Lily Henley

Oras Dezaoradas

Lior Éditions, 2022

8/10

Listen Oras Dezaoradas

Even though the fiddler, singer and songwriter Lily Henley might best be known in the area of roots and Americana, here she shifts into Jewish Sephardic music, where she sings and writes songs in Ladino, the endangered Sephardic language.

“Duermite Mi Alma” starts the listen with Duncan Wickel’s violin, cello and guitar interacting with much warmth as Henley’s gorgeous, expressive pipes guide the elegance, and “Avre Tu Puerta Serrada” follows with Henley’s violin acrobatics alongside Wickel’s intricate guitar in the cultured spirit.

At the halfway point, “Arvoles Yoran Por Luvya” benefits much from Wickel’s mandolin and Haggia Cohen-Milo’s bass amid the quick singing, while “Oras Dezaoradas” flows with a cautiousness that showcases Henley’s sublime guitar and Wickel’s cello.

Close to the end, “La Galud”, the best track present, displays so much beauty in its poetic demeanor, and “Porke Yorach Blanka Ninya” exits the listen with a darker approach of bare, haunting cello paired with Henley’s stunning pipes.

Henley, along with Wickel and Haggai Cohen-Milo, births new melodies to suit her vision of song craft here, and it makes for a Judeo-Spanish and world music focused affair that turns these time honored ballads into new pieces of art.

Travels well with: Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves- Hurricane Clarice; Sarah Aroeste- Monastir