Lil Rev

An upbeat one-man show celebrates the crossroads where Jews and African-American cultures influenced one another. Spanning the earliest days of jazz and ragtime to the boogie-woogie & jump blues of the 1940's and 50's, this cultural fusion has continued to be a celebrated foundation upon which all other popular music styles rest. 

Featuring songs, stories, poetry, and lore of:

• Louis Armstrong
• Harry Belanfonte
• Paul Robeson
• Cab Calloway
• Sophie Tucker
• Bessie Smith
• Ida Cox
• Alberta Hunter
• The Chess Record Label
• Atlantic Records
• Leiber and Stoller
• and much more…

Testimonials

Lil’ Rev is a real find. His presentation is stimulating, nostalgic, entertaining, and full of interesting material. His enthusiasm for the subject matter is downright contagious. Lil’ Rev is a credit to our Yiddish and Judaic heritage and he has left his mark on southern California.

— Ken Hailpern, Director, AJU at Brandeis Bardin Campus


Lil’ Rev enhanced and energized our Sunday morning Sukkot program with his musical talent and knowledge of Jewish Music. He enthusiastically demonstrated his gifts as a teacher of children, their parents and our teachers with his interactive, easygoing style. 

— Ellen Polsky, Director of Education of Temple Emanuel, St. Louis, MO


To hear Lil Rev sing is to enter a timeless world of Jewish song. Lil Rev is the Jewish Pete Seeger! 

— Rabbi Larry Milder


Lil Rev is amazing! He's entertaining, Jewish, engaging, educational and inspiring. 

— Rabbi Berel Levertov, Chabad, Santa Fe



You left everyone with smiles and tears!

—Cantor Scott Simon, Temple Chai, Long Grove, IL



Your musical talents are unbelievable, your story-telling is charming, and your personal touch just warms my heart!

—Rabbi Jay Brickman