A collection of folk tales for the ages, One Thousand and One Nights (or Arabian Nights) becomes a springboard for Umm Kulthum’s sweeping Alf Leila We Leila, composed by young innovator Baligh Hamdi. Caught between the allure of tradition and the steady pull of Western instrumentation, the two artists contributed to the rich tapestry of adventurous storytelling and bracing melodic turns that was mid-century Egyptian music, lacing Middle Eastern folk with touches of electric guitar or saxophone. Fairy tale, romance and Kulthum’s soulful tones combine here to enchanting effect.