BAKLAVA EXPRESS
Josh Kaye, Oud & Composition
Daisy Castro, Violin
Eren Erdogan, Ney (Turkish Flute)
James Robbins, Bass
Jeremy Smith, Percussion
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Thursday, December 4, 2025
7.30 p.m.
​​​PROGRAM
Featuring original compositions.
Selections to be announced from the stage.​
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​ ​​​​​​​ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
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Baklava Express is a New York City-based cross cultural ensemble lead by award winning composer and oud player, Josh Kaye. The group perform original compositions deeply rooted in a rich tapestry of diverse traditions, drawing strong inspiration from the liturgical music of Ashkenazi and Mizrahi communities, Ottoman classical music, and the folk traditions of the wider Mediterranean. Through the seamless fusion of these traditions and styles, Baklava Express crafts a sound that feels both timeless and contemporary, and in doing so, the band builds musical bridges, connecting listeners from diverse backgrounds.
Without a single word spoken, Baklava Express invites listeners into a world where music itself is the common language. Each piece is an invitation to find your own story and emotion within the sound, and audiences from all walks of life often discover that the music feels like a reflection of “home,” no matter where that home may be. In this way, Baklava Express creates a shared space of connection, memory, and cultural harmony, all through the power of instrumental music.
Originally from London, England, Josh Kaye is a New York City–based guitarist, oud player, and award-winning composer whose work bridges diverse traditions with a contemporary sensibility. A versatile performer, Josh tours nationally with the renowned Stephane Wrembel Band while also leading his own original project, Baklava Express, a Middle Eastern fusion ensemble that blends improvisation, intricate composition, and cross-cultural influences. Josh has appeared on some of the country’s most iconic stages, including The Town Hall, Dizzy’s Club, The Blue Note, Symphony Space, and Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater. His playing and compositions extend beyond the concert hall, with credits in film and media such as Rifkin’s Festival (directed by Woody Allen), Adieu Lacan, and Ariel, as well as the popular video game Call of Duty: Wild Dogs. Whether performing as a sideman or leading his own projects, Josh is recognized for bringing warmth, imagination, and technical brilliance to every setting. His music reflects a deep respect for tradition while simultaneously pushing boundaries, resulting in a voice that is both distinctive and globally resonant.
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With roots firmly planted in the fiery passion of the Jazz Manouche tradition, Daisy Castro’s unique style refreshes and renews with a modern edge and global influence and instrumentation, bridging the distance between Django’s generation and her own in a very exciting way. Daisy has been an active member of the Django community both in the United States and in Europe since she was quite young. She has played on stages on both continents and beyond with the most revered players of this style, earning the respect of these luminaries and their discerning audiences. With a repertoire encompassing everything from the Django songbook to Salsa to traditional Turkish music to original compositions, along with an occasional addition of effects pedals, a whole new world of musical exploration awaits all who attend a performance.
Bassist, James Robbins is an international bassist and composer currently residing in Brooklyn, NY. He has played with jazz giants past and present such as: Clark Terry, Billy Taylor, George Benson, James Moody, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Lewis, Johnny O’niel, Gerald Clayton, Sullivan Fortner, Nikolas Anadolis, Joel Fram, and many more. He also played with progressive rock band Thank You Scientist. James is the former assistant director of the American School of Modern Music in Paris.
Eren Erdogan born into a musician family in Turkey. He started playing the kaval at the age of 11. He completed his instrument education and Master’s degree laboratory at the Istanbul Haliç University Traditional Turkish Music Conservatory. He released his first solo album Kaval Adı in 2009. In this album, he performed classical music songs with Kaval for the first time in Turkey and it was published by Universal Music. In 2011, he won The Hollywood Music in Media Awards with Turkish musicians in Los Angeles and performed live music. In 2016, Deborah Carter and Linley Marthe took the stage at the Baku Jazz Festival in Azerbaijan. Many performances were given at the Istanbul Akbank Jazz Festival. He performed as an instrumentalist in folk dance festivals in Turkey and all over Europe between 2006-2014. Since 2008, he has been participating in many artists' albums, film soundtracks and studio recordings with Kaval, Ney, Kavala, Zurna, Duduk and other ethnic wind instruments. In 2019, he made wind samples as a sound creator for Splice Music Company. He started playing Kaval as a soloist at Carnegie Hall with New York International Virtuosos Symphony Orchestra. He has theses and articles about Kaval.
Jeremy Smith is a percussive artist whose unique versatility allows him to move effortlessly among musical worlds. A graduate of The Juilliard School, he brings the rigor of classical training into a percussive scope that embraces global traditions and contemporary innovation. Jeremy performs regularly with Middle Eastern fusion band Baklava Express, Afro-Peruvian ensemble Festejation, and the global jazz quintet Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica. His current touring projects include collaborations with Jordanian vocalist and activist Farah Siraj and genre-defying cellist George Crotty. Highlights of his career include an invitation to the International Percussion Festival in Seoul, South Korea (2016) as a solo world percussion artist, and a 2017 U.S. tour with The Knights chamber orchestra featuring Avi Avital and Kinan Azmeh. He has also performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Hudson Valley Philharmonic. Other notable collaborations include the New York Arabic Orchestra, New York Gypsy All-Stars, Antonio Lizana, Layth Sidiq, the NY Andalus Ensemble, Andreas Arnold and flamenco artists Nelida Tirado, Pasion y Arte, and APalo Seco. In addition to his vibrant performance life, Jeremy is a sought-after accompanist for modern dance, bringing live music to classes at The Juilliard School, The Ailey School, and Steps on Broadway. He has also accompanied at NYU, Hunter College, Harkness Dance Center, Paul Taylor School, Joffrey School, and The New School. As an educator, Jeremy has led clinics and masterclasses at University of Michigan, Columbia University, and Bowling Green State University, and has presented online workshops for students at Indiana University and Ithaca College. Jeremy is currently establishing PhiloRhythm, a pioneering system of rhythm education that unites music performance, pedagogy, science, and philosophy into a vision of rhythm as a universal language of order and connection.