What happens when five of Canada’s most decorated chamber musicians decide to have a little fun? You get Schmaltz & Pepper — a wildly entertaining quintet that spins Eastern European Jewish folk traditions into something entirely, irresistibly their own.
The band brings together Eric Abramovitz, principal clarinetist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and arranger Drew Jurecka; virtuosic violinist, vocalist, and composer Rebekah Wolkstein; JUNO-nominated bassist Michael Herring; and JUNO award-winning pianist Jeremy Ledbetter.
Their repertoire is almost entirely original — drawing on Yiddish swing, jazz, Roma music, and classical sensibilities — with songs that range from a reimagining of the Judgment of Solomon (which somehow ends as an Irish reel) to an apologia for dating too many musicians. Critics have called them “inventive, adventurous, experimental” and “an unbelievable feat of creativity,” and their shows have sold out from Toronto to Winnipeg to Newfoundland.
Come prepared to tap your feet, raise an eyebrow, and leave humming something you’ve never quite heard before.
If you have questions, please go to our website: www.CaledonChamberConcerts.com