PUTNEY-Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present Baklava Express Friday, May 29, at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill.
Brooklyn-based Baklava Express “creates vibrant, high-energy music that evokes the atmosphere of an open-air Mediterranean market,” said organizers in a news release. Blending ancient and modern instruments, the ensemble performs original compositions rooted in Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Arab, Mizrahi, and Sephardi musical traditions, while weaving in touches of jazz, flamenco, rock, and Ottoman classical music.
Led by oud player and composer Josh Kaye, the group self-produced its second album, Sabába, released this spring. Organizers said it “reflects a band that has fully grown into its collaborative sound—joyful, fluid, improvisational, and deeply lived-in.”
“For Dávka, our first album, released in 2023, we went into the studio after having only played a few gigs as a group,” Kaye said in a news release. “But for this recording, everyone’s been in the band for at least three years, so we’re playing music that we’ve performed hundreds of times. It not only sounds tighter, but we had much more freedom to improvise and make arrangements on the fly.”
Kaye went on to describe the band as being “not a traditional music band. We play original music influenced by a variety of traditions.”
Born in London and raised musically on jazz, Jewish liturgical music, and early swing recordings, Kaye eventually discovered the oud after encountering Arab musicians in his Brooklyn neighborhood. What began as a chance encounter outside an Egyptian barber shop evolved into a profound musical calling.
“I became totally fascinated and obsessed,” Kaye recalls. “After developing a certain level of proficiency, I felt I could do something with it. I’ve always been a composer, so the natural next step was writing new music using the oud as a songwriting tool.”
The resulting music transcends cultural borders while remaining grounded in human connection. Instrumental and open-ended, the compositions invite listeners to find their own stories and emotions within the music.
“This music is about having a meeting place for everyone,” says Kaye. “An instrumental song could mean anything to any person. I hope organically it becomes a meeting place for anybody who wants to listen.”
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:45 pm. Tickets are $22 in advance, $26 at the door, and $10 for livestream access. Tickets and information are available at nextstagearts.org.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.