After a hiatus due to many great composition and performing projects, the Radiant Others Klezmer Music Podcast is back! And we are back with a great one! In today’s episode I talk to bassist, tubist, guitarist, producer, songwriter, guerrilla folklorist, and all around musical macher, Mark Rubin. Mark and I met at Klezkamp in 2002, but we really got close when we had the opportunity to work a lot together in Alan Bern’s Other Europeans from 2008-2013. We’ve toured together, been at a lot of festivals together, and generally had a great time.

Many musicians are said to be “beyond category” because of one reason or another, but Mark represents something different. He’s been a fundamental part of so many musical scenes, genres and communities, from bluegrass, to Tex-Mex, to Texas Polish and Czech music, punk rock, old time fiddle, and of course klezmer that it’s impossible to take in the whole picture of his musical life. He co-founded the Bad Livers, produced and performed on Grammy-nominated records for Santiago Jimenez Jr., toured the world with Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars and the Boban Markovic Orkestar, and played countless honkey tonks, dances, and other performances throughout the Southwest US and the world.

Mark and I at down last summer to talk about his life, what it means to be Jewish in growing up in Stillwater Oklahoma, and his musical journey there, through his longtime home of Austin Texas, and his current home of New Orleans.

Check out Mark’s recent album under the moniker “Jew Of Oklahoma” and also importantly his current fundraising campaign to purchase a new tuba. And invite him to your community for concerts, workshops, lessons or what have you! As you’ll hear in today’s conversation, he’s got a lot to say and a lot to offer.

Music from this Episode



Little Goose Polka by Mark Halata and Texavia (tuba)

“Southern Jews Is Good News” from Songs for the Hangman’s Daughter by Mark Rubin – Jew of Oklahoma (guitar, vocals)

“Silver Bells” by Sean Orr & Mark Rubin on Texas Fiddle: Okie Guitar (guitar)

“Interplanetary Music” (by Sun Ra) Covered by the Bad Livers (bass, vocals)

“A Yid iz Geboren Inz Oklahoma” by Bad Livers (tuba)

Set of American Fiddle Tunes with Andy Statman at the Ashkenaz Festival (bass)