Masada Quintet featuring Joe Lovano: Stolas - Book of Angels volume 12 Genre: Acoustic Jazz Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2009 Category: Accessible/Relaxed My Rating: 7/10 Personnel Joe Lovano, Tenor Saxophone Dave Douglas, Trumpet Uri Caine, Piano Greg Cohen, Double Bass Joey Baron, Drums John Zorn, Alto Sax (on "Rabliel") "Haamiah." Upbeat with tenor & trumpet locked together on the head. Lovano's tone will be smooth throughout this album but he blows some of his more complex lines on his first solo. Douglas solos unmuted with a glassy tone, then Caine is sinuous & high-spirited. Reprise to end. "Rikbiel." Muted trumpet & Baron's soft playing on the side drum. Lovano coaxes almost a clarinet sound on a more "Jewish" head. "Psisya." Sleepy smooth Jazz. Caine's legato on his solo sounds effortless. Douglas feels a trifle directionless but Cohen's solo is effective. The front line throw phrases back & forth for a few bars and then we are back to the long head. "Sartael." Game-style piece, though at nearly five minutes it's stretched out longer than most tracks of its genre. Lovano & Douglas play off one another rather than descending into chaos, then Caine's unaccompanied piano solo ranges widely. Baron joins, playing fast & hot, then Cohen, then sax & trumpet. Three brief drum solos are followed by hard-blowing sections. Reprise & end. Interesting because it never gets entirely out of control. "Tashriel." Metrically complex head has a light, playful feel. Solos from Lovano, Douglas, Caine. I can't count this piece, it's a real puzzle, but there's more 5/4 than anything else. Good. "Rahtiel."Tenor opens then Zorn joins on alto. The rest of the (sextet) joins just short of a minute in with the Bluesy head that takes two minutes to play through. Zorn squeals. Extended Bass solo then head reprise with prominent piano. "Tagriel." At well over thirteen minutes this slow, sultry track in 6/4 is a positive epic from Book Two. Tenor & trumpet sound the head. Tenor takes the first extended solo, blowing restrained lines and never becoming loud or fast. Douglas joins at the five minute mark and begins his own extended solo, coaxed to open up by Baron & Cohen. Caine works his way forward, duetting with Douglas and then taking the hand-off at about 8'24". At approaching the ten minute mark the piano solo is punctuated by the wind instruments, and then again before the head reprise. A good example of how to stretch out on a head without becoming boring. "Serakel." Relaxed, carefree head with trumpet taking the first solo. The tenor & piano solos are both lively & cheerful. Lovano & Douglas counterpoint. "Rigal." At nearly nine minutes a rather effective version of the head that I described as a highlight on Malphas. Caine's solo has an intimate, evening feel, then Douglas has a Miles-esque feel. Lovano's solo is warm & reedy. Cohen takes a short solo that responds to the head melody. Then Douglas & Lovano counterpoint briefly before the head reprise. When I reviewed this disc on Amazon on release I gave it three stars and I have barely listened to it since. I remember it as being a bit of a bore, but - while my rating hasn't changed much - I think that I've hitherto rather underrated it. For a start it's an hour long: nearly 50% longer overall than many BoA releases and with tracks that are also often significantly longer. It's therefore liable to feel on the long side with good reason. Stolas is a very well-balanced album, with Lovano, Douglas & Caine all capable of taking the lead. The fact that (unlike the original quartet) there is a chordal instrument here means that the harmonies are pinned down and dynamics are also largely reined in. With the exception of "Rahtiel" this disc is polite enough for the casual Jazz listener although at a cost: nothing here has the sheer brilliance of BoA at its best. Nevertheless I'm happy that this neglected disc in my collection proved better than expected this time around.
I love Rigal, and its introduction by Lage was one of the highlights of the New Masada Quartet setlist. Hopefully they will record it.
John Zorn: Chimeras - A child's adventures in the realms of the unreal (Note: there are two versions of this sleeve design: one predominantly black & one predominantly white. I believe that the white cover may be the 2009 version with the additional 16 seconds, with the black cover being the 2003 release.) Genre: Chamber Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2009 (Copyright 2003) Genre: Accessible My Rating: 5/10 Personnel Ilana Davidson, Voice Tara O'Connor, Piccolo/Flute/Alto Flute/Bass Flute Mike Lowenstern, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet Jennifer Choi, Violin Fred Sherry, Cello Stephen Drury, Piano/Celesta/Organ William Winant, Percussion Elizabeth Farnum, Voice (Tracks 5 & 13) Brad Lubman, Conductor "Book One: One." This instrumental prelude has quite a large-scale chamber sound compared with the later piece. The instrumental timbres are broadly "magical" establishing the feel of the work. "Book One: Two." Also instrumental, follows attacca and has a more narrative feel, thanks to the presence of wind machine and "character" moments for flute & bass clarinet. "Book One: Three." The vocal lines are wordless, airy & (some might say!) tuneless throughout. Instrumental detail is brilliant, with no percussion on this track. "Book One: Interlude." This short piece for percussion begins with tam tam, then has wind machine and some sort of shaker. I'm not sure what makes the deep metallic noise but it's rather impressive. "Book One: Four." A more agitated feel with two voices and fuller use of the ensemble. Piano really quite noisy. Then sustaining vibes & glockenspiel provide peace. "Book One: Five." For voice & percussion only. Tam tam cues up the voice in a calmer register. Wind machine (oh how I wish Zorn would leave this thing out of his concert works!). Vibes, bass drum, bells, wind machine. Tingsha. "Book One: Six." For voice and (classical) piano trio. A detailed miniature, with some piano lines sounding like Messiaen. "Book One: Seven." Voice, cello, percussion, piano. The vocalist produces high bird cries at one point over the wretched wind machine. "Book Two: Eight." Just voice & piano. Assertive piano lines to open then a slower, more lyrical feel with birdsong in the piano. "Book Two: Nine." Instrumental interlude. "Book Two: Ten." Held organ chords are a notable feature of this atmospheric, still section. "Book Two: Eleven." Voice, violin & percussion. Percussionist seems to be crumpling paper, which is not something you hear every day. Vocalist is required to produce very high notes. "Book Two: Twelve." Two voices, flute & percussion. Tranquil, pastoral feel. "Postlude." Sixteen seconds of solo celesta ... sneeze and you missed it. The disc is rather short at 33 minutes but Chimeras is a coherent piece of (largely) atonal contemporary concert music. Scored for Pierrot ensemble (the forces required to perform Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire) work has a structure that is helpfully explained in the liner notes, but understanding it will be unnecessary for most listeners. Armed with the subtitle and the image of Alice Liddell on the album cover it's not difficult to see the wordless singing as representative of Alice's response to the two worlds built for her by Lewis Carroll. Nothing is specific or narrative here and not all instruments are present at all times; indeed, the second half has a greater intimacy due to the often smaller number of performers. I'd consider Chimeras to be one of Zorn's most important Modernist concert works though for me it is blighted by wind machine and I don't find the vocal lines very appealing: but then, I don't generally listen to classical vocal works for preference.
This was one of my first Zorn discs. I loved it at the time. I think I got Xaphan next and became a fan for life. I have not listened to this one in quite some time--a situation I need to rectify.
Electric Masada: 50th Birthday Celebration - volume 4 Genre: Jazz-Rock/Progressive? Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2004 Category: Scares The Horses/Accessible My Rating: 8/10 Personnel John Zorn, Alto Saxophone Marc Ribot, Guitar Jamie Saft, Keyboards Ikue Mori, Laptop electronics Trevor Dunn, Bass Guitar Joey Baron, Drums Kenny Wollesen, Drums Cyro Baptista, Percussion "Tekufah." Drums, laptop & percussion fairly wild for the first two minutes, then power chords from Ribot as the wildness increases. Bass riff at 3'15" cues alto entrance, then at 5' the head is voiced on keyboard, then doubled with alto. Fender Rhodes solo. Drums with long guitar notes, then insistent bass rejoins. Frenzied tribal feel, exacerbated when Dunn drops out again. Head reprise with alto squalling. Keyboards play the head, then Zorn blows creamy, slow lines, bringing the energy levels back to a still end. "Idalah-Abal." After the tam tam opening, Ribot's massive chords introduce the head with alto screaming throughout. Ribot's solo is almost lost in the miasma of angry noise, then Zorn blows above it furiously. The head is teased multiple times with repeated As, then it is played twice through to finish, again with Zorn screaming throughout. A highlight for this ensemble though not for the feint of heart. "Hadasha." Percussion starts up in 7/4 with staccato guitar chords. Funky bass, then the head. Ribot extended, bluesy solo with wah pedal. Extended solo from Saft continues the funk feel. Zorn's long solo begins Jazzy & dry, eventually pushing out with squalling noises before reining things in again and ending low in the range for the head reprise. Saft, Ribot & Zorn counterpoint. "Hath-Arob." Exactly what you'd expect from this quintessential game-piece. "Yatzar." This piece appeared previously on The Circle Maker under the title "Yatzah". Static start with declamatory & impressive Blues lines from Ribot. Saft takes over with a jazz-rock feel. Brushes at 4'15" cue the enigmatic head. Dripping water sounds from Mori, then Batista takes the lead with strange, delayed percussion noises. Quiet ending. "Lilin." The longest track here. Alto opens with modal cries over static chords, reminding me of Jan Garbarek. At approaching 5'30" the fast riff starts up with Zorn continuing to improvise until the head sounds twice from 6'15". Extended solo for Saft with ... Donald Duck sample? Crescendo of sound from which Saft emerges again undaunted. At about 10'40" laptop solo. Zorn plays the head and then softly solos to himself over what is effectively an outro. "Kisofim." A rather Bar Kokhba feel here with Ribot leading for the first four minutes. The alto solo is probing but disciplined. Ribot teases Rhapsody In Blue at the start of his second solo. Electric Masada is a revered band in the Zorn world but only two recordings have so far been made available. This long disc (72 minutes) is superbly recorded meaning that Mori, Dunn, Baron, Wollesen & (especially) Baptista are all clearly heard in what could otherwise be quite a muddy collection of musicians. Notably, Ribot does not run away with this disc and this isn't any sort of Metal album, although Electric Masada manages to be about as noisy as most Metal bands. This is a great disc but not one of my personal favourites: I'm lukewarm on the Jazz-Rock sound palette and in any case would rather hear marimba or vibes in this setting than Fender Rhodes & laptop.
Gnostic Trio: In Lambeth Genre: Chamber Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2013 Category: Relaxed My Rating: 6/10 Personnel Bill Frisell, Guitar Carol Emanuel, Harp Kenny Wollesen, Vibraphone/Chimes Ikue Mori, Electronics (on "The Minotaur") "Tiriel." This is quite a pretty piece with plenty of melodic content. "A Morning Light." The flowing metres here have an Alhambra feel and just past the two minute mark we get that rarest of things: a harp solo. "America, A Prophecy." Frisell plays a nice introduction before a harp arpeggio starts up with chimes. A harmonically-tense counter-riff on vibraphone. Towards the end Wollesen takes a solo. Harp glissandi. "Through The Looking Glass." Sugary. "Ancient of Days." Darker feel with Frisell moving from glassy clarity to a crunch with what sounds like backwards delay. This piece is rather dreamlike but the harp glissandi are excessive. "Puck." Bittersweet harmonies and a galloping feel at the start. A lot of delay on the guitar again. "The Minotaur." Mori's laptop has a transformative effect upon what is certainly a more anxious & harmonically tense piece. Interesting, but you have to like the electronics to get the most out of it. "The Night of Enitharmon's Joy." Masada feel here with the head played only by Emanuel. "The Walled Garden." It's nice to hear the harp unaccompanied for the first minute, although the actual music is lightweight. Not until two minutes in do we hear something that could pass for a main theme. Sentimental. Having lived in (the constituency of) Lambeth I can assure you that it isn't any longer the idyllic grove of tranquility presented here. I don't have a lot to say about this: it's another Gnostic Trio album and very much on the boundary that lies between mellow & insipid. I get more out of this than some of their other albums but it's difficult to recommend.
Masada (Original Quartet) Studio Recordings Round-Up Time to give due props to the Masada World Wiki which gives invaluable help to anyone trying to pick their way through the recordings of the three Masada books. We've now gone through all eleven studio releases by the Masada Quartet: the ten on BIS plus Sanhedrin on Tzadik. As I’ve probably made clear, I don't think that there's any better studio discography from any Jazz band and there certainly isn't one I'd prefer to hear. Of 205 heads in Masada Book One, the original quartet only played 96, with additional tracks appearing for the first time on other albums: notably Masada Rock, Sanatorium Under The Sign Of The Hourglass and The Unknown Masada. According to Masada World 45 heads have never been issued on disc at all. There were seven recording sessions and Sanhedrin draws upon all seven. February 20, 1994 (Alef, Beit, Dalet + some of Gimel) June 22, 1994 (Gimel) July 16-17, 1995 (Hei & Vav) April 16, 1996 (Zayin) August 1, 1996 (Het) April 21, 1997 (Tet) September 15, 1997 (Yod) My ratings were as follows: Alef (aka One) - 8/10 Beit (aka Two) - 8/10 Gimel (aka Three) - 8/10 Dalet (aka Four) - 6/10 (but brevity was a factor) Hei (aka Five) - 7/10 Vav (aka Six) - 7/10 Zayin (aka Seven) - 9/10 Het (aka Eight) - 9/10 Tet (aka Nine) - 8/10 Yod (aka Ten) - 6/10 Sanhedrin - 10/10
Jamie Saft Trio: Astaroth - Book of Angels volume 1 Genre: Acoustic Jazz Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2005 Category: Accessible/Relaxed My Rating: 6/10 Personnel Jamie Saft, Piano Greg Cohen, Bass Ben Perowsky, Drums "Shalmiel." Pleasant, tango-style head though I find some of the drumming on this track too loud & intrusive. "Ygal." Game-style head. Atonal runs from Saft, some spotlight for Cohen. "Astaroth." Steady bass riff with a dance rhythm. Single line on piano with a call & response logic for left & right hands has a dark, almost menacing feel. At 2'30" piano solo begins with more the sense of elaborating than departing from the head. Unusually restrained track. "Czeqeel." Loud drum intro, then we're into fast, busy Jazz with walking bass for the piano solo. The innately repetitive head (which has the same interval six times) is repeated too many times for me. "Ariel." Relaxed tango with a Dreamers feel. Saft's solo is coy, almost cute. "Sturiel." Upbeat start breaks into high-spirited Jazz with Saft employing more lively rhythms & dynamics but also pushing out. Overlong drum solo brings back the 6/4 head before piano goes off the deep end again. Reprise & end. "Baal-Peor." Slow with a nocturnal feel & a head distinguished by two descending intervals. At about 4'30"Cohen takes an extended solo. Good. "Pursan." Game-style piece. "Lela'hel." Another long, slow piece. Enjoyable. Perhaps too sleepy? "Beleth." Cheerful cha-cha with Perowsky providing a drum accompaniment with a shuffle feel. Saft is again quite probing on his solos but Cohen's solo break is more relaxed. I don't really listen to this album and it has never particularly connected with me, despite my usual enthusiasm for Jazz albums by piano trios. I think that part of the problem is Perowsky (who I find noisy at times) and another part is Saft himself, whose version of chaos feels like randomly struck keys compared with the rhythmic invention of Marsella. The slower tracks are pleasant, but I wouldn't want to listen to the album through to get to them.
Yes, eventually. I didn't know whether to explain my silence or just leave it as it is and let everyone assume I was taking a break. I've actually been busy (reading) but I still have some favourite albums to get to in this thread and at minimum I want to complete the BoA & Beriah. Since I haven't finished listening to Zorn I don't suppose it's a hardship to press on with these notes sporadically!
Klezmerson: Amon - Book of Angels volume 24 Genre: World/Soundtrack Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2015 Category: Accessible My Rating: 9/10 Personnel Benjamin Schwarz, Viola/Piano/Organ/Jaranas Chali Mercado, Drums Maria Emilia Martinez, Flute Juan Manuel Ledezma, Guitar/Requinto/Leona Dan Zlotnik, Saxophones/Clarinet Marco Renteria, Bass Guitar Carina Lopez, Bass Guitar Chatran Gonzalez, Percussion Gustavo Nandayapa, Drums/Percussion Osiris Caballero Leon, Violin/Jarana Rolando Morejon, Violin Alex Ataola, Guitar Natalia Perez, Cello Moises Garcia, Trumpet Homero Santiago, Trombone Rodrigo Santoya, Oud "Samchia." Jarana (Mexican folk guitar) with little fanfares from various instruments until the full ensemble begins the head with a tango feel. "Iahmel." After the introduction, the clarinet solo includes the head, then it is taken up on piano. Jaranas & flute. Clapping with tremolando viola & violin. Big finish with loads of percussion. "Abachta." Beginning with a cute string phrase in 5/4 juxtaposed with jaranas (Mexican folk guitars) this is soon embellished with weighty drums and eventually re-emerges into a violin solo. Piano and pan pipes are heard. "Yefefiah." Opens with a rather distorted organ tone and manual percussion with brass stabs. Quickly becomes atmospheric & cinematic with tremolando strings. Abrasive guitar soloing in the left channel but flute and other instruments stay prominent. At about 4'30" we get a more exciting phase with loud stabs underpinned by drums. "Mashith." A queasy start on organ with guitar gives little reason to expect the explosion of sound when this striking cha-cha bursts into life forty seconds in. Ribotic guitar voices the head over rippling piano. After an interruption for low organ the dance starts up again with horns and a flute descant. Crunch guitar, xylophone glissandi, chaos, low organ to end. "Sehibiel." Sly string pizzicati alternates with held string chords. I think the lead instrument here is viola. A soundtrack feel. "Zikiel." Raucous percussion introduction gives a carnival feel. Horns and drums come in strong but this block alternates with pizzicato strings, piano & jaranas. 7/4 predominates, trumpet is clearly heard. Clean electric guitar finds some space, with its lines echoes in brass. False ending at 4'10" then build to climax. "Kabshiel." Prominent percussion and brittle piano are the main textures here, though there are clean guitar chords, flute & strings as well. "Amabiel." Jaranas open this 5/4 piece with a full ensemble feel. Looped guitar chord has some impact early. Eastern strings. False end at 2'50" but a fresh relationship between strings & guitar brings us quickly back to the main track feel. The saxes provide a hubbub. Strings become prominent along with bass guitar. Rather anticlimactic end. Arranger Benjamin Schwarz does a great job on this big band album, giving every track a distinctive sound but never losing track of the sonic signature of the ensemble which is quite joyful & transparent. The jarana becomes a key instrument here (it's evidently something like a cross between a parlour guitar & a mandolin). This is an album I've listened to quite a lot and it's a great disc just to throw on when you want something uplifting & infectiously rhythmic. That said it doesn't have any of the standout songs it would need to qualify for my 10/10.
I just wanted to drop in and say how much I appreciate you creating this guide, Sordel. I'm not a complete stranger to Zorn (owning around 8 or so recordings, mostly Filmworks), but I am looking to dive back in the catalog after several years of neglect.
Someone called Emmanuel Abraham accomplished this small masterpiece of desktop publishing which was posted yesterday to the John Zorn Facebook group. Full sized image at https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net...NiiKi0H-04KtehWGeAKEeg4LSGcAGiL3yHEF17Snd6cgI:
New Zorn CD is out from the Frisell, Lage, Riley trio. Samples here - not as immediately accessible as their prior releases: John Zorn featuring Bill Frisell, Julian Lage and Gyan Riley - Parables - Boomkat
Well, tracks 3, 5, and 8 seem pretty accessible, but the others are Zorn abstract/avant-garde. These might be really interesting in the acoustic guitar trio context.
John Zorn: Godard-Spillane Genre: File Card Label & Year of Release: Recorded 1985-7, Remastered & Reissued on Tzadik, 1999 Category: Quirky/Accessible My Rating: 6/10 [Note: this is the Tzadik disc. The original Nonsuch disc had different couplings for Spillane.] Godard (Recorded 1985) Anthony Coleman, Piano/Organ/Celeste/Harpsichord Carol Emanuel, Harp Bill Frisell, Guitar/Banjo Christian Marclay, Turntables Bobby Previte, Drums/Percussion David Weinstein, Sampling Keyboards John Zorn, Reeds/French Narration Luli Shioi, Voice/Japanese Narration Wu Shao-Ying, Chinese Narration Richard Foreman, English NarrationBegins with chamber string sounds and Zorn's guttural French narration, then we get orchestral string pads, Richard Foreman reading random words, cut-up sounds, music box and our first Noir pastiche. A Japanese nightclub song, twittering birds with Chinese narration. Honky-tonk piano with the sound of revellers, electric drum sounds, guitar & naive piano, Baroque harpsichord, electric jazz, more Chinese. C&W slide guitar with piano and string pad. Moody, slightly kitsch piano. More rapid cuts between styles ends with more Noir pastiche. More cuts, Country radio chatter. More of the same with that Noir pastiche featuring harp getting most of the attention. Machinery sounds. Ella Fitzgerald sampled very briefly. Chinese festive drumming. Latin-American dance band. Chamber strings with a speech sample from a radio story. Rapid cuts, drums, Noir pastiche again. Dobro/banjo(?). Multiple saxes cut together. Harp with jazz electric guitar & racing rude cymbal. Various things montaged together. Female voices singing. Spillane (Recorded 1986) Anthony Coleman, Piano/Organ/Celeste/Harpsichord Carol Emanuel, Harp Bill Frisell, Guitar/Banjo David Hofstra, Bass/Tuba Bob James, Tapes/Compact Discs Bobby Previte, Drums/Percussion/Tympani Jim Staley, Trombone David Weinstein, Sampling Keyboards John Zorn, Alto Saxophone/Clarinet John Lurie, Voice of Mike Hammer Robert Quine, Voice of Mike Hammer's ConscienceScream, racing ride cymbal, Noir piano with acoustic bass. Dreamlike keyboards, then creamy sax. Meltdown with narration and Noir pastiche. Strip club jazz. Narration with atmospheric piano. Smokey thriller Jazz cue with celeste. Windscreen wipers with narration. Boxing match ambience. Jazz cue with finger snaps & guitar solo. Dissonant orchestral montage then dramatic cue with strings and Ribotic blues guitar. Car sounds into vibes and ticking clock. Nice cue with harp, guitar and wailing sax. Bluegrass band. Distant wailing voice then back to strip club. Comical brass. Jazz piano trio with a cool, upbeat feel. Sweet cue with a ballad feel. Hammer dialogues with his conscience briefly. Upbeat blues. Shrill electronic(?) sounds into more Noir pastiche. Zorn unusually on creamy clarinet. Clamorous drums, a large audience cheers & applauds. Lush grand piano with a dramatic feel. A jazz quartet(?) is heard fairly clean with narration. Frozen keyboard sounds (including church organ), also vibraphone. A hubbub of wind instruments. Latin jazz band with wood block inexpertly marking time. Wailing against vaguely choral music, then machine gun(?) into Noir pastiche with whistling. Supper club piano with upscale crowd ambience. Tympani thunder. More Noir pastiche with a distant crooning sax. Fast Jazz with prominent keyboard into thunder claps with string pad and guitar notes. Blues Nöel (Recorded 1987) Michael Blair, Percussion/Voice Anthony Coleman, Piano/Organ/Celeste/Harpsichord Fred Frith, Guitars/Bass Ikue Mori, Drum Machine/Voice David Weinstein, Sampler John Zorn, Alto SaxophoneParty Jazz stomp with an enthusiastic audience clapping along. A gentle cue with Mori's wordless vocal. High-spirited Jazz with sleigh-bell. Miscellaneous percussion hits into another gentle vocal section, then a quirky Blues with lo-fi acoustic guitar & organ melody. A clatter of percussion into a cool piano Blues. Celesta with French narration. This disc is an epic of montage and there's a lot here that is well achieved. Spillane in particular is like a radio play, with a strong sense that the music is all diegetic (i.e. Mike Hammer has gone to places where this music happens to be playing). This is particularly true of the strip club where it would be more accurate to say that we go to a strip club than it would be to say that we hear music evocative of a strip club. Fifty minutes of this style (though rendered somewhat coherent by the frequent recourse to the Noir pastiche) is, however, somewhat wearing and I feel that The Bribe may be a better pick overall. As one of the crucial pieces of Zorn's mainstream career, Spillane warrants owning and certainly hearing.
The creator classifies “The Gift” as easy listening; I laughed because I find the artwork so upsetting that I listen to it rarely.
Simulacrum - The Painted Bird Genre: Avant Metal Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2016 Category: Accessible/Scares The Horses My Rating: 8/10 Personnel John Medeski, Organ Kenny Wollesen, Vibes Matt Hollenberg, Guitar Kenny Grohowski, Drums Chez Smith, Congas (on "Night")/Voudun Drums (on "Spike") "Snakeskin." This segmented track has a file card feel, opening with free, Jazzy vibraphone in a Nova style. After about 75 seconds we have the guitar announcing a Masada-style melody with Wollesen soaring on his solo, followed by unobtrusive soloing from Medeski. After a drum break we hit a steady rock riff from Hollenberg with Masada-esque soloing from Wollesen. The riff is presumably looped because Hollenberg now takes a Rock guitar solo over it with good support from the other band members. At about 6'10" we get more Nova flourishes with rapidly shifting styles, then a driving Metallic riff to the end. "Plague." Opens as furious Metal with Drums & guitar locked together on a fast beat. Medeski's B3 wails menacingly, then Hollenberg takes a bravura pitch-shifted solo on modal scales. Meltdown into angular guitar, then back into the angry beat. A brief game-style finale. "Ravens." Organ plays walking bass lines against angular phrases into a fast 7/8 section, then a burning Metal riff for a couple of bars. Medeski takes a solo, then Hollenberg sounding rather Zappaesque. Chaotic end into a three-note finale. Great stuff. "Comet." A repeated atonal idée fixe in the guitar soon gives way to a game-style section. Wollesen is Jazzy & prominent. One senses Zorn conducting as the momentum shifts abruptly from musician to musician. Fairly wild. "Cinders." Naked City-style rapid cutting at the start, then Wollesen has an extended solo, handing off to Medeski who worries at the keyboard for a while. Grohowski's solo is dynamic, then we track through some of the stylistic shifts from the start to conclude with a flourish. "Nettles." Vibraphone-led track with a Nova feel. Hollenberg's guitar is comparatively clean & muted. Leslie on organ to conclude. "Night." Striking start with vibraphone notes moves rapidly into more typical Metal territory. The congas are felt on a tribal, dancing section that impresses. The guitar solo again reminds me of Zappa. Shifts back into heavy riffage for the head reprise. Good stuff. "Spike." Again, an ecstatic, tribal section (this time with Voudun drumming) is well concealed by the angry opening sections. Medeski is telling against another pounding guitar riff. "Missal." The only light track on a fairly relentless assault of an album opens with guitar & vibraphone doubled on an Alhambra-style piece with shifting measures. Accelerando to end. The Painted Bird is yet another powerful album with the Simulacrum trio at its heart. Wollesen adds a great deal, summoning up the Nova style on Zorn compositions that are often probing & angular; he also gives the album a distinctly more Jazz feel, moving Simulacrum close to Zorn's Bagatelle-style vibraphone music of the early 2020s. Other than "Snakeskin" all of the pieces are, and feel, compact. Recommended.
Round-Ups Masada Original Quartet Recordings Round-Up Albums in Chronological Order 1973 - 3 First Recordings 1980 - 1 Pool / 2 Hockey 1983 - 2 Yankees 1985 - 5 The Art of Memory II 1986 - 5 The Bribe / 8 The Big Gundown / 7 Cobra / 5 Xu Feng 1987 - 5 News For Lulu / 6 Godard-Spillane 1988 - 6 Spy vs Spy 1989 - 4 Naked City 1990 - 6 New Traditions in Asian Bar Bands 1992 - 2 Guts of a Virgin/Buried Secrets / 8 Leng T’che 1993 - 8 Radio / 7 Kristallnacht 1994 - 8 Alef (Masada 1) / 8 Beit (Masada 2) / 8 Gimel (Masada 3) / 10 Live in Jerusalem / 6 Dalet (Masada 4) 1995 - 7 Hei (Masada 5) / 7 Vav (Masada 6) / 4 Filmworks 3 / 4 Minor Swing 1996 - 9 Voodoo / 9 Bar Kokhba / 9 Zayin (Masada 7) / 9 Het (Masada 8) 1997 - 3 The Art of Memory / 5 Euclid's Nightmare 1998 - 8 Tet (Masada 9) / 6 Yod (Masada 10) / 10 Sanhedrin / 4 Downtown Lullaby / 5 Songs For Children / 10 The Circle Maker 1999 - 8 Taboo and Exile / 6 Prelapse 2002 - 2 IAO Music in Sacred Light / 9 Invitation to a Suicide / 6 Cobra (Tzadik) 2003 - 6 Buck Jam Tonic / 10 Masada Guitars / 7 Voices in the Wilderness 2004 - 8 Electric Masada 50th 2005 - 8 Sanatorium Under The Sign Of The Hourglass / 6 Masada Rock / 3 The Prophecy / 7 Mysterium / 6 Astaroth BoA 1 2006 - 6 Malphas BoA3 / 4 Orobas BoA 4 / 8 Moloch BoA 6 / 3 Moonchild / 5 Astronome / 5 The Stone 1 / 6 Balan BoA 5 2007 - 6 Asmodeus BoA 7 / 7 Six Litanies For Heliogabalus / 10 Volac BoA 8 2008 - 8 The Rain Horse / 5 The Dreamers / 8 The Crucible / 5 Zaebos BoA 11 / 6 The Last Supper / 5 The Stone 3 / 8 Xaphan BoA 9 2009 - 7 Femina / 6 O'O / 9 Alhambra Love Songs / 7 Stolas BoA 12 / 5 Chimeras 2010 - 7 Ipsissimus / 5 The Satyr's Play / 7 Interzone / 10 In Search Of The Miraculous / 7 Mycale BoA 13 / 7 Ipos BoA 14 / 5 Dictée / 7 Baal BoA 152011 - 4 Enigmata / 8 At The Gates Of Paradise / 9 Nova Express 2012 - 4 The Classic Guide To Strategy 4 / 8 The Concealed / 10 Mount Analogue / 6 Nosferatu / 7 Abraxas BoA 19 / 4 Rimbaud / 5 Templars / 4 Pruflas BoA 18 / 4 Music And Its Double2013 - 10 Dreamachines / 6 On The Torment Of Souls / 9 Tap BoA 20 / 4 @ / 6 Lemma / 8 The Book of Heads / 6 In Lambeth 2014 - 8 Shir Hashirim / 6 The Dream Membrane / 4 Alastor BoA 21 / 10 Adramalech BoA 22 / 6 Transmigration Of The Magus 5 Fragmentations Prayers & Interjections / 7 In The Hall Of Mirrors / 7 Psychomagia / 7 The Alchemist / 5 Valentine's Day / 6 The Last Judgment / 4 Testament Of Solomon2015 - 4 Hermetic Organ 3 / 6 Simulacrum / 4 Hen to Pan / 9 Olympiad / 7 Gomory BoA 25 / 8 True Discoveries 5 Forro in the Dark Plays Zorn / 8 Inferno / 9 Amon BoA 242016 - 8 Sacred Visions / 9 Flaga BoA 27 / 6 Commedia Dell’Arte / 3 Andras BoA 28 / 8 Madrigals / 6 The Mockingbird / 8 The Painted Bird 2017 - 6 There Is No More Firmament / 5 Paimon BoA 32 / 10 Leonard BoA 30 / 7 The Interpretation of Dreams / 4 Hermetic Organ 5 / 6 Midsummer Moons2018 - 6 Insurrection / 7 Keter BB1 / 9 Tiferet BB6 / 4 Netzach BB7 / 9 Da’at BB11 / 7 Salem 1692 / 2 Urmuz Epigrams / 7 Encomia 8 Garden of Earthly Delights / 5 In A Convex Mirror2019 - 8 The Hierophant / 6 Hermetic Organ 7 / 3 TMP 2020 - 7 The Turner Études / 8 Virtue / 6 Azoth / 2 Les Maudits / 9 Calculus / 7 Baphomet 2021 - 8 Heaven and Earth Magick / 7 Teresa de Ávila (10 x 10, 9 x 14, 8 x 26, 7 x 26, 6 x 30, 5 x 20, 4 x 17, 3 x 6, 2 x 6, 1 x 1)
Masada String Trio: Haborym - Book of Angels volume 16 Genre: Chamber Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2010 Category: Accessible (for the most part)/Relaxed My Rating: 10/10 Personnel (as if you needed to ask!) Mark Feldman, Violin Eric Friedlander, Cello Greg Cohen, Double Bass "Turel." After a rather dramatic, frozen start this carefree, flowing piece is a highlight of Book Two, helped along by a memorable head. "Tychagara." This merry little piece has a rhythmically-accented pizzicato head. Friedlander's pizzicato solo is jaunty but Feldman switches to arco for a mercurial & high-spirited solo, with Friedlander also counterpointing with the bow. "Carniel." This complex dance has tricky metre lengths in the head. All three take solos (Friedlander first, Cohen third) and an ecstatic passage of counterpointing from Friedlander & Feldman shows the trio at its best. "Bat Qol." Game-piece with the usual astringency & chaos. "Gamrial." Spooky piece begins with Cohen's sinister ostinato and string atmospherics. After a head in which violin & cello almost become one, Feldman's playing becomes spectral, employing such characteristic bow techniques as harmonics. Friedlander ruminates delicately without becoming prominent. There is counterpointing between the two but it is subtle & restrained. "Elimiel." Celebratory dance (marked by a rhythm struck on muted strings) begins with Friedlander playing the short head pizzicato but then it is heard more fully arco. Friedlander & Feldman counterpoint ecstatically (no time for solos here!) and the rather dramatic finale comes too soon after a highly economical three minutes. "Techial." Another high-spirited dance with a pizzicato head. There is barely time for the typical solos from Feldman & Friedlander but they somehow fit them in anyway and find some time for counterpointing in a track of only two minutes. "Umikol." Game-piece with a head that is only fifteen seconds long. Feldman's playing is especially showy on this piece. "Malkiel." Rather by-the-numbers mid-tempo head. Friedlander takes a long pizzicato solo before Feldman takes over, playing arco. If you like MST you'll like this but it feels comparatively routine. "Raamiel." As with the album's first track, this begins with a dramatic, frozen feel but this time that mood is here to stay with the head proving to be a nine-note phrase played intermittently to punctuate the soloing. Very unusually, Cohen plays arco throughout with sustained tremolando. This is one of my favourite tracks from Book Two with a tragic feel and gorgeous rhapsodising from violin & cello. "Gergot." Carefree, celebratory dance ends the album on a suitably joyful note. I didn't have this pencilled in for 10/10 (for the simple reason that I don't think of it as one of my all-time favourites) but it seems the only fair rating for an album that is an almost flawless masterclass in string playing. It's also one of the most upbeat albums in Zorn's catalogue despite the presence of two game-pieces and a piece ("Raamiel") that comes close to "Kol Nidre" in terms of strong emotion.
This one is one of my all time favorites. I remember the first time I listened to it, instant classic.
Unfamiliar with this one, and string trio sets have yet to connect with me. But I’ll be sampling it. Cheers!
[Simulacrum with Brian Marsella]: Chaos Magick Genre: Electric Jazz/Soundtrack Label & Year of Release: Tzadik, 2021 Category: Scares The Horses/Accessible My Rating: 6/10 Personnel John Medeski, Organ Brian Marsella, Electric Piano Matt Hollenberg, Guitar Kenny Grohowski, Drums "Initiate." A gnarly head whose end is marked by a distinctive two-note "fanfare". Wild Electric Jazz with sprays of notes, becoming more idiomatic around the ninety second mark. After a brief drum solo, a Vintage rock section with Hollenberg's crunch solo. Head reprise. "Corinthians I." Dreamy, atmospheric piece based on long-held organ chords with a mellow, clean guitar arpeggio. Marsella solos introspectively. Medeski becomes more prominent as the piece progresses. "The Servitor." 7/8 start with a moderately fierce feel. Marsella's repeated phrase is harmonically tense, then he solos dissonantly against rather recessed riffing from Hollenberg on 4/4 with dactylic triplets. Just short of the fifth minute Medeski unleashes a big organ solo accompanied by blast beats. I find this track hard going. "St Augustine." Ambient style start with fairly clean guitar and vocal pads. When Hollenberg sounds the head on clean guitar it has a very Gnostic feel for the first couple of minutes, then Marsella enters on the Rhodes and solos meditatively. Medeski's solo is Bluesy, lifting the energy of the track, but then we are back in the head, stretched out to the end of the track. "Egregore." Game-style piece with Marsella's frenetic Rhodes much in evidence against racing bass from the organ. Grohowski hits hard on this piece, as well as providing various stylistic reference points including a nice vintage Jazz beat on floor tom(?). This track would be a blast to see live. "Crossing The Abyss." Funk track with strong hints of Zappa at times. Medeski takes the first solo here with Marsella following on in high spirits. Hollenberg with what sounds like a whammy pedal plays wild and loose. Comedy chaos to the end. "Liber M." Ambient movie cue with a horror feel, exacerbated by a spoken word insert from Aleister Crowley. "Imp Of The Perverse." Angular, hocketing start sets up Grohowski for a longer-than-usual solo spot. Then he plays along with the hocket before a return of head. "Corinthians II." Calm, dreamy coda with a flowing guitar arpeggio and held organ notes. Marsella embellishes. Chaos Magick is billed by Tzadik as a new band, but I've credited this recent album to "Simulacrum with Brian Marsella" because, until we've heard more, that's where it should be filed. Adding Fender Rhodes to an organ trio isn't really catering to my personal interests, and I struggle at times with an album that invokes Jazz Fusion. Hollenberg often plays a support role here and the Metal stylings are less in evidence. That said, the band appears to be having an absolute blast on the the uptempo pieces and Zorn's presence as conductor is a strong element. If you're discouraged by Zorn's increasing reliance on thorny atonal lines, however, this is not an easy listen. It will be interesting to see where, if anywhere, this new band leads.
