41. Catch the surprising sounds of the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra

The euphoric mishmash performed by this up-and-coming ensemble can begin with the brassy bounce of Eastern European klezmer, then segue into slinky jazz heavy on Fender Rhodes keyboards before dabbling in Fela Kuti–inspired Afro-pop. On East Atlanta Passover Stomp, 4WAKO’s CD released in November, Jewish musicality anchors the sound, though on tracks such as “9th Ward Dirge,” it startles to realize how fluidly klezmer can meld with jazz idioms—in this case a New Orleans funeral lament. afroklezmermusic.com