• Courtesy
• 35th Parallel, Evolutia

(Self-released, CD, digital)

Percussionist Gabe Halberg and multi-instrumentalist Mac Ritchey first met in 2000, bonding over their love of Middle Eastern, Indian and North African folk music. The central Vermont duo wasted little time in forming 35th Parallel, releasing its debut record, The Green Vine, in 2003, followed in 2006 by Crossing Painted Islands. The two albums showcased Halberg and Ritchey's almost telepathic interplay and intricate songwriting and featured ace guest musicians such as composer Michael Chorney and bassist Rob Morse.

Fast-forward 17 years, and 35th Parallel are finally back with Evolutia, a stunning, sonically sprawling record that was well worth the wait. On the band's website, Halberg and Ritchey explain the long interval between records as the result of their being meticulous producers who adopted the motto "Don't push the river" when it came to their new work. Songs were written, jammed on, rewritten, recorded, reworked, then rerecorded over the course of years as the two musicians searched for the perfect sound.

Evolutia began with the duo's meeting with Boston-based cellist and composer Naseem Alatrash, whom they performed alongside in 2013 at a concert in Cambridge, Mass. The three struck up an instant rapport, developing a fusion of sounds that became the bedrock of Evolutia, as Ritchey and Alatrash deftly weave melodies and chord progressions atop Halberg's powerful work on the tabla.

The first track, "Tanagra," finds Alatrash laying down a gorgeous, virtuoso cello performance in between Ritchey's evocative figures on his oud, a Middle Eastern lute instrument. This more reserved number gives way to the almost frantic "Gibu Master," a breathtaking composition in which all three players push their abilities to the max. The song culminates in a mouthwatering jam featuring a trumpet solo from Brian Boyes of the Saturn People's Sound Collective.

"Harp Sketch" is perhaps the most effective display of Halberg and Ritchey's musical connection. While Halberg lays down a soft but persistent beat, Ritchey introduces a melodic theme with his meticulously slow strings that carries through the tune, creating a sonic palette colored in equal parts by tension and release. Like many of the songs on Evolutia, this one has a cinematic quality; these are tunes brimming with drama.

On "Breakfast With Dolores," the band delivers a sort of bluegrass-via-Marrakech sound. Ritchey and Halberg play out a mazy rhythm track while Alatrash introduces an almost subliminal drone that runs through much of the song. As the tune comes to an end, Alatrash transforms the drone into a cavalcade of notes that seem to flutter from the speakers like a bird taking flight.

"Ogre Under the Bonsai Tree" is something of a thesis for the album. In five-plus minutes, the song touches on every highlight of the record as Halberg, Ritchey and Alatrash lead the listener through one corridor after another of their world-fusion sound. Each musician has a moment to shine, and when one soars, the others quickly follow suit.

Evolutia is a stunning record with three world-class musicians giving their all. The album is available on most streaming services and at 35thparallel.com.