The Klezmatics Breeze Freely From Tradition to Innovation

Klezmer music, in the hands of the wildly eclectic Klezmatics, is a joy to behold, the transformation of a rich tradition into a timeless musical expression. On Sunday at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, the Klezmatics wrapped up the Yiddishkayt! festival with a program that was imaginative and exuberant.

The traditional aspects of the music rested largely in the stirring voice of founding member (and native Angeleno) Lorin Sklamberg, who also performed on piano and accordion.

Singing in a range that moved easily from a chesty baritone into a sweetly soaring countertenor, Sklamberg made every number--from the storytelling traditional pieces to the high drama of the Klezmatics’ music for the classic Yiddish play “A Dybbuk: Between Two Worlds”--into superbly crafted musical cameos.

The group’s instrumental obligations were largely fulfilled by trumpeter Frank London, woodwind player Matt Darriau and violinist Lisa Gutkin--with drummer David Licht and bassist Paul Morrissett laying down a dependable flow of rhythm.

London and Darriau moved easily from klezmer to jazz, their soloing frequently reflecting the implicit connections between the two genres--notably during Darriau’s occasional romps into free-jazz improvising, and London’s use of mutes to trigger sounds that referenced both Bubber Miley and Miles Davis. Gutkin, new with the group, played a more reserved role.

The Klezmatics’ style, wide open as it may seem, is part of an East Coast klezmer revival that has seen more than a decade of crossover interaction between klezmer players, jazz artists, Celtic musicians and anyone else with an unusual musical idea.

It’s not yet a major factor with Southland musicians, and it’s about time for L.A.’s players to put their own spin on this fascinating hybrid.