CELEBRATING THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF JUDAIC FOLK MUSIC KNOWN AS KLEZMER, THE GROUP MOSTLY KOSHER ALSO ADDS A THOROUGHLY MODERN TWIST I CALLED UP ALL OF MY JEWISH COLLEAGUES IN COLLEGE, WHO I KNEW, WERE TALENTED MUSICIANS AND THEN SAID YOU WANNA BE IN MY KLEZMER BAND, YOU WANNA - AND THEN WHEN THAT LIST RAN OUT STARTED CALLING THE NON-JEWS, YOU WANNA BE IN MY KLEZMER, YOU WANNA BE IN MY - DON'T KNOW WHAT A KLEZMER BAND IS?

DON'T WORRY WE'LL FIND OUT TOGETHER.

AND THEN IT KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW WE JUST WENT FROM THERE SO AFTER WE HAD DONE THIS STUDY, AND REALLY LEARNED ABOUT THE ROOTS OF THIS MUSIC.

WE REALLY FELT COMPELLED TO MAKE IT OUR OWN.

AND I THINK THAT HEIGHTENED THE JOY OF IT BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THERE IS OF COURSE WORTH IN PLAYING THE TRADITION OF WHERE WE CAME FROM, AND THAT IN ITSELF IS WONDERFUL.

BUT REALLY FINDING OUR OWN VOICE, AND THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED TO COME UP WITH THESE MASH UPS, IF YOU WILL, THAT COMBINES MORE CONTEMPORARY STYLES OF EVEN HIP-HOP INTO THE MUSIC.

WHICH YOU KNOW IT CAN BE SORT OF A SLIPPERY SLOPE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PAY HOMAGE, YOU WANT TO RESPECT TO THE MUSIC.

AND IT'S NOT ABOUT DUMBING IT DOWN, OR THAT IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM, IT'S REALLY FINDING OUR OWN VOICES.

KLEZMER MUSIC IS A BRIDGE BETWEEN A WONDERFULLY RICH HISTORICAL MUSIC, YOU KNOW THROUGH THE HOLOCAUST AND WELL BEFORE THAT AND MODERN MUSIC ESPECIALLY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE REALLY THROWING IT ALL IN A FOOD PROCESSOR AND GOING FOR IT.

IT'S MORE A CROSSING OF GENRES, AND ALSO MORE POP INFLUENCES TOO BUT WITH THE INTENTION OF TRYING TO BRING OUR MUSIC TO A VERY ACCESSIBLE PLATFORM.

THIS ISN'T RELIGIOUS MUSIC; THIS IS MUSIC OF PARTIES, OF CELEBRATIONS, OF DRINKING, OF LOVE AND ROMANCE, OF LULLABIES, AND HEART, TRAGIC, LIKE TRAGIC HEARTBREAKING, AND DEATH, LOT'S OF TRAGEDY.

THE POINT IS, IS THAT THESE ARE ELEMENTS THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE AND WHY CAN'T THIS MUSIC BELONG TO EVERYONE AND THEIR HEARTS?

I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE AREN'T LIMITATIONS.

WE CAN DO A FAMILY AUDIENCE, SOMEONE CALLS US RIGHT NOW 'OK WE NEED YOU AT TEMPLE BETH HILLEL YOU NEED TO PLAY FOR THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.'

NO PROBLEM, WE'LL DO OUR 30-MINUTE SHOW, VERY INTERACTIVE, IT'S FUN.

BUT WE ALSO WANT YOU TO GO AND YOU KNOW PLAY FOR SOME JAZZ CLUB, YOU KNOW DOWN IN CULVER CITY.

GOT IT.

SO IN A WAY WE CAN REALLY TAILOR WHO WE ARE AND HAVE IT TRULY BE WHO WE ARE, FOR ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AUDIENCES AND IT'S REALLY FULFILLING.

AND THEN THIS MUSIC, YOU'RE JUST LIKE, EVERYONE DANCE, YOU LIKE JUST GET UP THERE AND PLAY, AND YOU'RE LIKE FEEDING OFF THE ENERGY OF THE CROWD AND YOU KNOW IT'S A DIFFERENT MIND SET.

SO IT'S BEEN A FUN CHALLENGE FOR ME TO TRY TO CONVEY THAT ENERGY AND FUN IN MY DRUMMING AND STEP OUT OF MY SHELL A LITTLE BIT.

IT'S IMPORTANT IT'S CULTURAL, IT'S PART OF PEOPLES UPBRINGING, IT'S NOT JUST AFFILIATED WITH RELIGION, ITS NOT SHABBAT, YIDDISH AMAMANT IS LIKE A LOVE SONG, A LULLABY, NOTHING TO DO WITH JUDAISM, BUT IT HAS TO DO MORE WITH THE PEOPLE, MORE THE HERITAGE.

IT KIND OF GAVE US SOME PURPOSE, SOME IDENTITY TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.

SO THE GOAL'S WOULD BE LIKE CONTINUING TO DO ALBUMS, CONTINUING TO TOUR AND TOURING EVEN MORE OF THE WORLD OF COURSE AND SHARING THIS MUSIC SO THAT IT CAN BELONG TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

BUT ALSO TO BREAK SOME BOUNDARIES AND LIKE SURPRISE PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME OF THE VENUES WE CAN STAND ON.

I THINK IF YOU SAW KLEZMER MUSIC AT COACHELLA EVERYBODY WOULD TURN THEIR HEADS A LITTLE BIT.

IF WE CAN JUST GET THE AUDIENCE TO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT'S ON THEIR CELL PHONE, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES, IF THEY CAN JUST LET GO AND LIVE IN THE MOMENT FOR AN EVENING THAT'S OUR GOAL.

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