Portals of Grace
Azam Ali, who was born in Iran and raised in India, also sings lead forVas. Given her  background, her attraction to Western medieval traditions (she cites the German  abbess-composer Hildegard von Bingen as a major influence) makes perfect sense.  After all, European early music was largely built on the Middle Eastern sounds  and instruments brought home by returning crusaders. At times, Ali's vocals  recall the great Spanish mezzo Montserrat Figueras, who explored the same  connection but in a more earthbound, sensual manner. By comparison, Ali is an  ethereal force, soaring white-winged and untouched over pungent period strings  and percussion. She is equally at home in Latin, French, Ladino (the lingua  franca of the Judeo-Spanish tradition), Galician (from Northern Spain and  closely resembling Portuguese), and Arabic. This eclectic set will definitely  thrill fans of ambient, new age, and world music, but adventurous classical  listeners might also want to give it a try.--Christina Roden