The Pythiad - 9. The Dioscuri
Castor and Pollux were interpretable half-brothers, one the son of a mortal King, the other the son of Zeus. Together, they were the 'Dioscuri', the masters of horsemanship and martial arts.
When Jason set out to steal the Golden Fleece, he brought the Dioscuri along to defeat the boxing champions of kings. When the king of Athens kidnapped their sister Helen, The Dioscuri set out to rescue her, clobbering every enemy that stood in their way.
Even death could not keep these brothers parted; though Castor was bound for Hades and Pollux for Olympus, the two reunited in the sky, forming the constellation Gemini.
This song pays homage to 1980s cinema and video games, which featured brotherly street fighters and warriors who fought for justice and each other.
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The Pythiad - 8. Philemon and Baucis
ORIGIN CLASSICAL 33022
Music by Jim Gailloreto
Lyric by Coleman Gailloreto
Jazz String Quintet
Cheryl Wilson - vocal
Jim Gailloreto - soprano saxophone
Carmen Kassinger - violin
Lisa Fako - violin
Loretta Gillespie - viola
Jill Kaeding - cello
Christian Dillingham - bass
Produced by Carey Deadman and Tom Matta
Engineer by Jim Massoth at Tone Zone Recording, Chicago, IL & Crystall Recorders Studio
Recorded on August 3, 4, 11, 17 (2016)
Photographs by S. Connell, P. Kirichenko, Li Hui Chen, NemesisINC
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
www.jazzstringquintet.com
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TEXT:
We feel the thunder,
echo through our bones.
The lamppost flickers out ahead.
Tangled alley mazes,
attic shadows litter,
Neon walkers out to bust some heads.
Our fists will talk with cracking,
each back will guard the other.
The night is long but we’ll be strong,
for our sister and our brother.
Polygonal Dudes (Lightning Chop!)
Turf-breakers, alarm clock wakers.
Our discord echoes like a lion’s roar.
Polygonal Dudes (Gutter Kick!)
Healing food, fighting in the nude.
The thunderclap of our palms pierce new stars.
Big goons on your six.
Fresh meat jumping in.
No time to stop, no arrows blinking ‘Go’.
Wonder for her welfare.
Fear for her fortunes,
Time imprisons whether fast or slow.
We know she’s fighting,
to turn about their unfair play.
And come the dawn,
They’re blinded by the day.
Polygonal Dudes (Dragon Shock!)
Snapping bone and fractured stone,
Our discord echoes like a lion’s roar.
Polygonal Dudes (Falcon Flip!)
Reviled, dispute filed,
The thunderclap of our palms pierce new stars.
At last the cities edge,
the peak that holds the throne.
The big boss throws the cup down on the stage.
The fist that snapped the horns,
twisted leather wraps,
uppercuts that spiral out in rage.
The snakes coil at his feet,
his edge won’t dull our grind.
His ship unfurls black sails,
our blood strikes from behind.
Polygonal Dudes (Heavens Heal!)
Polygonal Dudes (Scything Fist!)
Polygonal Dudes (Crushing Blow!)
Polygonal Dudes (Body Lock!)
Polygonal Dudes (Shoulder Pop!)
Polygonal Dudes (Crushing Blow!)
