Mar10

Jerry and the Wiseman Institute

JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA

  Jerry Wicentowski is an unusually gifted singer and guitarist who has combined the musical style and melodies of American Bluegrass music with his most beloved ancient Shabbat Z’mirot, ancient Hebrew Sabbath songs. His band is comprised of some of the best Bluegrass singers and instrumentalists in the Bay Area — or anywhere else.  Jerry has  recently recorded a CD of the songs of the Bluegrass legend Mac Wiseman. As these songs will also be part of the program he has named the band “The Wiseman Institute”!

Bios:

Keith Little (5-string banjo and vocal) is a California Gold Country native, an organic farmer, an inspired song writer,  and has been Dolly Parton’s harmony singer. Paul Knight (bass) runs his own sound company, and for decades has been bass player with Peter Rowan and many others. Chad Manning (fiddle) co-runs a thriving East Bay fiddle school with his wife Catherine.  He has been in all of David Grisman’s 21st century bands. Jody Stecher (mandolin and vocal) is a Grammy finalist and Indy Award winner,  an influential song finder, composer, and teacher. He was even Jerry’s guitar teacher when they were teenagers. Jerry Wicentowski (guitar and vocal) is a bluegrass musician of the Old School. He is Yeshiva educated, Observant, and sings wonderfully in both Hebrew and English.