Music is Music: Ozere

Ozere is a group of musicians that Canadian violinist Jessica Deutsch put together back in 2012. It's also the culmination of Deutsch's world travels. And if you're wondering, the band's name (pronounced: oh-ZER-uh) is Yiddish for "lake," but that's a whole other story. Deutsch grew up playing classical violin. But even before her instrument ever came into the picture, she was blessed with perfect pitch -- her mother tells the story of toddler Jessica climbing up the family piano to always land on middle C. Deutsch began violin lessons at age 4 and continued until she was 17, when she went off to college in Vancouver. At that point, she decided that she needed a break. No more violin. No more music... until one evening. A local pub was hosting an ad-hoc group of musicians playing Celtic music. Deutsch stopped in and was immediately smitten with the freedom and joy she witnessed in the group's improvisational renditions of folk tunes. She wound up joining in a few nights later and many more followed. The violin was back in her life; although, it had turned into a fiddle. It was through these jam sessions that she learned about improvisation. And, as it turns out, having perfect pitch really helps when you want to jump in on a tune you've never heard before. From there, Deutsch set off to discover and devour new music from all over the world. She went straight to the source and traveled to countries where the music intrigued her. And it was easy to meet people as long as she had her violin in tow. When Deutsch landed back in Canada, that improvisational spirit and breadth of music from all over the world were key elements for the band she wanted to put together. Mandolin (Adrian Gross), upright bass (Bret Higgins) and cello (Lydia Munchinsky) all accompany Deutsch's violin in Ozere. Another key element, and one she hadn't planned on when looking for musicians, is voice. Turns out an old classmate of Deutsch (Emily Rockarts) was a perfect pairing. Being open to new ideas even like vocals led Deutsch to try out singing herself. So, she added vocal harmony to her bag of tricks. Ozere showcases Jessica Deutch's compositions -- a mix of written and improvised pieces. The band is equally at ease reading the notes she's written out as they are hopping in and making it up on the spot. Why not take a listen for yourself? This edition of Music is Music features the Ozere song "Anyplace." It's off the band's 2015 album: Finding Anyplace.