Pianist Thierry Maillard augments his trio of Dominique Dipiazza/b and Yoann Schmidt/dr with extra textures supplied by The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jan Kucera.
The ten pieces are filled with a myriad of rich moods. Strings and percussion that hints of Spartacus is found on the title track, while Hitchcockian slashing strings lead up to a dramatic climax on “Zappa” with extra guitar work supplied by Nguyen Le.” Middle Eastern sounds supplied by Didier Malherbe’s doudouk and flute add mystical charms to “The Kingdom of Arwen” and the thunderous “The Legend of Sparta’s King.” The trio itself is nimble and exciting, asserting itself on “Hyphen” and charging forward with the orchestra during the thrill ride of “Hierglyphes.” Wonderful pastoral hints are brushed with gentle strokes on “The World of Elves” and Marta Klouchova’s vocals on “Sphinx” make you feel like the moon is rising on the Nile. Rich textures and journeys.