Yemen Blues is the collaborative music collective helmed by singer-composer Ravid Kahalani, and their sound is a rather lush, lively, intoxicating mix of world styles influenced by its generous cast of instrumentalists and vocalists—incorporating jazz, blues, and funk with African and Latino beats and traditional Yemeni vocal melodies. Currently, they are presenting a program called “The Great Hallel,” Hallel being a Jewish prayer taken from Psalms and recited as an act of praise and thanksgiving on holy days (by those who observe these things, at least), and the program’s songs are inspired by Kahalani’s reading into the deep spiritual meaning of the text. Don’t worry—it all feels very exciting and decidedly not-religious, although if you understand Arabic, you might feel differently. by Leilani Polk