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Born in Brooklyn but taught bluegrass through mandolin lessons, Andy Statman initially gained recognition in the bluegrass field by working with Country Cooking and co-founding Breakfast Special. His Bill Monroe and Jesse McReynolds influences are especially clear on Andy's Ramble, a 1994 release with Statman supported by an ensemble including Vassar Clements, Kenny Kosek, and Tony Trischka. Having received considerable acclaim for his mandolin playing, Statman became interested in exploring his Jewish roots and began studying klezmer clarinet (mentored by Dave Tarras), and his subsequent recordings have found him focusing increasingly on the reed instrument, moving from klezmer to expressions of his newfound devotion to orthodox Hasidic Judaism. In 1998, he formed the Andy Statman Quartet with pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Scott Lee, and percussionist Bob Weiner, issuing the neo-klezmer outing The Hidden Light, which was followed by such releases as 2004's Wisdom Understanding Knowle...