Sy Kushner has been involved in the Jewish music scene since he was 13 years old when his uncle Sam booked him to perform at the Young Israel of Manhattan Synagogue on the Lower East Side. The year was 1953. Seven years later, in 1960, Sy partnered with Jordan Penkower, alto saxophonist, a fellow student at Yeshiva University High School, and Ben Hulkower, drummer, whom he met that summer at Camp Hili in White Lake New York. They formed The Mark Three, a band that specialized in contemporary Chassidic music. In 1966, after rehearsing and playing gigs for six years, they recorded and released “The New Jewish Sound, The Mark Three Orchestra and Singers”, which was recently re-released on CD. The album became trendsetting, blending early klezmer influences with contemporary Chassidic music being written in the 1960’s. This is the fourth album of original Jewish music by Sy Kushner. In November 2013, Nulite Music released “The Sy Kushner Jewish Music Ensemble”, Volume Four: Klez, Kush & Son. The album features Sy Kushner on accordion with third generation klezmer musician, Aaron Kushner on alto sax backed up by some of New York’s finest klezmer musicians. Influenced by Israeli folk dance, Mideast, Latin, Chassidic and klezmer music, the album breaks new ground in the field of Jewish music. For more information on this new release, click here. Fast forward to 1998, when Jake Shulman-Ment, a teenage violinist at the time, with a passion for klezmer music, approached Aaron Kushner, an alto sax and guitar player, and presented the idea of forming a teenage klezmer band. Along with Josh Stober on string bass and Sara Wolkowitz on piano and keyboards, The Klezminors were formed and rehearsals began in January 1998 and a demo recording soon followed. Arguably the most accomplished teenage klezmer band in the country at that time, the Klezminors performed at weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs as well as in concerts. Their performances culminated when they took part in the annual Workmens’ Circle concert at Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center before an audience of thousands. Sy was the mentor for the group. On October 31, 1999, The Klezminors shared the stage with The Sy Kushner Jewish Music Ensemble at a New York club called Tonic, before two sold out performances, blending two generations of Jewish music and influenced by a third, namely Sy’s father and Aaron’s grandfather, Joe Kushner, drummer. When the band members graduated from high school, they went their separate ways, taking with them wonderful memories of a very special musical collaboration. In 1996, Sy released Klezsqueeze!, an album featuring early 1900’s klezmer music featuring Sy on accordion, Marty Confurius on string bass, and Alexandre Fedoriouk on tsimbl(hammered dulcimer). During this period, Sy transcribed early klezmer music from the original 78rpm recordings and released two volumes of printed music, The Klezmer Fake Book, Volumes One and Two. In 2004, Sy returned to composing for the first time in twenty years. The product of his works can be heard in four recordings; Arise, Journeys, From My Soul, and this album, Klez, Kush & Son. Also available is the printed music for each of the four albums. The musical collaboration between Sy and his son, Aaron, dates back to Aaron’s high school years when Sy took his son to his gigs where Aaron sat in with the band. This continued the tradition started by Sy’s father, Joe Kushner, of taking Sy to his gigs as a youngster. Aaron has performed on four albums beginning with the Arise CD as well as designing the CDs for KlezSqueeze, Journeys, From My Soul, and this CD. In November 2013, Nulite Music released “The Sy Kushner Jewish Music Ensemble”, Volume Four: Klez, Kush & Son. The album features Sy Kushner on accordion with third generation klezmer musician, Aaron Kushner on alto sax backed up by some of New York’s finest klezmer musicians. Influenced by Israeli folk dance, Mideast, Latin, Chassidic and klezmer music, the album breaks new ground in the field of Jewish music. .