Hasidic New Wave

Imagine John Coltrane and Dick Dale jamming in the shtetl in Poland, circa 1750. Now take the entire scene and get back in the time machine, destination New York City, 1999. Seamlessly melding elements of Klezmer, jazz, Surf, Funk, and rock, Hasidic New Wave are at the forefront of a new Jewish music style. Their melodies are derived from Klezmer, but their instrumentation and Post Bop solo styles belie their jazz roots. And guitarist David Fiuczynski's whammy bar theatrics evoke classic Surf guitar. Meanwhile, the extraordinarily versatile rhythm section alternates a snaky, droning Middle Eastern Funk groove with some minimalist Bop swinging. In their live shows, they'll also pull in bits of reggae groove and howling rock 'n' roll guitar histrionics. Culture soup, anyone?