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The rhythm section enters with four bars of 5/8, then switches to 8/8. Is this a Dave Brubeck tune? Maybe Coltrane? Its the Modern Klezmer Quartet, playing aural tricks on your brain with their slick and spare jazz arrangements of Jewish melodies, new and old. With arrangements by Bob Appelbaum, the MKQ have a great sound that would delight any Jazz club crowd.

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Fun Tashlich

Steve Gibon Gypsy String Project

Steve Gibons brings together jazzmen and traditional Rroma musicians to wed elements of modern composition and improv to European Gypsy and folk music. Gypsy Rhythm Project mixes a compelling, energetic concoction of music from Romania, the Balkans and the Oriental Gypsy world.

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Little Buds

Chicago AfroBeat Project

Afrobeat’s range of influences — funk, rock, jazz, afro-cuban, high life and juju music – settle into a hypnotic, dance-compelling pulse at the core of CAbP. The group layers a fiery originality around this core through high-energy rock and experimental jazz. The trance-like grooves that hold the floor in the tradition are pushed to new borders in CAbP’s second and self-produced album, (A) Move to Silent Unrest. In it, the group keeps true to the mix of respect to the tradition and forward-thinking experimentation that shine through in their live performances.

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Medley

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West Ganji

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Talking Bush

Andreas Kapsalis Trio

A cross between world music and jazz that is often described as “Tribal Mediterranean.” Kapsalis states that “we enjoy arranging intellectual compositions – music that you have to think about, but at the same time, we love the intensity of a simple piece of bubble-gum music. We’re essentially coupling together these two components within the songs. We also love introducing elements of Greek music into the sound, such as the old folk melodies I remember listening to from my childhood, as well as odd-time signatures, but try to do it with a light hearted feel.” There are also elements of Americana, Flamenco, African, and Middle Eastern music included in the mix, but no one genre ever becomes most prominent.

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Money