
Learn about our music education and
outreach: klezmermusicfoundation.org
Support our work: donate here.
The Midwest's Premier Klezmer Band Since 1983
Maxwell Street Klezmer Band Repertoire
Music for Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Parties, and other Celebrations
Wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Other Celebration Clients: Please select up to 12 requests for your party. Choose individual song titles (like "Hava Nagila," "New York") or general category (like "Horas," "Frank Sinatra," "Dance Leading," "Contemporary.") Our repertoire includes much more than these songs listed below. We are also open to learning new songs for your special event!
1) JEWISH MUSIC
Yiddish / Klezmer (Example: Freylechs, Shereles; Yiddish Songs such as Abi Gezunt, Bei Mir Bistu Sheyn, Belz, Oyfn Pripetchok, Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen, Rumania, Sheyn vi di Levone, Tumbalalaika, Yiddishe Mama. Requests can be played from the band's CDs, assuming the same instruments have been hired.
Wedding Music: Audio clips are available, to listen click here.
​
Wedding Processional Pieces
Popular Jewish processional pieces include:
Chorshat Ha-Eucalyptus
Dodi Li (traditional)
Dodi Li (Modern, by Cantor Steve Sher)
Erev Ba
Erev Shel Shoshanim
Iti Milvanon
Processional from Fiddler on the Roof
Sunrise, Sunset
Original Klezmer Processional: Leah’s Saraband
Recessional:
Siman Tov
Od Yishama
Chusn-Kalleh Mazl Tov
Jewish Wedding Dances (Horas including Siman Tov, Od Yishama, Chusn Kalleh Mazl Tov, etc.; Dance for Bride and Groom or “shtick” (Keytzad Mrakdim), The “Crowning” (Krenzel) dance for the parents upon the marriage of their last child (Mezinke), Matzorena (The Jewish Macarena)
and others.
Israeli and Klezmer Dances (Alphabetically). The most popular dances are bold.
Erev Ba
Hiney Ma Tov (rikud)
Horas (Hava Nagila, Siman Tov, Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, etc.)
Hora Agadati
Keytzad Mrakdin (dance for bride/groom; can be done at b-mitzvahs)
Krenzel Tanz (Crowning Dance--Mezinke—for the parents of the last child to be married)
Ma Navu
Matzorena (The Jewish Macarena—an original line dance)
Mayim
Od Lo Ahavti Dai
Salaam (Od Yavo Shalom)
Shiffers Tanz
Shmelkie’s Nigun
Turkish Kiss
Tzena, Tzena
Wedding Horas (Od Yishama, Yasis Alayich, etc.)
Yesh (bar-bat mitzvah parties)
Zemer Atik
Zodiac
​
To engage your guests in these dances, consider adding a Designated Danceleader to your band. For Bar or Bat Mitzvah parties of 50+ kids, 2 dance-leaders are recommended.
Other Jewish/Hebrew/Israeli/Sephardic Songs:
Adio Querida, Adon Olam, Al Kol Eyle, Am Yisrael Chai, Bashana Haba'ah, Cuando El Rey Nimrod, Fiddler on the Roof songs; Keren Or (Noa), Lechi Lach (Debbie Friedman), Mishaela (Noa), Ocho Kandelikas, Oseh Shalom, Scalrica D’Oro; Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, etc.
Modern Chassidic & Line Dances:
Vocal versions of these songs require hiring a Chassidic vocalist.
HaShem Melech, Moshiach, Vay'Hi Vishurun, Ashrenu, Hatov, Y'varech'cha, Ki Lo Yitosh, Ashira, Mikimi, Ura, Emosai, V'Karev Pizureynu, Moashiach, Chazak, L'Binyamin Amar, Ki Oto, Carlebach's Lishono Habo'oh, etc.
2) SECULAR MUSIC CHOICES FOR YOUR CELEBRATION:
Weddings: Classical Processional and Background Music
Most classical music choices are available upon request.
String quartet repertoire is available if two violins, cello and viola are hired.
Albeniz: Tango
J.S. Bach: Air from Suite #3
J.S. Bach: Air on the G String
Bizet: Habanera from Carmen
Debussy: Reverie
Elgar: Salut d'Amour, Op. 12
Glinka: Romance
Handel: Air from Water Music from Cantata #156
Kreisler: Liebeslied
Massenet: Meditation from Thais
Mendelssohn: On Wings of Song
Mozart: Allegro, Romanza or Menuetto from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Mozart: 2nd movement from Sonata in C major
Mozart: 1st movement from Sonata in A major
Pachelbel: Canon in D
Rimsky-Korsakov: Theme from Scheherazade
Satie: Gynopedie No. 1 from Trois Gymnopedies
Tchaikovsky: Melody
Vivaldi: Allegro from The Four Seasons: Spring
Vivaldi: Largo from The Four Seasons: Winter
Dance Band Repertoire:
Jazz / Swing / Ballroom Dance / Broadway
Some selections require an additional vocalist to be included in the band.
​
All of Me
All The Things You Are
Always
And the Angels Sing
Anniversary Waltz
As Time Goes By
At Last
Begin the Beguine
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
Blue Skies
Bye Bye Blackbird
Cheek to Cheek
Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)
Don't Be That Way
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Fly Me to the Moon
Frank Sinatra Tunes
Georgia on My Mind
Glenn Miller Medley
How High the Moon
In the Mood
It Had To Be You
Jump, Jive & Wail
Let's Do it, Let's Fall in Love
Let's Face the Music and Dance
Let's Misbehave (Cole Porter)
L-O-V-E
(The) Man I Love
Mood Indigo
Moonlight Serenade
My Funny Valentine
My Romance
New York, New York
Night and Day
Night Train
Our Love Is Here To Stay
Puttin' on the Ritz
Sentimental Journey
Sing Sing Sing
Someone to Watch Over Me
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Summertime
Sweet Home Chicago
Stomping at the Savoy
Take the A-Train
That's A-Plenty (Dixieland)
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Tuxedo Junction
Unforgettable
(The) Way You Look Tonight
What a Wonderful World
When I Fall In Love
You Do Something to Me
Rock, Pop, Motown Music (Rock Guitarist and Vocalists Required)
Specific songs depend upon the repertoire of the particular singer(s). This is a representative sampling of their repertoire.
Across the Universe
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
And I Love Her
At Last
Beautiful Boy (John Lennon)
Born to be Wild
Both Sides Now
Brick House
Brown-Eyed Girl
Build Me Up, Buttercup
Can’t Help Falling in Love
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Celebration
Crazy
Dancin’ in the Street
Dancing Queen
Domino
Dynamite
Eight Days a Week
Everybody Talks
Fields of Gold
Footloose
Forever Young (Dylan)
Get Down Tonight
Get Ready
Gimme Some Lovin’
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
Happy (Pharrell Williams)
Heard it Through the Grapevine
Hold On I’m Coming
Hot Hot Hot
I Can See Clearly Now
I Feel Good
I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
I Heard it Through the Grapevine
I Saw Her Standing There
I Want to Dance with Somebody
I Want You Back (Jackson 5)
I Will Always Love You
I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
I Wish
I'm a Believer
In My Life
Johnny B. Goode
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Jump Jive an' Wail
Just the Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Just the Two of Us (Withers)
Just What I Needed (Cars)
Lady in Red
Lean on Me
Let’s Stay Together
Let's Twist Again
Long Tall Sally
Long Train Running
Mamma Mia
Midnight Train to Georgia
Mony Mony
Mustang Sally
My Girl
Natural Woman (Aretha)
Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll
Oh What a Night (December, 1963)
Play That Funky Music
Pretty Woman
Proud Mary
Rainbow Connection
Respect
Shut Up and Dance with Me
Signed Sealed Delivered
Sir Duke
Smooth
Something
Soul Man
Stand By Me
Start Me Up
Sugarpie Honeybunch (I Can’t Help Myself)
Sweet Home Alabama
Sweet Caroline
Sweet Home Chicago
Takin' Care of Business
The Boys of Summer
The Way I Am
True Colors (Cyndi Lauper)
Uptown Funk
Venus
Voulez-Vous (Lady Marmalade)
Walking on Sunshine
We Are Family
What I Like About You
Wonderful Tonight
YMCA
You Really Got Me (Kinks)
Your Song
You’ve Got a Friend
(Other rock, pop and Motown songs available on request)
For Bar/Bat Mitzvah Parties: Games and Dance Contests
Adult-Kid (or Kid-Kid) Dance Contest
Bottle Dance Contest (from Fiddler on the Roof)
Coke-Pepsi-7Up (aka Lox, Bagels, Cream Cheese)
Hula Hoop Contest
Hula Hoop Hot Potato
Limbo Contest
Musical Chairs
3) International and World Music
Latin, Salsa, Mambo, Tango, Rumba
Besame Mucho
Brazil
El Choclo (Kiss of Fire)
El Cumbanchero (Mambo)
Johnny’s Mambo
La Comparsita
Lambada
Mambo Inn
Miserlou
Oye Como Va
Por Una Cabeza (Tango from Scent of a Woman)
Rio Rita (Paso Doble)
Saint Thomas (Calypso)
Sunny Ray (Salsa)
Sway
Tea for Two (Cha-Cha)
Tequila
Tico Tico
Watch What Happens
Watermelon
Wave
Russian; Gypsy
Ach! Odessa
Alexandra (waltz)
Czardas Monti (and other czardas's)
Kozatzke (Russian Sailor's Dance)
Lark (Pacsirta)
Letka-Yenka
Liublu (I Love--tango)
Medley of Classic Russian Twists
Medley of Russian Foxtrots
Moskovskie Okna (Moscow Windows)
Moscow Nights
Nyeudachnoye Svidaniye (Unlucky Date)
Ochi Chorniye (Dark Eyes)
Odinokoye Garmon (Lonely Accordion)
Ostrov Nevezeniya (Island of Bad Luck)
Pesinka Izvoshika (Song of the Coachman)
Pensinka O Horoshem Nastroyenii (Song About a Great Mood)
Pesinka Pro Zayetzev (Song about Bunnies)
Podmoskovniye Vechera (Moscow Nights)
Pora V’Put-Dorogu (Time To Get Going)
Rio Rita
Russian-Jewish Wedding (Ivanko, Itzik, U Ribalki, 7:40)
Sertze (My Heart--Tango)
Usti Usti Baba (Macedonian Roma)
Utomlyoniye Solntze (Weary Sun--Tango)
Valse "Boston"
​
Irish
Danny Boy
Irish Washerwoman (Jig)
Over the Waterfall (Reel)
Saint Anne's Reel
Mari's Wedding
My Wild Irish Rose
Star of the County Down
Swallow Tail Jig
Wearing of the Green
When Irish Eyes are Smiling
The Parting Glass
German & Viennese (More on Request)
Strauss Waltzes (Vienna, City of My Dreams,
Beautiful Danube, Emperor)
Die Fledermaus (Waltz)
Indian, Bollywood
Dhoom 2 Theme Song (Dhoom Again)
The Vagabond
Greek, Balkan
Gankino
Miserlou
Kolos
Sylivrianos Syrtos
Syrtos
Treilo Hasapaserviko
Italian
Arrivaderci Roma
Come Back to Sorrento
Come Prima
Come Vo Re (A. Celentano)
Funiculi, Funicula
Italiana Pero
La Neopolitano
Non Dimenticar
O Sole Mio
Return to Me
Santa Lucia
Summertime in Venice
Soli (A Celentano)
Susanna (A. Celentano)
Tarantella
That's Amore
French
Can Can
Joe Dassen melodies
La Vie En Rose
Pa-dam
Under Paris Skies (Sur le Ciel de Paris)
Polish
Clarinet Polka
Krakowiak
Polkas and Mazurkas
Oginski: Polonaise
Sto Lat
​
Don’t see your favorite song here? We will try to play it for you—just ask!
(847) 675-4800