Yiddish Cowboys kick off Sunday Performing Arts lineup

What exactly is a Yiddish cowboy?

In the case of the group performing for attendees from The Education Center last weekend, that would be a classically trained musician who melds celebratory Jewish folk music with Texan music influences.

As center Program Director Susan Goldfarb said in her introduction of the group, she didn't know whether yamakas or cowboy hats would win out the evening of Jan. 11. Regardless of which one audience members opted for, they were unanimous in their appreciation for the niche band's talents.

Clarinetist Michael Drapkin led the band, which also included Judi Glover on the keyboard, Nick Bruno on drums and Joe Porter on the upright bass.

Drapkin said he connected with the current members through the Venice Symphony, and they have been performing together for the past several years.

"It took me several years to find musicians who were good enough to play this music because it is very difficult and technically demanding," he told the crowd.

He noted that the group's level of expertise is necessary to keep up with the exceptionally precise style of music. Notes are often short and close together, challenging the performer to keep up with the bandmates. Bruno explained that he plays the drums with a pillow in the barrel, allowing him to sharply hit each beat.

However, the exacting music style doesn't prevent the band from having fun.

The evening's lineup included a multitude of lively tunes that audience members said they recognized from childhood. Even those less familiar with much Eastern European music would likely have recognized several songs, including "Misirlou," the opening song in the movie "Pulp Fiction."

They ended the performance with a tongue-in-cheek tune titled, "Mamas, don't let your sons become Yiddish cowboys."

Listeners laughed at the humorous lyrics, including lines like, "There's no gefilte fish swimming around, swimming in the Rio Grande."

To learn more about the band or book a performance, visit YiddishCowboys.com.