GRAMMY-NOMINATED CLARINETIST DAVID KRAKAUER AND HIS BAND ANCESTRAL GROOVE RELEASE "CHECKPOINT"

David Krakauer is considered to be one of the most singular clarinet virtuosos on the planet. But beyond that he brings a point of view to the table that is uniquely his own. Continuing on a path of constant self discovery, Krakauer introduces the music of his latest CD Checkpoint (Table Pounding Records), on two consecutive nights, April 7 and 8, at Brooklyn's newest hot spot, National Sawdust.

Krakauer, a category-defying instrumentalist, uses his cultural heritage as a powerful inspiration for his music, informing and enabling his stylistically compelling projects. His is a singular vision, encompassing the diverse worlds of classical, klezmer, avant jazz, funk and electronica.

For the past 25 years Krakauer has been on a musical journey tracing his Eastern European roots. This voyage has found him revisiting his "ancestral homeland," from where his Russian/Polish grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated at the end of the 19th century. Traveling east through Berlin before the Wall came down, the checkpoint experiences became momentous creative touchstones for Krakauer.

Like a travel guide on a literal and metaphorical search, on Checkpoint he bears witness to the deep, joyous, human encounters he experienced. With his long-time band members of Ancestral Groove, he reveals the next step in his musical evolution - sharing with us all stories about the human condition.

Ancestral Groove, with Sheryl Bailey on electric guitar, Jerome Harris on electric bass, Michael Sarin on drums/percussion, and Keepalive on electronics, creates a bridge between Krakauer's singular take on jazz and world music, and guides us to another musical adventure. His threespecial guests on the CD Rob Curto, John Medeski and Marc Ribot add their own signatures to the mix.

Here's Krakauer remixing Krakauer, hitting the road with his unmistakable sound, new arrangements and an electrifying 4-piece band.

Born and raised in New York City, Krakauer experienced early exposure to diverse cultural influences. He earned his reputation as a Klezmer specialist, then showcased his formidable talents in other musical arenas, such as classical music, electronica and jazz. He has shared stages as a group member and soloist with a wide array of artists, string quartets,chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras - among them, the Klezmatics, John Zorn, Fred Wesley, Dawn Upshaw, Itzhak Perlman, Osvaldo Golijov, Eiko and Koma, Leonard Slatkin, Iva Bitova, Kronos Quartet, Tokyo, the Emerson Quartet, the Orchestre de Lyon, the Orquestra Sinfonica de Madrid, the Phoenix Symphony, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Dresdener Philharmonie and the Detroit Symphony.

TRACKS

1. Kickin' It For You, 5:33

2. Krakowsky Boulevard, 5:00

3. Tribe Number Thirteen, 5:37

4. Checkpoint Lounge, 5:42

5. Elijah Walks In, 5:37

6. Moldavian Voyage, 4:42

7. Synagogue Wail, 3:30

8. Border Town Pinball Machine, 4:10

9. Tandal, 5:23

10. Tribe Number Thirteen, 5:12