Dálava - The Book of Transfigurations (2017)

On the tender and haunting The Book of Transfigurations vocalist Julia Ulehla and her partner guitarist Aram Bajakian interpret thirteen Moravian folk songs with a personal and contemporary touch. Joining them in the ensemble Dálava are a quartet of Canadian improvisers who add an additional layer of spontaneous lyricism to this memorable music.

Majority of these ballads come from transcriptions that Ulehla's Czech great grandfather made. Although the melodies, as well as the words, are original Ulehla and Bajakian have arranged them with a modernistic twist thus underscoring the timelessness of the material. The poignant "Dyž sem já šel pres hory / The rocks began to crumble," about the tragic impact of war on the individual, opens with drummer Dylan van der Schyff thunderous percussion and Bajakian's blistering guitar. Ulehla's passionate vocals echo against the backdrop of energetic and vibrant refrains. Bajakian expresses the primal chagrin within the tune with his rock influenced solo.

Keyboardist Tyson Naylor's tolling notes anchor the hypnotic and melancholic "Vyletěla holubička / The bloody wall." The story of a murder told by various narrators has a dramatic touch as Ulehla's rich voice soars over instrumental sound swells. The latter culminate into symphonic fragments that usher in the tragic conclusion.

Ulehla's chant like articulation of the wistful "Vydala máti / Mother gave away her daughter" is like an ethereal prayer over sparse and resonant tones from her bandmates. Cellist Peggy Lee's fluttering lines and Naylor's wistful and reverberating accordion underscore the tune's spiritual edge.

The lullaby influenced "Dyby ňa moja maměnka stara /Grass" matches otherworldly sonic effects with Ulehla's emotive singing. Bassist Colin Cowan's muscular lines anchor the collective cinematic harmonies that underscore the piece's innocent yearning and hints of double entendre.

The The Book of Transfigurations is an intimate and elegant paean to Ulehla's ancestral heritage. It is far from a mere retelling of a historic cultural expression destined for museums. On the contrary, what makes the album unique is its vivid and soulful rendition of this slice of popular art, thus preserving it by exposing its enduring relevance.