The crossing of classical barriers has been one of the directions in which portions of the jazz world have drifted toward the end of the century.
Oscura Luminosa swims deeply in that current, although the music is better described as free improvisation that transcends rather than incorporates genres. The group regales in the abstract, focusing primarily on
Claudio Monteverdi's "Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda," which occupies most of the disc. The lengthy Italian vocals are the least interesting portions, while flautist
Robert Dick's solos are the most entertaining. The short remaining tracks are less structured, and somehow easier to listen to, perhaps because they do not defy expectations. The closing "Leper Messiah," from the rock group,
Metallica, is played true to spirit.