Out of the Reeds

Album Review

Out of the Reeds is an absolutely gorgeous album from Pharaoh's Daughter. Leader Basya Schechter learned Hebrew and Yiddish as a child, then joined a step family of Syrian descent. It is this multicultural background that informs the music of Pharaoh's Daughter. Tabla and dumbek provide the rhythm under Schechter's beautiful voice and acoustic guitar or oud. Flute and cello add a sublime richness as she sings traditional liturgical texts in Yiddish and Hebrew. Despite the appearance of downtown players Anthony Coleman and Matt Darriau on several tracks, the music has a very traditional and reverential Middle Eastern feel. The haunting melodies are derived from traditional Jewish music, Armenia, and even West Africa. Pharaoh's Daughter manage to combine these musical traditions in an utterly complementary fashion, resulting in a work of uncommon beauty. [The 2004 re-release by Tzadik adds a bonus version of "Taitsch."]