New Orleans and Bucharest don’t usually com together I word associations, nor do jazz and Gypsys. But a Romanian band called Fanfare Ciocarlia, a pan-generational ensemble from a tiny village, may change perceptions. Call them Eastern Europe’s answer to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band as they tear through James Bond themes and Duke Ellington (“Caravan,” a perfect choice with its Eastern undertones) plus wailing, mile-a-minute tunes echoing their own heritage. Language barriers are easily hurdled. Who needs words when the beat’s so strong?

-David Luhrssen