It takes an orchestra to constitute the musical republic called TriBeCaStan, but the New York group has two multi-instrumental anchors—Jeff Greene and onetime Milwaukeean John Kruth. On their fourth album, TriBeCaStan weave together an organic fusion of elements, a convincing tapestry of ’60s avant-garde jazz, African polyrhythms, deep Near Eastern grooves, klezmer wails, Appalachian quicksteps and modal excursions for strings into the quirky edges of psychedelia. New Songs from the Old Country is no dilettante’s holiday, but the inspired journey of veteran musicians through the pathways connecting a dozen musical traditions.
