Meet this week’s World Cafe: Next featured artist, Ben Caplan

Ben Caplan | Photo courtesy of artist | via NPR Music
Singer-songwriter Ben Caplan has been described as a cross between Tom Waits and Gogol Bordello. The Halifax, Nova Scotia musician is this week’s World Cafe: Next emerging artist.

Bridging genres like folk and jazz and informed by Eastern European and Jewish musical traditions, Caplan is releasing his new album, Birds With Broken Wings in November. A typical Ben Caplan show, with his band The Casual Smokers, features ballads, waltzes, cabaret jams, rambunctious folk, and flourishes of jazz. He is currently on tour and makes a stop at Milkboy Philly on Friday, November 13th.

Below, download a two song World Cafe: Next podcast hosted by David Dye featuring “Birds With Broken Wings” and “I Got Me A Woman,” from Ben’s forthcoming album, Birds With Broken Wings.