Talking about searching for standards! Dave Soldier bases this 14 piece jazz-oriented opera on a score from 1425 BC Egypt. Ah! Those were the days!
The musical journey features venerable Sun Ra veteran Marshall Allen along with a mix of strings, reeds, percussionists, electronics and vocals conducted by Adam Vidiksis. Some of the pieces such as “Mistress Prayer” and ”Barcarolle” mix operatic vocals and choir with Middle Eastern instrumentation and harmonics, almost delving into Klemer-styled tunes on ”Ra Dances With Rams” with Allen. Sound effects including trickling waters and natural atmospheres team up on ”Great of Torches Cavern” and “Netherworld Cavern” includes Rebecca Cherry’s violin. Free form climaxes and collisions veer in and out along with acid rock guitar on “Knives at War” and Mourn & She Who Annihilates” as Allen throws his all into the ensemble, Cherry’s violin meets with Saharan winds and waters on ”Tower’s Prayer.” It’s quite a journey, and if there were kitchen sinks back in those days, it would have been included here!