Bubbeleh is a Klezmer band comprising some incredible musicians and personal friends of mine. Some are of Jewish descent, like the always entertaining Phil Rankin and Max Kutner (who just finished touring with Frank Zappa’s old band!), and some are not, but all seem to get that Klezmer music is some of the most fun music to perform in existence. The players hail from all walks of musical life such as jazz, latin, metal, punk, classical, plus all sorts of obscure genres I’ve probably never heard of. That sense of fun comes through in every track and live performance, which is what makes them stand out to me as a multi-genre ensemble.
I was lucky enough to see them play at El Cid last week, and while I’ve seen their show before, that night held a particular sort of magic. In the company of the wildly original Orange Tulip Conspiracy and Balkan powerhouse Orkestar MÉZÉ, Bubbeleh held their own and more. Hip teens and twenty-somethings danced their asses off to this music, which we still characterize as “exotic” in this context, but mark my words: not for long! As the mixmashing of music genres intensifies thanks to no-lag communication speeds across the world, musicians are going to need to step up their game in terms of what other-culture flavors they bring to their music. Applying pop, jazz, and what-have-you sensibilities to their upbringing in Jewish music, Phil, Max, and their host of uber-talented compadres have landed on a formula that works, and works well.
Bubbeleh has just over 24 hours left on their Indiegogo campaign to fund their first full-length album, and I’m sure would be most appreciative if you donated anything you can! Or, if not, spread the word by sharing this post or their Indiegogo web address: http://igg.me/at/bubbeleh
