I was initially very excited by the premise of this album, as it claims to be a musical commentary inspired by the Biblical book of Joshua. Remember the walls falling down? Rahab? Anyone out there go to Sunday or Hebrew School?
Anyway, the stories involved lend themselves to perfect musical ideas, and there’s even a trumpet player on the scene to help blow the walls down in Darren Johnston. The leader and composer Steven Lugerner also plays the whole megillah of reeds and along with Johnston, Myra Melford/p and Matt Wilson/dr make more of what seems like a background soundtrack to the various stores than music that exemplifies the emotions of the two spies, Achan, the crossing of the Jordan, the Gibeonites or even Mount Ebal. The songs like “When A Long Blast Is Sounded” are almost ambient instead of dramatic, and “For We Have Heard” and “Our Children in Time” is more of a coagulation of instruments than a story to pass on to future generations.
Primary Records