Music & Dance
Beyond The Pale
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Klezmer
With its roots in eastern Europe, and its tendrils reaching out to the synagogues and vaudeville houses of the New World, klezmer music speaks of both celebration and sadness: celebration in its exuberant rhythms and dance tunes, and sadness in its minor keys and in the wistful strains of the doina (song of lament). Originally a regional folk tradition, klezmer has become very much a world-music and is at the core of Beyond the Pale's sound. Now in their eleventh year, the Toronto group mixes klezmer, Balkan, and east European styles with an eclectic range of influences. Equally adept at traditional and modern interpretations of klezmer's soul-wrenching melodies and exciting dance rhythms, the group is known for its virtuosity, versatility, and unique repertoire. They released two award-winning CDs on the Borealis Records label, “Routes” and “Consensus”. In June 2009, they will release their long-awaited third CD "Postcards," an exciting new set of genre-bending originals and inventive arrangements of traditional material. Beyond the Pale features Bret Higgins (bass), Aleksandar Gajic (violin), Milos Popovic (accordion), Eric Stein (mandolin), and Martin van de Ven (clarinet). Collectively, the ensemble has backgrounds in jazz, classical, rock, folk, country, and bluegrass. According to one reviewer, “In their hands, klezmer is a living and evolving music that they perform with gusto and sheer joy.”
Links
http://beyondthepale.net
http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p01866.htm
http://www.rambles.net/beypale_consens04.html
http://www.klezmershack.com/contacts/klezbands_b.htmlklezbands_b
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