Oy Vey! I can't believe this weekend will be the final festival of Harbourfront's summer World Routes series! I have to give kudos to all the organizers for doing such an amazing job this year.

To close it proper, Ashkenaz Festival, a celebration of Yiddish and Jewish culture, will ensure (like a good Yiddishe Mama) that you get enough culture and food that will last you all winter long.

The Ashkenaz Festival is one of the world's largest public celebrations of Yiddish and Jewish culture. The festival brings a full spectrum of multidisciplinary artists/groups in music, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, food and craft from all around the globe.

But what I'm most excited about at this festival is the Canadian premier of Abraham Inc., a unique band featuring the titanic trio of klezmer clarinet master David Krakauer, legendary funk trombonist Fred Wesley (formerly with James Brown's band) and Canada's own Yiddish Hip-Hop star So-Called.

Two weeks ago, I recommended seeing Bajofondo, a exceptional band that blends older traditional music with contemporary sounds. That show ended up being one of my favorite concerts this year.

On Thursday, don't miss the opportunity to see another amazing band that fuses the old and the new in such an organic and explosive funk/klezmer/jazz/hip-hop way.

Unfortunately this one is not part of the free concert series, but I think it's worth every penny. Don't sleep on it because it's going to get meshugenah!

Abraham Inc. at Ashkenaz Foundation and Festival
Thursday, August 28, 2008
8:00pm - 11:00pm
Sirius Satellite Radio Stage, Harbourfront Centre
235 Queens Quay West

$18 in advance / $25 day of
Buy tickets online through Harbourfront Centre Box Office

For a full listing on the 200plus events going on at Ashkenaz Festival 2008, please visit the Harbourfront's official site or www.ashkenazfestival.com

Since Abraham Inc. doesn't have a CD or a MySpace yet, here are some videos recorded at their studio to get you primed and ready.

Photos by Jon Wasserman.