Renowned Auckland-based Jewish musician Jonathan Bresser and his group, The Zestniks, will be giving a FREE performance at the Auckland Town Hall, on Sunday February 24th (from 5pm to 7pm), as part of the Auckland Fringe Festival.

The Zestniks are an octet ensemble of leading Auckland jazz and classical musicians. For the Fringe Festival performance, the Zestniks will also feature the singer Carolina Moon and Roger Manins, a leading jazz saxophonist.

Another featured performer is the virtuoso guitarist Nigel Gavin, best known for his work in the Jews Brothers .

They will be performing from Besser’s Bach-inspired Gimel tunes, mixed with rhythmic improvisations, all infused with New York Jewish ascetics. Specifically, they will perform some of the pieces from Besser’s 2011 “Gimel 1 Suite”.

Besser says the ”Gimel Suite1″ is a series of classical variations on a theme and the music is all related.

“I really got fed up with everyone playing in four bar phrases. I don’t mind it, but I wanted to create a difference with my music and so I work with three bar phrases, three everything.

“So everything has to be in groups of threes: All the chords are in triads. Gimel is the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Every piece that you hear was written in three days.”

Besser says the Zestniks still use melody and chords, but the “Gimel’ music also has unique underlying, often enharmonic structures.

“My ‘Gimel 1 Suite’ music was also inspired by Bach Brandenburg concerti . Although Bach was a Lutheran. Bach’s music is very structured, and Judaism is very structured. I’m fascinated by counterpoint.”

For the Fringe Festival performance, vocalist Carolina Moon will perform some original Besser songs. One special song is called “A Man Dig’s A Hole” and it’s a tango number from the late great theatre practitioner, Warwick Brodhead. Moon will also sing in Ladino in some pieces.

Besser’s “Gimel 1 Suite” was originally performed with a smaller band, which toured the music all around New Zealand (with Art’s On tour) in 2012. They also performed it in Sydney’s “Shir Madness” Jewish Music festival that year.

*The Zestniks also have a new CD – “Live at the Golden Dawn” – out. It will be available at the Zestnik’s Auckland Fringe Festival performance.

For more information contact Jonathan Besser on 02102745724 or at bessersounds@gmail.com.