*** The New Orleans Klezmer Allstars

FRESH OUT THE PAST

(Shanachie)

Although it looks awkward on paper, fusing Old World klezmer with the traditional music of New Orleans is not such a stretch -- both have an affinity for ripping clarinet solos, serious brass riffing, and rollicking dance grooves. The New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, a sextet, nailed the uptempo second-line freilach on their Shanachie debut, but their latest, an album of all original compositions, proves they're more than a cross-cultural gimmick. Although the tunes are eclectic and broad in scope, the most memorable ones focus on simple themes -- whether it's the Moroccan-tinged call-and-response of "Dr. Lizard" or the stripped-down accordion/handclap interplay of "Hartman Pick Up Your Accordion and Play." Less pretentious than the NYC downtown klezmer crew and more irreverent than any strict traditionalists, NOKAS make a good argument for the survival of roots music into the 21st century, though not without a little mutation along the way.

-- Michael Endelman