Mark Rubin Bio
Yikhes (yiddish for "my lineage, my story") https://www.jewofoklahoma.com/
Oklahoma-born, Texas-reared, and now living in New Orleans, multi-instrumentalist Mark Rubin is an unabashed Southern Jew, known equally for his muscular musicianship and larger-than-life persona. Over an accomplished 30+ year career, he has accompanied or produced a virtual who’s-who of American traditional music, while straddling numerous musical genres, including Country, Western Swing, Bluegrass, Cajun, Tex-Mex, Polka, Klezmer, Roma, and more. He is perhaps best known for co-founding the notorious proto-Americana band Bad Livers, though his more recent work as a first call tuba and bass player in the klezmer music scene has now earned him equivalent notoriety.
His credits in the Jewish music world include long time collaborations with Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars, The Other Europeans, and Andy Statman, as well as two decades on faculty at KlezKamp. He has been featured performer and instructor with multiple appearances at Yiddish Summer Weimar, KlezFest London, KlezMore Vienna, Klezmer Festival Furth, Festival of Jewish Culture Krakow among others. Jew of Oklahoma debuted as a special feature at Toronto's Ashkenaz Festival in 2016.
Today, he lives and works as a professional musician in New Orleans and makes a study of the musical traditions and cultures of South Louisiana. He recently took a position at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience where he jokes he's an exhibit, (www.msje.org).
Here's his Wiki page for more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rubin_(musician)
Mark plays a Fraulini Guitar and Gold Tone Banjos.
Watch-Listen -- from Mark’s new release “The Triumph of Assimilation”: It’s Burning by Mark Rubin, Jew of Oklahoma. Video by Danny Barnes:
Mark’s original melody for “Avinu Malkeinu” with clawhammer banjo:
Reviews:
American Songwriter: Mark Rubin’s ‘Triumph of Assimilation‘ Offers Upbeat Attitude with Humor and Optimism
"Ultimately, The Triumph of Assimilation comes across as an affable affair, albeit one that often comes across with a decidedly tongue-in-cheek approach, an amiable offering that’s flush with good natured intent. Consider this a triumph indeed."
Tablet Magazine : The Sounds of Summer
"Rubin not only has superb musical chops, honed over decades, but he’s clearly been thinking deeply about everywhere he’s been and everything he’s played. Sick of being told that he’s not Jewish enough for Northerners and not Christian American enough for Southerners, The Triumph of Assimilation is a musical manifesto, an electric declaration of being exactly enough, to hell with the haters."
"Mark is simply one of my very favorite all around fantastic and authentic real folk musicians!" - Chris Strachwitz, Arhoolie Records