He was inspired by jam sessions with Irish musicians to attempt something with klezmer music.
He recruited many of the musicians from the New England Conservatory of Music's Third Stream department with the majority having jazz or folk backgrounds.
In 1988, the band featured in a documentary on klezmer called A Jumpin Night in the Garden of Eden.
It has also provided soundtracks for a number of films and theatrical productions including:
This article on a United States folk music band is a stub.