Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dalava: The Book of Transfigurations

Dalava: The Book of Transfigurations

By Hrayr Attarian
May 8, 2017
View read count

On the tender and haunting The Book of Transfigurations vocalist Julia Ulehla and her partner guitarist

Aram Bajakian

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Aram Bajakian interpret thirteen Moravian folk songs with a personal and contemporary touch. Joining them in the ensemble D��lava 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 "Dy? sem j�� ?el pres hory / The rocks began to crumble," about the tragic impact of war on the individual, opens with drummer

Dylan van der Schyff

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">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

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Tyson Naylor's tolling notes anchor the hypnotic and melancholic "Vylet��la holubi?ka / 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 m��ti / Mother gave away her daughter" is like an ethereal prayer over sparse and resonant tones from her bandmates. Cellist

Peggy Lee

vocals
1920 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Peggy Lee's fluttering lines and Naylor's wistful and reverberating accordion underscore the tune's spiritual edge.

The lullaby influenced "Dyby ��a moja mam��nka 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.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Ej, na tej skale vysokej (Seven pairs of eagles); Dyby ��a moja mam��nka star�� (Grass); Dy? sem j�� ?el pres hory (The rocks began to crumble); Co ste si mami?ko za d?m stavjat dali (Iron bars, iron lock); Vylet��la holubi?ka (The bloody wall); Sem chaso sp��chajte (You used to look like a lion); P?ed na?��m je zahr��de?ka (Red violet);Studen�� rosenka (Souling); Na str��?nick��m rynku (War); Vydala m��ti (Mother gave away her daughter); Okolo Hradi??a vod��nka te?e (He��s bringing something for me); Fa?anku (Carnival); P��sl Jano kon�� (Sell us your shirt).

Personnel

Dalava

Julia Ulehla:vocals; Aram Bajakian acoustic & electric guitars, percussion; Peggy Lee: cello; Tyson Naylor piano, accordion, Farfisa organ, Hammond A-100, Wurlitzer, Rhodes; Colin Cowan: double bass & electric bass; Dylan van der Schyff drums & percussion.

Album information

Title: The Book of Transfigurations | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Songlines Recordings

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Golan/Al Joulan Vol. 2
< Previous

Sleight Of Hand
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.