Bravo Brave Old World

Although I've been exposed to the Eastern European Jewish music known as klezmer from an early age, I never really appreciated it until Sunday night. Brave Old World's performance at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., opened my eyes (and the eyes of many of my fellow audience members) to a style of music that has made a triumphant comeback in the last 40-odd years. As I sat down in my seat, I had no idea what to expect. What did I know about klezmer, really? I needn't have worried. The dynamic performance I had the good fortune to experience taught me more about the genre than anything I could have read or studied. While there was almost no speaking between the brief introduction and intermission, no words could have done a better job than the music itself did of introducing the beautiful musical style. \nThe evening is difficult to describe to one who was not there, because the words to recreate the experience do not exist. As soon as I felt I had a firm mental grasp on the music, it changed and became something entirely new and different. One moment it was deep and sorrowful, the next, joyous and hopeful. It was not quite jazz, or blues, or folk, or spiritual or anything else I've come to know. It was a combination of many things, and yet nothing that has ever existed before. It was not even klezmer, according to the band who added improvisation and varied musical influences to the music of their ancestors. Using the term "New Jewish Music" to describe their style, the performers do a great disservice to themselves. Such a description can't even begin to express the magnitude of this rich and varied genre.\nThe band members tirelessly improvised, each weaving in and out of melodies created by his fellow performers. They crafted a web of music that captured and enchanted every ear in the room. Their enjoyment was visible as they silently urged one another on and closed their eyes to the music their flying fingertips drew out.\nVocalist Michael Alpert could be seen swaying with the music, as enraptured as his audience. His violin sang in a mournful tone; sometimes conversing with the other instruments in harmony, and at other moments interrupting with a beautiful melody that floated over the other parts. \nKurt Bjorling's clarinet reached notes that I would have thought impossible for any instrument other than a piccolo, and did so with an energy that left the audience breathless. Percussionist Stuart Brotman played multiple percussion instruments in a style that was subtle and effective. His part often lay almost unnoticed beneath the others, but crept out at the perfect time to add variety and depth to the music. \nAlan Bern played the piano and the accordion with gusto. In his accordion solo "Big Train" he simulated the rhythm of an accelerating train. From the imitated whistle drawn from the instrument as the "train" chugged along to the muted clacking of the keys as it slowed, his performance was surprising and enjoyable.\nAfter the final number, the audience's standing ovation compelled the group to stay for one more song. They also stayed on stage to sign autographs and talk to the audience. The concert demonstrated their ability to preserve and enhance a rich and diverse musical tradition. Drawing on the talent and experience of its members, Brave Old World filled the night with music for all people. They promoted openmindedness in their words and in their music. Though they admitted that it seems impossible, the group still held out hope and wished for a state of understanding among all "traditions, religions and societies," and above all "shalom" (peace) for all mankind.