Brave Old World - Beyond the Pale (2020)

Appropriately reflective klezmer from Germany, where even the high-spirited freylekhs have a somber edge and Kurt Bjorling's probing clarinet is part accusatory finger, part triumph of intellect and love over will. Among endless highlights, musical director Alan Bern's accordion centerpiece "Big Train" stands out. His imitation of the chugging of a steam engine and the clack of the rails is not only eerily precise, but heartbreaking as it drives toward the juncture of nostalgia and horror.

Tracklist:
01. Brave Old World - Berlin Ouverture (4:53)
02. Brave Old World - Brave Old Hora (3:08)
03. Brave Old World - Basarabye (6:47)
04. Brave Old World - Big Train (6:35)
05. Brave Old World - Waltz Român À Clef (2:45)
06. Brave Old World - Borsht (3:14)
07. Brave Old World - Oy, Di Dreydlekh (3:37)
08. Brave Old World - Di Sapozhkelekh (3:38)
09. Brave Old World - Yismekhu (2:09)
10. Brave Old World - A Tish-Nign (2:34)
11. Brave Old World - Bobover Wedding March (3:27)
12. Brave Old World - Rufn Di Kinder Aheym (Calling the Children Home) (5:09)
13. Brave Old World - Doina Extravaganza (11:47)
14. Brave Old World - Berlin 1990 (Sing, My Fiddle, Pt. II) (8:50)