With Taos Tales, Robert Mirabal aurally gives form, function, and sacred breath to the commanding vision and essence of the magnificent Taos Valley. Flute, strings, and keyboard reflect the wide blue sky stretching over the high road into the town below. Percussion and samples capture the essence of the wind's spirit as it sculpts and buffets the rain-splashed earth. An atmospheric odyssey of history and myth, Taos Tales is splendid, humble, and vital. --Paige La Grone