Fuge Imaginea 105 was recorded in 1986 and features four extraordinary musicians playing the high energy and lyrical cabaret and folk music of Eastern Europe. Miamon Miller (violin) leads vocalist Michael Alpert, Alek Eppler (cimbalom) and bassist Stuart Brotman on an excursion that rambles from the hills of Slavonia to the mountains of Transylvania, from the plains of Oltenia to the bistros of Belgrade. In the mid 1980s, Fuge Imaginea toured from coast to coast and during its short life, helped pave the way for many world music groups that followed. This recording, originally released on cassette, reflects why the group was able to create an an audience when the genre was far from mainstream. Highlights include Michael's improvisatory verses for Slavonsko, Stuart's tilinca (flute without finger holes) rendition of "Pe Loc" from Bartók's Romanian Dances (arranged by Miamon) and Alek's cimbalom playing in our Oltenian Suite. As Jon Pareles said in a New York Times June '85 review: "Fuge Imaginea's horas, doinas and ballads roll along on the resonant tones of Alexander Eppler's cimbalom and Stuart Brotman's bowed bass, and are topped by Miamon Miller's ornately romantic violin improvisations or Michael Alpert's accomplished singing... Fuge Imaginea is versatile and careful about its idioms." From the first cimbalom arpeggio to the final cadence of "Evo Banke," discover for yourself what made this group so very special.