Faith and inspiration also run deep in The Klezmatics’ “Brother Moses Smote the Water,” recorded live at a Berlin music festival.

On “Brother Moses,” the hybrid Jewish music blend of klezmer – a combination of Yiddish, Eastern European and Russian folk music styles with polka and Dixieland – mesh perfectly with African-American spiritual gospel styles performed by singer Joshua Nelson (a black Jew) and jazz singer/keyboardist Kathryn Farmer. The two add a spirited “Kosher Gospel” feel to the Klezmatics’ rendering of Hebrew Passover songs.

The performances throughout are stirring, joyful, reverent and triumphant as Klezmatics’ lead singer Lorin Skamberg, Nelson, Farmer and the indefatigable banc musically explore themes of freedom from bondage, the Jewish experience and black identity.

Over the course of an inspirational concert, the performers, like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, showcase not their differences but how their various ethnic styles fit neatly together.

Both recordings are a must for anyone who loves the creative who loves the creative cross-pollinization of musical genres. And with both, the listener will be inspired and uplifted by an ecumenical world beat.

-Eric Feber