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Jewish Cabaret Group Not So Obscure, Now That They're Up For A Grammy

(CBS) -- They're definitely not an opening act for Kanye or Beyonce, but come Monday they might share the same stage at the Grammy Awards.

CBS 2's Vince Gerasole listened in to an eclectic mix of Chicago musicians who are going for the big one.

The sounds they play may be obscure to some, but a Grammy nomination for Chicago's New Budapest Orpheum Society could change that.

In the early 20th century, the vibrant sounds of Jewish cabaret music stretched from cafes in Vienna to international stage and film productions.

They were performed mostly in Yiddish, and the songs are a specialty of the group.

When their recording, "As Dreams Fall Apart," was nominated for a classical music Grammy, pianist Ilya Levinson wasn't even certain what the honor meant.

"Grammy is not in my in my immediate sphere of attention," Levinson says.

An ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago, the group is an eclectic mix of musicians and singers. Levinson, a refugee from former Soviet Russia, teaches music composition at Columbia College.

The artists have performed back in Europe, steps away from where their music originated. A Grammy nomination gives them new hope for turning up the volume on sounds from a different era.

"It demonstrates that things can happen if you do what you love," Levinson says.

The Grammy Awards air Monday night on CBS.

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