From the Rich Dark Earth

Singer and violinist Abraham Brody was born and raised in the US, but for the last five years has been going deeply into his Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Jewish roots. After some years in London, where he's given memorable performances – notably with Ukrainian singer Mariana Sadovska – he's now settled in Vilnius.
Brody's debut album is a personal journey into traditional Lithuanian repertoire, reworked for the 21st century. He's particularly interested in the melancholy music of the Dzūkija region in the south – ‘Biedna Siratele’ (Orphan Girl) being a good example, with fast and dynamic violin – and Aukštaitija in the north, where you find the multi-voiced sutartines, Lithuania's most distinctive music. Brody sings, plays violin, and uses multi-tracking and some choice guest musicians, such as the ensemble Trys Keturiose and Russian choir Pletai.
Brody is much like the UK's Sam Lee (and has performed on Lee's The Nest Collective circuit), exploring traditional repertoire in a new way. And a song like ‘Litvak’, devoted to the Lithuanian Jews, obviously has a strong personal connection; Vilnius was called ‘the Jerusalem of the North,’ thanks to all its synagogues. The overall mood is rather melancholy, but Brody is a distinctive and innovative voice.