The singer sways at the mic, gliding into one last song for the night. Behind her, the band looks on, ready to pack up. An accordionist approaches, still playing. The singer caresses the mic, spots the musician. Her hands, gloved, flutter like tiny birds. Her arms reach out to their full wingspan. As the accordionist sits, she touches them lightly on the shoulder.

The singer is Cynthia Astmann, a member of the Nu Haven Kapelye who has helped make a pandemic-era music video into a reality. Thursday night, the group dropped a cover of the 1938 song “Mazel” just in time for the final night of Hanukkah. It is the brainchild of band member and teacher Jay Miles, with cameos, production help and sound mixing from fellow bandmates and musician Steve Rodgers. As a final Hanukkah gift to New Haven, jazz soloist Frank London appears on trumpet. 

"It all kind of came together, and I'm just really delighted,” Miles said in a recent phone call. “For me, it was incredibly needed. This is what I do. I do things with people. With Covid, you’re usually in a different room, and the cables are the only thing you're interacting with. It was really invigorating, and really special, to see these people. I feel really lucky.”

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To our Friends and Fans, 

We have sad news. Our friend Stacy Phillips, a man who was many, many things, including a Grammy award winner, a bluegrass legend, and a founding member of the Nu Haven Kapelye, died Tuesday, June 5, 2019 around 9:30pm. He was 74 years old. He experienced a massive heart attack on Sunday and from then on it was just a matter of time. He was surrounded by his family, his sister and his niece and nephew. 

Stacy was his own person and that was reflected in the life he led as a musician. He was a part of the Nu Haven Kapelye from the very first December 25 concert ever held. Stacy wrote arrangements of old Klezmer songs for us. He mentored everyone, whether we wanted it or not!!  And he was an incredible teacher for our newbie members.  Whenever someone wanted to learn more about Klezmer and Eastern European Jewish music Stacy would send them YouTube videos or little charts.  He brought something to this group that we are never going to forget and that we will sorely miss.  It is hard to believe he is dead. There is a wonderful obituary about Stacy in the New Haven Independent. 

On Sunday, June 10, we participated in a musical memorial for Stacy at Café 9 in New Haven. We were joined by so many other musicians, bands, students, and fans who all paid tribute to him.  There’s a great article about that event in the New Haven Independent. 

Zichronoh l’vrachah. 
May his memory be a blessing.

Nu Haven Kapelye gains 501(c)3 status 

Multigenerational klezmer ensemble, now in its 20th year, evolves from grassroots group to nonprofit organization 

NEW HAVEN, CT  | The Nu Haven Kapelye, a multigenerational community klezmer ensemble, is proud to announce that it is now a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. The change will allow the musical organization to accept donations and apply for state and federal grants. The ensemble is led by bassist and arranger David Chevan, who has been appointed to serve as Artistic Director.  

The Kapelye (Yiddish for band) began in the late 1990s as an ad hoc ensemble that performed an annual concert on December 25 at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden. Now the group, whose members range in age from 10 to 80+, performs regularly in venues from bars to senior living centers to festivals. Performances can feature anywhere between six and thirty musicians. Members rehearse on a semi-regular schedule, and Chevan has begun teaching classes for beginning players 13 and under. The annual December 25 concert has continued to grow and draw loyal audiences.  

“For the past 20 years, the Nu Haven Kapelye has been a grassroots ensemble,” said Chevan. “I certainly couldn’t have imagined this when we started. But even grassroots organizations have a way of slowly evolving. We’ve gone beyond being a group, and are now officially an organization.”  

Musically, the band’s new status changes nothing: the Kapelye will continue to play a mix of Yiddish music, klezmer, and (occasionally) other Jewish pieces.  

“What will change will be our ability to get funding to support educational initiatives and specific artistic works,” said Chevan. “We can be an institution that keeps klezmer and other Jewish music traditions alive in our area.” Chevan hopes to embark on another recording project in the future, as a follow-up to the album What’s Nu?, released in 2016. 

The Board of Directors of the Nu Haven Kapelye is led by Anna Reisman and Michael Ross, co-presidents; Dalton King, treasurer; and Cary Jacobs, secretary. Additional board members are Dana Astmann, David Chevan, Isaiah Cooper, Steve Jacobs, Hedda Rubenstein, and Jim Serling. 

Upcoming performances include an appearance at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas main stage on the New Haven Green on Friday, June 21 at 2:30 PM, and a klezmer Shabbat service at Congregation Mishkan Israel on Friday evening, June 28.  

For more information, please contact info@nuhavenkapelye.com.