little later in September I'll be journeying to Austin, Texas to arrange and record some horn parts for an upcoming CD by bluesman Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges. Also of note, on Monday, September 13 I'll be making my very first appearance at Washington, DC's premier jazz club, Blues Alley. It'll be a performance with violinist Susan Jones to promote our CD, Nuts and Bolts.
6/22/2004 -- A BUSY, BUSY summer! In addition to the usual assortment of gigs, I've been keeping out of trouble by producing a Hanukkah album for Hungry for Music. It'll feature The Alexandria Kleztet as well as a host of other regional and national artists. Look for it this holiday season! Speaking of the Kleztet, we're working a lot these days. Look for us at a variety of venues this summer, when we'll be previewing selections we plan on recording for our next CD, tentatively titled, "Seth Gets an Aneurysm."
4/13/2004 -- Things are getting busier as the weather gets warmer! Among other things, for the next few months, I'll be playing almost every Thursday night, from 6 until 10 pm, with Project Natale at Mrs. K's Tollhouse Restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland. Great food and great jazz -- you should check it out! In other news, both of my CD's with The Alexandria Kleztet are now available throughout Europe. If you live on that side of the pond, click here!
2/16/2004 -- Last night, at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, I received not one, but TWO Wammie Awards! The Wammies are the annual awards of The Washington Area Music Association and are voted on by both musicians and music industry professionals in the Greater Washington and Baltimore regions. The Alexandria Kleztet received the award for "Best World Music Duo or Group" and I received an individual award for "Best World Music Instrumentalist." Many thanks to all of my friends and colleagues who voted for me!
1/8/2004 -- The new CD is here!!!! It's called "Nuts and Bolts" and it's a collaborative jazz album with violinist Susan Jones. Click here to learn more, or look below to order your very own copy!
1/2/2004 -- The Washington Area Music Association has just announced its nominations for this year's Wammie Awards. I've received FIVE different nominations! The Alexandria Kleztet was nominated as Best Duo or Group in the World Music category, Corner Pocket was nominated as Best Duo or Group in the Big Band/Swing category, and Bay Jazz Project was nominated as Best Duo or Group in the Jazz category. Additionally, I received nominations as Best Instrumentalist in BOTH the World Music and Jazz categories. The Wammies will be held on Sunday, February 15 at the State Theater in Falls Church, Virginia.
11/3/2003 -- We're in the final stages of mixing and mastering my new jazz CD with violinist Susan Jones. We should be able to release it sometime in January. It'll be called "Nuts and Bolts. It will include six of my original compositions and will feature the talents of such local jazz luminaries as Paul Wingo, Jim Levy, and James King. In other news, I'll be spending a bit of time down at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage over the next few months. I'll be leading a jazz quartet there on Thanksgiving (!) and I'll also be down there with The Alexandria Kleztet on December 19 and 20.
9/6/2003 -- The new CD (see below) is all recorded! We still have to mix, master, package, and manufacture it, so don't expect it for another few months. Any good title suggestions???
8/4/2003 -- This month I'll be recording my upcoming joint jazz CD with violinist Susan Jones. Hopefully we'll have it out before the end of the year. Also this month: I'll be leading a band to back-up European blues star Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges at Alonzo's Memorial Picnic, sponsored by the Baltimore Blues Society, on Sunday, August 31.
7/3/2003 -- Here's a gig I'm pretty excited about: On Thursday, July 17, I'll be performing with jazz vocalist Celeste Thurston at the Healing Heart Blues Bistro, an wonderful new venue for live jazz in Eldersburg, Maryland. We'll be playing from 8 until 10 pm. If you're anywhere in that neck of the woods, please come and by and support us and this great new venue. In other news, I'm now in pre-production on my next "official" CD release -- it'll be a joint jazz record with superlative jazz violinist Susan Jones. It'll feature a lot of my own original jazz compositions. Look for its release in late 2003 or early 2004!
6/25/2003 -- It seems like I've been spending a lot of time in the recording studio lately. Last week alone, I contributed to three different projects. I did two recording sessions for another Greg Smith-penned NPR theme. This is for a new show, which will debut at the end of July, called "Day by Day." If you catch it, and hear some groovy sax, clarinet, wood flute, or ocarina, let me know! Then I also recorded some clarinet and sax stuff for a future release by Mike Wilkinson, a.k.a. The Nostalgia Brothers. Finally, I went into a studio with my old friend and accomplished jazz pianist W. Gary Wetstein (currently residing in San Francisco), and, in the space of three hours, recorded a whole album's worth of material! Not sure when (if ever) this will see the light of day, but I'll probably post a track or two on my sound samples page before too long.
4/9/2003 -- My new swing combo, Corner Pocket, will be making its debut this Saturday, April 12, at the Avalon Dance Studio in Catonsville, Maryland. The group, which also features my old Air Mail Special compatriot Bruce Katsu, will serve up a nice mix of swing and jazz for your dancing pleasure. In other news, at the end of this month, I will once again be traveling to the United Kingdom for a brief tour with boogie-woogie pianist Daryl Davis. If you have any friends or family in England or Wales, please tell them to come on out and say hi! For specific tour information, check my schedule page.
3/7/2003 -- I recently returned from the Eastern Shore (of Maryland), where I spent a couple of days locked in a recording studio laying down all sorts of wacky horn parts for the upcoming Michael and the Little Professors album. Should be at least a few months before it hits the streets. I'm also very excited about the debut of my new soul/jazz/blues quartet featuring Eric Rose (guitar), Greg Earl (bass, vocals), and Mark Lucas (drums). We'll be at the New Haven Lounge in Baltimore on Wednesday, March 26.
2/9/2003 -- I'm happy to report that The Alexandria Kleztet, my alternative klezmer band, picked up the 2002 Wammie Award for "Best World Music Recording" for our most recent CD release, Delusions of Klezmer. The Wammie awards are presented each year by the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) and are voted upon by its membership, which consists of area musicians and music industry professionals. It's so exciting to be recognized in this manner by a "jury of one's peers," so to speak.