Eric Stein offers no apologies for Beyond The Pale’s boundary-breaking, genre-bending style of klezmer of music.
Beyond the Pale on stage. From left are Eric Stein, Bret Higgins, Martin van de Ven, Milos Popovic and Aleksandar Gajic.
Eric Stein offers no apologies for Beyond The Pale’s boundary-breaking, genre-bending style of klezmer of music.
After all, the group’s leader and mandolin player reasons, by branching out they are staying true to the origins of klezmer.
Klezmer, originally, was the instrumental folk music of eastern European Jews of the shtetl but was always borrowing from their surroundings – be it Hungarian, Polish, Gypsy or others.
“The klezmorim of yesterday would understand us,” Stein says. “During their time, they were always blending Russian, Romanian or Turkish influences into their songs.”
Beyond the Pale is celebrating the release of their third album, Postcards, with a release party at the Lula Lounge in Toronto on Oct.1.
Like their first two CDs, Routes and Consensus, Postcards uses klezmer as a starting point and fleshes out from there into dance rhythms, funky grooves and intricate instrumentals. The 16 songs are a mixture of original songs and progressive arrangements of traditional ones.
“This is our most adventurous, wide-ranging and eclectic work,” Stein says. “Our arrangements are very dynamic. On some songs you can hear a pin drop, followed by an explosion of energy.”
Stein, who is the artistic director of Toronto’s Ashkenaz Festival, the largest Jewish cultural event in Canada, is a bit uncomfortable with the “klezmer” label. “I know enough about klezmer to know we’re not 100 per cent klezmer. We are more diverse and multicultural. We are east European fusion with strong Jewish/klezmer influences.”
Stein likens their sound to a good gourmet meal. “A chef knows what ingredients to put into a good stew. We try to be music connoisseurs in the way we mix all our influences together.”
Stein is in fact the only Jewish member of a six-piece band that also features Bogdan Djukic (percussion, violin), Bret Higgins (double bass), Aleksandar Gajic (violin, viola), Milos Popovic (accordion) and Martin van de Ven (clarinet). Stein said the band’s sound reflects the diversity of the band – half of which is Serbian. Because of that, you can hear a strong Balkan influence, especially on songs like Katarina and Extra Spicy.
“Our PR guy in the States calls our music ‘Jewish Balkan twang!’ That’s as close as you can get to a one-liner description of us.”
Songs like Meditation and the van de Ven-penned Dutchmander showcase more traditional klezmer sounds.
The album’s multicultural sound is depicted visually on the cover, which features old postcards and photographs of the band members’ ancestors from Russia, Serbia and Romania. In the background, barely visible, is light Yiddish text.
Only three of the songs on Postcards contain vocals, and they are sung in Yiddish by Israeli-based Vira Lozinsky singing lyrics written by her father Michael Felsenbaum, a Yiddish poet, over traditional Gypsy melodies.
“Vira is one of the few practitioners of Yiddish song in Israel, where Yiddish is not so popular,” Stein says. He discovered her when she sent a demo CD in to the Ashkenaz Festival.
“She’s originally from Beltz in Moldova (from where the Yiddish song Beltz, Mayn Shtetele originates from). I was blown away by her voice, so I brought her in for Ashkenaz.” When she was in Toronto, they recorded the three songs she sings on Postcards.
The group is looking forward to heading out on the road early next year in Europe and California, but nothing can probably beat playing at Carnegie Hall earlier this year.
“We played at Carnegie Hall for Theodore Bikel’s 85th birthday. It was by invitation only, and it was quite an honour for us.”
They played on a bill that included Arlo Guthrie, Peter, Paul and Mary and the Klezmatics. They were introduced by actor Alan Alda.
“It was a real thrill,” Stein says. “The most exciting thing we’ve done in the last little while.”
You can catch Beyond The Pale’s exciting and dynamic live sound at Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W., on Oct.1, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Call 416-588-0307 or visit www.lulalounge.ca For more information about Beyond The Pale, visit www.beyondthepale.net