Ashkenaz Festival: Sam Reider & The Human Hands

Led by Latin Grammy-nominated accordionist, pianist and composer Sam Reider, The Human Hands is a collective of innovative acoustic musicians working at the confluence of American folk, jazz and chamber music. Irresistible melodies, joyful improvisation and otherworldly sounds collide in what Songlines Magazine dubbed a “mash-up of the Klezmatics, Quintette du Hot Club de France and the Punch Brothers.” The Human Hands have toured throughout the US, UK, and Europe at venues like Lincoln Center, Celtic Connections Festival, Savannah Music Festival, Strawberry Music Festival and SFJAZZ and they’ve been featured on NPR, PBS and the BBC. Their latest record, The Golem and Other Tales, is anchored by a suite inspired by a medieval Jewish folktale about a man-made creature, the limits of human power and the relationship between divine and human creativity. As a quintet in concert, the Human Hands features some of the brightest lights in acoustic music today: cellist Duncan Wickel (Rising Appalachia), saxophonist Eddie Barbash (Jon Batiste), guitarist Roy Williams (Stephane Wrembel), and bassist Andrew Ryan (Kaïa Kater). The album features “The Golem” suite alongside five other compositions with echoes of Django Reinhardt, Planxty, Duke Ellington and Astor Piazzolla.

For more information, visit Ashkenaz.ca