Maxwell Street Klezmer Band (The Klezmer Music Foundation)

Maxwell Street Klezmer Band (the Klezmer Music Foundation) is a Skokie-based klezmer band founded in 1983, serving weddings, concerts, and special events across Chicagoland and beyond. The band is known for its Klezmer Big Band sound, described as 'innovative traditionalism,' and can perform everything from klezmer and Jewish ceremony music to salsa, jazz standards, ballads, and rock, with ensemble sizes ranging from a quartet to a full big band. Founded in 1983 by Lori Lippitz, the band has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Centre in London, and Chicago Symphony Center; was featured in the world's first klezmer opera with the Lyric Opera of Chicago; marked its 40th anniversary in 2023; and has released five commercial CDs on Shanachie Entertainment. Based in Skokie, Illinois, the band serves the Chicagoland area and has toured Europe, with past performances at Carnegie Hall and the Barbican Centre in London. Couples and event organizers describe the band as first rate for weddings, praising the musicianship across processional music, horas, and dancing, and noting the band's flexibility in working with clients to shape the event.