Beyond the Pale (band)

Beyond the Pale is a Toronto-based Canadian world/roots fusion band. Their style is rooted in klezmer,[1] Balkan and Romanian music but heavily accented with contemporary and North American styles including bluegrass, jazz, reggae, funk and classical chamber music. They are known for unique songcraft, virtuosic musicianship, meticulous dynamics, and exuberant live performances. They are widely regarded as one of Canada's most accomplished and innovative acoustic ensembles. Some have described their sound as being in the same spirit as "New Acoustic Music" and David Grisman's "Dawg" music, but tinged more heavily with an east European accent.[2][3] The name of the band is a reference to the Eastern-European Jewish Pale of Settlement, from where their music is partially inspired.[4]

Beyond the Pale
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Years active1998 (1998)–present
LabelsBorealis
MembersEric Stein
Martin van de Ven
Milos Popovic
Bogdan Djukic
Aleksandar Gajic
Bret Higgins
Past membersAnne Lindsay
Sasha Luminsky
Joshua Engel
Websitewww.beyondthepale.net

History

Beyond the Pale was formed in 1998. Original members included mandolinist Eric Stein, bassist Bret Higgins and guitarist Joshua Engel. They were joined by violinist Anne Lindsay the following year.[5] Dutch Clarinetist Martin van de Ven joined the group in 2000 while Engel left the same year. Serbian-born violinist Bogdan Djukic gradually replaced Lindsay over 2000-2001.[6]

The band released its first CD, Routes, in 2001 through Borealis Records;[7][8] the recording was nominated for a Canadian Independent Music Award.

In 2002, Serbian-born accordionist Milos Popovic joined the group, replacing Sasha Luminsky, who had played with the group the previous two years. A second album, Consensus, was recorded live at the Al Green Theatre in Toronto in 2003 and released the following year.[9][3] This album received great acclaim and captured a Canadian Folk Music Award for "Instrumental Group of the Year."[10] "Consensus" was also nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award, and Eric Stein's composition "Reunion" from that album won the Folk Music Ontario Song from the Heart award for songwriting.[11] In fall 2004, the group was joined by Serbian-born violinist Aleksandar Gajic.

Between 2001-2010, Beyond the Pale toured across North America and Europe,[12] including performances at Carnegie Hall,[13] the Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków,[14] and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.[15] During this period the band was involved in many unique and challenging collaborative projects, including a series of concerts with legendary singer/actor Theodore Bikel,[16] numerous collaborations with Josh "Socalled" Dolgin,[17] two separate stints as guest accompanists with the Toronto Jewish Folk Choir on world premieres of ambitious choral works,[18] guest soloist turns with the Toronto Children's Chorus on a world premiere composition by clarinetist van de Ven, and performances alongside CBC radio personality Barbara Budd with the National Arts Centre Orchestra,[19] the Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. There were also self-initiated collaborations with other esteemed world music ensembles such as Creaking Tree String Quartet[20] and L'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio. The group was also featured in a number of national radio broadcasts for CBC's Canada Live, including the performance of interpretations for the CBC's A New World of Mozart, which honoured the 250th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.[21]

In 2009, the group released its third album Postcards,[22] which featured guest appearances by Israeli Yiddish singer Vira Lozinsky[2][23] Postcards received four nominations from the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards and won for "Instrumental Group of the Year" and "Pushing the Boundaries".[24] In 2011, the group toured in Australia, and in Brazil in 2012.[25][15]

In 2017 Beyond the Pale released a new album, Ruckus, and was nominated at the Canadian Folk Music Awards for Instrumental Group of the Year.[26]

Members
  • Eric Stein (mandolin)[7]
  • Martin van de Ven (clarinet)
  • Milos Popovic (accordion)
  • Bogdan Djukic (violin, percussion)
  • Aleksandar Gajic (violin)
  • Bret Higgins (bass)

Discography
  • 2001 – Routes (Borealis)
  • 2004 – Consensus (Borealis)
  • 2009 – Postcards (Borealis)
  • 2017 – Ruckus (Borealis)

References
  1. Henderson, Alex. "Postcards - Beyond the Pale review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  2. "The Billboard Reviews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1 August 2009. pp. 29–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. "Music for a Midsummer's Night". Brandon Sun via Newspaper Archives July 31, 2005 - Page 31
  4. Anderson, Rick. "Consensus: Live in Concert review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  5. "Beyond the Pale, Creaking Trees build on common ground; Newgrass is one apt description Perform together on Saturday night". Toronto Star - Toronto, Ont. Quill, Greg. Feb 10, 2005 page: G.03 Archived January 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "USC Aiken welcomes Bowfire".Aiken Standard, via Newspaper Archives. January 11, 2008 - Page 22
  7. "Beyond the Pale Routes". Exclaim!, By Helen Spitzer Nov 01, 2001
  8. "Jewish Music is World Music". North Adams Transcript, via Newspaper Archives. December 13, 2001 - Page 31
  9. " Beyond the Pale Consensus: Live in Concert". AllMusic review by Rick Anderson.
  10. "Beyond the Pale creates ruckus with new album". Canadian Jewish News, By Ruth Schweitzer - June 19, 2017
  11. "FMO Songs From The Heart Awards". folkmusicontario.ca. Folk Music Ontario. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  12. "Alex Kontorovich's Schedule". sites.math.rutgers.edu. Rutgers University. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  13. "Theodore Bikel Celebrated at Carnegie Hall, June 2009". playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  14. "Beyond the Pale in Krakow". youtube.com. YouTube, Beyond the Pale. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  15. "The Once, Beyond the Pale, both win two at Canadian Folk Music Awards". Waterloo Region Record, Nov 21, 2010
  16. "Theodore Bikel with Beyond the Pale". jmwc.org. Jewish Music WebCenter. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  17. "Consensus: Live in Concert". amazon.com. Amazon. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  18. "Toronto Jewish Folk Choir, Apr 2011". thecjn.ca. The Canadian Jewish News. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  19. "Alex Kontorovich's Schedule". sites.math.rutgers.edu. Rutgers University. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  20. "Beyond the Pale + Creaking Tree String Quartet, Feb 2005". klezmershack.com. Klezmer Shack. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  21. Davidow, Ari. "Beyond the Pale wins Canadian Folk Music Award, Feb 2006". klezmershack.com. The Klezmer Shack. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  22. "Beyond The Pale – Postcards". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  23. "Beyond The Pale — Postcards". Chart Attack - Aug 25, 2009 Archived January 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  24. "Results 2010". folkawards.ca. Canadian Folk Music Awards. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  25. "Musicians honoured all across the country. Toronto guitarist and klezmer band among those given prizes". Toronto Star- Toronto, Ont. Quill, Greg Nov 22, 2010 Page: E.6 Archived November 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  26. "Results 2017". folkawards.ca. Canadian Folk Music Awards. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
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