PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: how does one describe the gossamer threads of human affection with music? Gilda Lyons and Roger Zahab suggest an answer on Magic & Desire. Sparsely set for vocals, viola, and piano in varying combinations, this concept album feels less like a passive listening experience and more like a personal, philosophical interaction.
It is remarkable how profoundly Lyons and Zahab appear to be of one mind: both contribute music, lyrics, and performance, and the works mesh absolutely seamlessly in their minimalist elegance. Further supported by singer Robert Frankenberry and pianist Benjamin Binder, Magic & Desire is a goosebump-inducing meditation on the fragility of human connection — as well as its immutable splendor.
Let’s discover the magic of human affection through music!