“Even though we are frequently working with songs and styles rooted in specific musical traditions, we try not to be overly preoccupied with notions of ‘preservation’ or ‘authenticity,’” says Stein, a founding member of the band. “Instead, [we] aim for our collective ideas and influences to reflect our collective identifies and self-expression.”

The intention was to root the band in Klezmer and Balkan music – while also giving space for the creation of a unique sound. Klezmer is a musical tradition from Central and Eastern Europe’s Ashkenazi Jewish community.

“Beyond the Pale’s music is an acoustic fusion of Klezmer, Balkan and east European sounds with influences from jazz, bluegrass, reggae, classical music and more,” Stein adds, emphasizing their music’s ability to break boundaries. “The goal was to develop a collective sound that would be shaped by all the eclectic influences and interests of its members in an organic way.”

Musical building blocks

The band’s name refers to the Jewish ghetto called “pale of settlement” – a region in operation from approximately 1791 to 1917 in what used to be the western Russian Empire. Jewish people could not move freely beyond the region’s boundaries without official permission.

Stein learned about this history while studying at McGill University.

“This gave me deeper insight into the origin of the common phrase ‘beyond the pale,’ denoting something that transgresses established bounds of acceptance,” he says.

Stein thinks the term’s historical roots, coupled with its colloquial meaning of “rule-breaking and boundlessness,” perfectly encapsulates the group’s vision – a bold and inclusive way of creating music.

“Beyond the Pale is all about collaboration and allowing the individual influences and expressions of the group members to form the building blocks of all our music,” he says.

Stein and Higgins are two of the three original members. Their initial band only included string instruments.

“As we delved deeper into Klezmer and Yiddish music, we decided clarinet would be the right instrumental additional to expand our sound,” Stein shares.

Two years after securing a clarinetist, the band expanded again to include accordionist Popovic. Gajic joined the band after being introduced by their former violinist Bogdan Djukic.

A chameleon-like instrument

Stein’s earliest musical influences were classical rock and improvisational ‘jambands’ – groups that never played a song exactly the same way.

He started playing the mandolin in his mid-20s, impressed by the instrument’s unique expressive capabilities and versatility.

“I had been a bassist prior to that and had flirted with the banjo before the mandolin really grabbed me,” he recalls. “I got progressively more obsessed with the instrument and gobbled up as much mandolin music as I could find, which led to a range of new influences.”

These influences include various styles of eastern European world music as well as Klezmer and Yiddish music. Inspired by bluegrass musician and mandolinist David Grisman, Stein now blends and adapts multiple genres for his mandolin.

“I felt that Klezmer could serve as a similar stepping off point for me as bluegrass had been for Grisman, to explore my own sense of expression with only a loose stylistic frame and a boundless intent,” Stein reflects.

Stein uses his love for the mandolin to fuel his creativity and create new arrangements. Recently, Stein has been exploring Brazilian choro music.

“The mandolin is an incredible instrument that is almost chameleon-like in the way it can convey different moods and different styles,” he says. “It has a wide expressive range and at the same time certain limitations that require creativity and invention on the part of a player.”

Improvisation is also part of Beyond the Pale’s creativity – with each member bringing their own language and experience.

The band has played around the world, including in the U.S., Australia, Poland and Brazil. One of Stein’s memorable concerts occurred in Krakow, Poland – where they played in an old market square of a Jewish neighborhood to 15,000 people at the Jewish Culture Festival.

“This was also the first of many collaborations with the legendary Theodore Bikel at this festival,” he recalls. “It was very meaningful to perform in a place with such a deep history and in the same part of the world where my grandparents came from in the early 20th century.”

For more information on the upcoming concert, see

www.caravanbc.com/events/beyond-the-pale-klezmer-balkan-bluegrass-jazz.

For more information on Beyond the Pale, see www.beyondthepale.net.