Once upon a time, there was a land invaded by evil: Innocent damsels captured by giants, dragons terrorizing the countryside, dark sorcerers corrupting the minds of noble knights, and enemies of the king plotting their tyranny from the shadows.

The king could think of but one way to right the wrongs and bring justice back to his kingdom. He formed an order of knights, the likes of which had never been seen before. He called forth the greatest, bravest, wisest, strongest, and boldest knights from every corner of the kingdom to fight in the king’s name, and to bring peace back to the land.

These are the Knights of the Round Table.

Madre Vaca is a collective of musicians making adventurous improvisational and constructed music and here on Knights of the Roundtable (due out November 21st, 2023), composer-drummer Benjamin Shorstein utilizes eleven musicians from the Madre Vaca collective to perform a ten-part jazz suite portraying characters and action from the tales.

Among the featured musicians are pianist Jonah Pierre, guitarist Jarret Carter, bassist Thomas Milovac, saxophinist Juan Rolan, trumpeter Steve Strawley and trombonist Lance Reed. Also, Shortstein’s sister Rebecca Shorstein adds her beautiful singing voice to select pieces.

1. The Lady of the Lake (6:02)
2. Galahad (5:28)
3. Excalibur (4:19)
4. The Knights of the Round Table (9:27)
5. Camelot (6:34)
6. The Holy Grail (6:14)
7. Merlin (5:34)
8. King Arthur (5:01)
9. Guinevere (6:39)
10. Lancelot (7:35)

The recording opens on the glistening The Lady of the Lake and the sterner, tale-telling Galahad and they are followed by the eclectic Excalibur, the joyously triumphant, near ten minute The Knights of the Round Table, and then comes the hauntingly ethereal Camelot.

Along next is the flourishing The Holy Grail and the sumptuous Merlin and they are in turn backed by the strident King Arthur, the album rounding out on the ornate Guinevere, coming to a close on the scintillating Lancelot.

www.madrevaca.org