ZORN, JOHN Chimeras (Tzadik) cd 16.98
A 20th-century (not 21st, as it specifically references Schoenberg and others from the 1900s) chamber piece composed by avant-jazz-maestro John Zorn in 2001. Scored for virtuoso female voice along with various combinations of piccolo, piano, flute, celeste, violin, cello, percussion (hi Willy!), organ, clarinet, etc. Conceptually, Zorn employs an Oulipo-inspired conceit here: each movement is prohibited from using a particular pitch, making a musical lipogram of sorts. Sonically, this is quite nice, if you're partial to soprano wordless aaaa-aaahh-ah-ah operatic type vocals continually soaring over mysterious horror movie strings, atonal piano, randomly struck bells, everything very ominous and dramatic and high-art beautiful. There's sound effects (wind machines??) and rustling percussion that add some pleasing "glitch" to the proceedings. Maybe you don't buy a 20th century classical disc everyday, but this would be nice one to keep your Jonathan Bepler "Cremaster" soundtracks company...
This does make us wonder, do academic composer aficionados feel about Zorn doing stuff like this the same way some of us felt about Faith No More's Mike Patton doing "Zorn" type stuff?
MPEG Stream: "Five"

ZORN, JOHN City's Collapsing (But Not Tonight), The (Lux Nigra) cd 14.98
Not to be confused with New York saxophonist / composer John Zorn, this is East Berlin electronic artist Michael Zorn. Throughout the disc's twelve long tracks, Zorn jumps freely through lush techno soundscapes to thick sweaty electro to dub infused microhouse (ala Chain Reaction) without missing a beat or boring us listeners. Zorn maintains a club-friendly downtempo quality while weaving through so many styles on one disc, but it's hard to say if Zorn's really found his own voice. "The City...", however, is still an impressive debut and a pleasurable listen.

ZORN, JOHN Dreamers (Tzadik) cd 16.98

ZORN, JOHN Duras:Duchamp (Tzadik) cd 15.98
We'll let the obi speak here: "Over thirty minutes in length, Duras is a major new composition inspired by the romantic writings of Marguerite Duras and the mystical music of Olivier Messiaen. Seductive, elusive, ritualistic, Duras is a hypnotic work of startling clarity and complexity. 'Etant donnees' is the perfect companion piece to Duras: a provocative noise trio inspired by the enigmatic last masterpiece of Marcel Duchamp..." With Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, Anthony Coleman etc.

ZORN, JOHN Elegy (Tzadik) cd 15.98
"Originally released in 1992, Elegy, one of Zorn's most important compositions, creates a mysterious world of erotic perversion, drawing inspiration from the writings of Jean Genet, and features an unusual collection of some of San Francisco's most interesting musicians: David Abel, Barbara Chaffe, Mike Patton, David Shea, David Slusser, Trey Spruance, William Winant."

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks Anthology (Tzadik) cd 15.98
For those of you who don't want the whole shelf-load of JZ's Filmworks volumes, a handy-dandy "best of" selected by the man himself. Maybe good starting point...

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks III (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Finally a domestic version of the hard-to-find Japanese release, to fill the gap in your collection between Filmworks II and Filmworks V (uh, what happened to IV?). Anyway, this features a bunch of great stuff played by a bunch of great musicians, including the very first Masada recordings, a Zorn/Marc Ribot duo, and cues for commercials directed by the likes of Godard and Cronenberg.

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks IV (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Subtitled "S/M + More"...

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks IX: Trembling Before G-d (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Organist Jamie Saft, clarinetist Chris Speed and percussionist Cyro Baptista play John Zorn's compositions (including a few from his Masada project) for this soundtrack to a documentary (controversial, we're told) about the Gay Hasidic Jewish community...

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks VIII (Tzadik) cd 15.98
From the obi: "Augmenting the exciting Masada String Trio with Anthony Coleman, Marc Ribot, and pipa virtuoso Min Xiao-Fen, Zorn's Masada music has never sounded as beautiful or as evocative as in the soundtrack for a film documentary about the Jewish refugees who escaped Nazi Germany by resettling to Shanghai. Also included is a quirky all-percussion score for Ela Troyano's exotic gay porno film 'Latin Boys Go To Hell', featuring the driving rhythms of Cyro Baptista and Kenny Wollesen."

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks X: In the Mirror of Maya Deren (Tzadik) cd 17.98
From the accompanying obi strip: "Hypnotic, sensual and evocative music for Martina Kudlacek's brilliant and detailed documentary on the life and work of underground film legend Maya Deren. Mixing myth and ritual with avant-garde dance and film techniques, Maya forged a creative language that continues to resound in the very best of today's experimental artists. The music here moves from nostalgia to mystery, capturing the many moods of Maya's life and art. Performed by Erik Friedlander, Jamie Saft and Cyro Baptista, In the Mirror of Maya Deren also features the unique piano stylings of John Zorn over three dreamy string arrangements. From Klezmer to classical, Haitian drumming to Indonesian gamelan, easy listening to minimalism, this score is one of Zorn's most beautiful and touching listening experiences."
Alright, now that you've read all that, and if you're at all familiar with Zorn's Filmworks series, you probably know whether or not if you want / need this. I must admit, I didn't expect to like this disc, considering the high proliferation of compositions from Zorn in the past fifteen or so years. But the man always seems to come through somehow. One of the two major highlights of this disc are the subtle beauty in the performances of Erik Friedlander (actually some of the most touching and heartfelt playing that I've heard from him!). The other is the rare performance by Zorn on piano, beautifully rendered - a rare homage to his love of Feldman, maybe? There are moments of minimalist texture, however brief and overshadowed by Friedlander's sweet dynamicism. Always one to cross over styles and display technical virtuosity, this installment of Filmworks could do without the bongo drumming or faux-exotic parts, but then again, it is about Maya Deren whose films themselves included Haitian drumming in them. Overall a nice disc and one that almost lives up to its obi strip comments.
RealAudio clip: "Kiev 1"
RealAudio clip: "Filming"
RealAudio clip: "Nostalgia 2"

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XI (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Here you go Zornophiliacs: the 11th volume in his filmworks series. We turn to resident Zorn expert 'obi' for this review: "The latest volume in a continuing series documenting Zorn's varied and creative work for film features one of his most popular ensembles: Masada String Trio. Their incredible rapport is at its best in this haunting score for Aviva Slesin's documentary film on Jewish children hidden from the Nazis during the Shoah. Orchestral arrangements, intimate improvisations, lyricism and a handful of new Masada tunes make this one of Zorn's most memorable film scores." In other words: if you have I - X, you might as well pick up XI.
RealAudio clip: "Yesoma (vocal)"
RealAudio clip: "The Trap"

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XII (Tzadik) cd 16.98
This volume of the filmworks series collects Zorn's scores from three documentaries. Tzadik says: "A touch of minimalism laces the score to a film on the East Village dance scene. Haunting and childlike, the music for a documentary on outsider artist Morton Bartlett is tenderly scored for voice and cello. Finally, guitarist Marc Ribot goes head to head with chinese pipa virtuoso Min Xiao-Fen for a film on the lives of Shaolin Monks now living and teaching in America."

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XIII: 2002 Volume Three - Invitation To Suicide (Tzadik) cd 16.98
For the John Zorn fan who has to have everything. Yes, that means that we're now on to Filmworks #13 and it looks like there's no end in sight. So with a big thanks to Tzadik for supplying a glowing review in advance, we bring you the obi: "2002 proves to be a watershed year for Zorn, with this being his fifth film score in three months. Here, a taste of Ennio Morricone, Astor Piazzola, French musette and Nino Rota make up what is perhaps his greatest film score to date. At times bizarre, haunting, exhilerating and powerful, the lush sonorities of this dynamic group will surprise you as much as it did Zorn himself. A romantic new lyricism. A remarkable new direction. Unexpected, inevitable and absolutely..." okay, enough. We made some sound samples, so check 'em out.
RealAudio clip: "Shifting Sands"
RealAudio clip: "Aftermath"

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XV (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Though a formally composed soundtrack to suit each step of its filmic events, Filmworks XV is fluid, engaging and emotionally moving. Zorn plays a moody and meandering electric Wurlitzer organ with master percussionist Cyro Baptista and bassist and oud player Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz. The result is a soundtrack that absolutely holds its own as an incredible composition.
Its framework is built upon melodic improvisation that is activated by a momentous balance of space and rhythm. Traces of folk music (from Hasidic to Yiddish) combined with the soul-jazz sound of the Wurlizter create an appropriately emotional mood for Protocols of Zion, a documentary about the rise of anti-Semitism following 9/11 by director Marc Levin. Truly amazing and moving. Each listen is more rewarding than the previous. Excellent!
MPEG Stream: "Searching For A Past"
MPEG Stream: "Fighting Time"

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XVI: Workingman's Death (Tzadik) cd 16.98

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XVIII (Tzadik) cd 16.98

ZORN, JOHN First Recordings 1973 (Tzadik) cd 15.98
"A peek into the secret world of a teenage weirdo, revealing the early seeds that developed into the composer's later dementia." (--from the obi)

ZORN, JOHN First Words (Tzadik) CD + Book 45.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, MAINLY BECAUSE IT WAS AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE! HEE HEE! SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's hard to believe it's already been half a year since John Zorn's 50th birthday party. People are STILL talking about what a great party it was and what an excellent batch of new Tzadik releases related to his septuagenarian anniversary we've been blessed with. Wow. Wow! I mean WOW! And what more of a suitable way of kicking off the second half of this year's batch than with First Words. Recorded in the early months of 1955 by his doting mother (using a portable Wollensack recorder purchased at Sears) as he lay in his crib in his yellow and gray camouflage pajamas, the first track of First Words is exactly as one would expect: The very first words uttered by John Zorn! These two syllables, spoken in the interval of a major second, have mystified Zorn for most of his life. This kernel of music, this germinal source of inspiration, was it meant to lead into something, or was it a cadence? Frustrated in his attempts to understand the genius of his earlier self, Zorn went so far as to enroll in Columbia University's Ph.D. program in musicology in an attempt to analyze and break the code on the brief musical passage. The fruits of his labors resulted in the completion of his thesis: The Ontological Implications Of My First Utterance, which is included in hardback form in this limited edition first pressing. The remaining 11 tracks on the album are all compositions commissioned by Zorn and performed by the Downtown scene's greatest: Steve Lacy, Wayne Horvitz, Ikue Mori, Fred Frith, Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp, Dave Douglas, Otomo Yoshihide and more!
MPEG Stream: "Goo"
MPEG Stream: "Gah"

ZORN, JOHN From Silence To Sorcery (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Willie Winant has a star turn here on the track "Gris-Gris" for 13 tuned drums.

ZORN, JOHN Gift, The0 (Tzadik) cd 16.98
A nice and pleasant record from the notorious John Zorn? Yes, and one that, in keeping with its title, could be the Zorn you might give to your mother, only perhaps not since the booklet has artwork by Trevor Brown (best known for the infamous Whitehouse album covers)! From Tzadik's obi blurb: "A beautiful and lyrical exploration of surf, exotica, easy listening and world beat, The Gift is an honest and heartfelt offering to music lovers the world over: an invitation to forget about the worries and cares of the world; to sit back and relax. Featuring Marc Ribot (Postizos), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), Cyro Baptista (Herbie Hancock), Jamie Soft (Bobby Previte), Joey Baron (Masada) and many special guests, this is the album Naked City fans have been waiting for. A side of John Zorn you've rarely heard, the music of The Gift is both relaxing and stimulating, like feeling perfectly at home in a place you've never been before. John Zorn 'for lovers only.'" Hmm.

ZORN, JOHN Hockey (Tzadik) cd 16.98
The Zorn archival onslaught continues with another cd reissue of one of his many game piece compositions. 'Hockey' was recorded in 1980 and performed by an all-star cast of Downtown NY visionary improvisors. The composition itself, written in 1978, requires that each improvisor limit themselves to five sounds, which are repeated through a series of solos, duos and trios. If you've witnessed Zorn's Cobra ensembles, this is sort of an early prototype of a fragmental portion of the complex game piece that is still performed in many various combinations. Includes two incarnations: the first, all electric, features Eugene Chadbourne (guitar and effects), Wayne Horvitz (amplified piano) and Bob Ostertag (various electronics). The second version features Polly Bradfield (violin), Mark E. Miller (percussion) and Zorn himself (various duckcalls on clarinet mouthpiece). Along with the versions restored here from the original Parachute lp, over twenty minutes of material is added as a bonus!
RealAudio clip: "Take 2"

ZORN, JOHN IAO: Music In Sacred Light (Tzadik) cd 16.98
In dedication to avant filmmaker Kenneth Anger (Lucifer Rising, Scorpio Rising, Invocation Of My Demon Brother, Fireworks, etc.), Zorn has composed "IAO", an epic seven-part suite inspired by the cult auteur's work as well as the Thelemic theology of Aleister Crowley. Through the seven segments, Zorn's latest masterpiece reflects upon the many facets of Alchemy, Metaphysics, Mysticism and Magick, dramatically shifting through newer, unexplored musical dimensions. With assistance from the talented crew of Jamie Saft, Mike Patton, Cyro Baptisa, Bill Laswell, Greg Cohen, Jennifer Charles, Rebecca Moore, Beth Hatton and Jim Pugliese, Zorn furthers his personal exploration of tenebrous sound. From minimalist generative electronic dronings to faux exotic percussive mantras, ritualistic pagan choral seances to full on death metal blowout, "IAO" is possibly Zorn's most ambitious work to date. And he succeeds in crafting a wicked mélange of alchemic erraticism, mystical beauty and diabolic witchery. Not since "Grand Guignol", maybe "Weird Little Boy", has Zorn spawned a torturous and stark behemoth of such exquisite magnitude. And I never thought I'd see a Tzadik record with a huge pentagram on the back! Fuck yeah!
RealAudio clip: "Clavicle Of Solomon"
RealAudio clip: "Leviathan"

ZORN, JOHN Kristallnacht (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Again, the obi: "Recorded in 1993, Kristallnacht is Zorn's most powerful and unforgiving composition. This premiere work of Radical Jewish Culture features a virtuosic ensemble of creative Jewish musicians: Mark Feldman, Marc Ribot, Mark Dresser, William Winant, Frank London, Anthony Coleman, David Krakauer."

ZORN, JOHN Lacrosse (Tzadik) 2cd 22.00
An early Zorn game-piece, circa 1977. Musicians/game players include Eugene Chadbourne, Henry Kaiser, Bruce Ackley, LaDonna Smith, Davey Williams, and Zorn himself. Crazy-sounding results as you might imagine. Previously available on the "Parachute Years" box set. If you didn't spring for that seven-disc brick, here's a more affordable taster of the late '70s work that set John Zorn on his path to today's superstardom...

ZORN, JOHN Love, Madness and Mysticism (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Three new compositions by Zorn, wonderfully executed by Jennifer Choi (violin), Erik Friedlander (cello), and Stephen Drury (piano). As to be expected, these pieces range from subtly beauty to harsh dissonance, just as the title might suggest: madness and love. Mysticism? We'll leave that for you to discover. Recommended, as this is definitely one of the better Zorn releases of this year. From the accompanying obi strip: "Definitive performances of three dynamic new chamber pieces pushing the boundaries of virtuosity and intensity. Le Mômo, for violin and piano is a work of extremes, a ritual about exorcism and possession inspired by the works of visionary 20th Century shaman Antonin Artaud. Untitled, dedicated to Joseph Cornell, the hermetic New York artist whose delirious box constructions mix innocent nostalgia with uncomfortable personal obsessions, is a tour de force for solo cello brilliantly performed by Erik Friedlander. The piano trio Amour Fou explores love -- obsessive love, mad love, doomed love in a compendium of moods ranging from Buñuel to Bataille, Scriabin to Messiaen. A mysterious and romantic new direction from John Zorn."
RealAudio clip: "Amour Fou"

ZORN, JOHN Magick (Tzadik) cd 16.98
What would a record exploring the worlds of magick and alchemy sound like? Well, if you're John Zorn, it apparently sounds like really intense horror movie soundtrack music. "Necronomicon" is a gorgeously anxious and frighteningly jagged piece for string quartet, that lulls you into a brooding, contemplative languor one moment, and sticks a knife in your back and sends you careening down the stairs into a zombie filled basement the next. Five movements of menacing moans, maniacal screeching and creepy pizzicato plinking that is as angular and aggressive as it is pensive and pretty. The final track "Sortilege", for two bass clarinets, sounds a bit like Peter And The Wolf (sort of unavoidable with TWO clarinets) but is a little more hyper and atonal, with didgeridoo like rumblings and rapid-fire bursts of shriek and skree.
MPEG Stream: "The Magus"
MPEG Stream: "Sortilege"

ZORN, JOHN Masada Guitars (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Wow, wild and beautiful solo guitar interpretations of Masada tunes! The long-running, deservedly popular Masada project has perhaps been the most fruitful product of the convergence of two of composer John Zorn's deepest devotions: Judaism and jazz. (His interest in Japanese bondage, on the other hand, intersects with his music in Naked City and Painkiller, but not here). Probably the various Masada recordings would take a primary place among the prolific Zorn's many releases, were we writing his epitaph (or critical discography). And this new Masada disc is a fine addition to the canon. Here, three well-known, Zorn-connected downtown NYC avant-guitarists -- Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell, and Tim Sparks -- try their hand at adapting Zorn's ancient-seeming melodies to their own arrangements and extended techniques. Alternating performances across the twenty-one tracks on offer here, these guitarists wring much emotion from their strings, but generally do so quietly and with care. Achingly beautiful, beautifully tangled. There are three distinct personalities playing here, yet this manages to flow together into one quite lovely whole. Maybe *too* lovely for some of us here who don't like their jazz so pretty...but we're pretty sure this is going to be a hit.
RealAudio clip: BILL FRISELL "Abidan"
RealAudio clip: MARC RIBOT "Kedem"

ZORN, JOHN Masada Rock featuring Rashanim (Tzadik) cd 16.98
A Zorn-approved rock band plays Masada songs, that's right.

ZORN, JOHN Masada String Trio, Vol. 1 (Tzadik) cd 16.98

ZORN, JOHN Masada: Live In Middelheim 1999 (Tzadik) cd 15.98
One of Zorn's most popular groups continues in its quest to take up as much space as possible on the cd-shelves of loyal fans. This concert, recorded for Belgian radio, features more of their wild and wonderful klezmer-inflected jazz.

ZORN, JOHN Moonchild (Tzadik) cd 16.98

ZORN, JOHN Music For Children (Tzadik) cd 15.98
But music for whose children? Cover art by Katan Amano, Yoshida Ryoichi, Macioce, Henry Darger, Hans Belmer and other artists give this music a context of abject child sexuality.
The music is really diverse, from the quick-change acrobatics of Boston's Prelapse performing Naked City compositions, to Zorn "playing" wind machines (lovely!), to Anthony Coleman playing a celeste music box, to a spaghetti western sounding piece with Ribot, Friedlander and Greg Cohen, to a piece with the Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio. This is one of Zorn's best cd's in quite a while.

ZORN, JOHN Mysterium (Tzadik) cd 15.98

ZORN, JOHN Pool (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Archival John Zorn reissue, recorded in 1980 (previously to be found in the massive "Parachute Years" box set). With Zorn on saxophones, clarinets, and his trademark (back then anyway) duck calls. Other players: Bob Ostertag (electronics), Charles K. Noyes (percussion), Mark E. Miller (percussion), and Polly Bradfield (violin). "Pool" is a bit similar to Zorn's later "Cobra" game-pieces. A rare false start version of Zorn's "Alchemy" is tacked on as a bonus. Zornophiles, line up.

ZORN, JOHN Rituals (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Downtown jazzmaster cum avantegardist John Zorn plunges into the world of opera with Rituals, composed for the Bayreuth Opera Festival in 1988. At just under 27 minutes it has to win the Guiness Book of World Records award for the shortest opera. An engaging and mysterious work written for solo voice and 10 instruments, Rituals' strange orchestration includes Owls, Wind Machines, Gravedigging, and Ritual Magick! This recording of Rituals features Heather Gardner, Tara O'Connor, Mike Lowenstern, Peter Kolkay, Jim Pugh, Jim Pugliese, Stephen Drury, Jennifer Choi, Fred Sherry, Kurt Muroki and the inimitable Willie Winant.
MPEG Stream: "I"
MPEG Stream: "II"

ZORN, JOHN Six Litanies For Heliogabalus (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron, Jamie Saft, Ikue Mori... it's pretty extreme this one!

ZORN, JOHN Songs From The Hermetic Theater (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Zorn's latest venture consists mainly of tributes to twentieth century artists/visionaries. Zorn's homage to Harry Smith is his first attept at an exclusively electronic music; it sounds like abrasive short-wave crackle with twinkly star-trek video game noises as you might enjoy on a futuristic ride at Disneyland. His tribute to Maya Deren, the "mother of American experimental filmmaking," is much more successful; deep, rumbling bass in stereo is paired with more organic flourishes. The third track, "The Nerve Key," is Zorn's first piece of computer music;" and it returns to the jagged, electronic mayhem of the second track. Pretty "Beuysblock" evokes the sounds of ritualized movement and the array of materials (for instance, animal carcasses) used by Dusseldorf artist Joseph Beuys.
RealAudio clip: "American Magus"
RealAudio clip: "Beuysblock"

ZORN, JOHN Taboo And Exile (Tzadik) cd 15.98

ZORN, JOHN The Big Gundown: 15th Anniversary Edition (Tzadik) cd 14.98
"The Big Gundown" is John Zorn's famed Ennio Morricone tribute album, wherein Zorn and his downtown cronies (Diamanda Galas, Fred Frith, Arto Lindsay, Vernon Reid, Ned Rothenberg, Christian Marclay, Michihiro Sato, and many many more) play the music of the Italian spaghetti western soundtrack master. Now it's been reissued 15 years later in a digitally remastered, expanded edition. Yep, there's six new, recently recorded bonus tracks (which feature another slew of notables, from Derek Bailey to memmbers of Masada and Mr. Bungle). Arguably one of the Zorn essentials, at the very least it, along with "Spillane", are the Zorn documents that point to his later fixation with soundtrack-music inspired compositions in Naked City.

ZORN, JOHN The Bribe (Tzadik) cd 15.98
This weeks' John Zorn overload intensifies with the release of these 1986 Zorn radio-play soundtracks, similar to his noir-genre-splice piece Spillane of the same period.

ZORN, JOHN The Circle Maker (Tzadik) 2cd 21.00
Wow! Essentially part two to Zorn's wonderful Bar Kohkba. Let's go with the obi: "The first cd, Issachar, showcases the exciting Masada String Trio and features the telepathic interplay of Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander and Greg Cohen. The second cd, Zevulum, expands the trio into a sextet with Marc Ribot, Cyro Baptista and Joey Baron. Passion and virtuosic fireworks abound in this historic set of New Jewish Music at its best."

ZORN, JOHN The Classic Guide to Strategy (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Obi (Wan Kenobi) explains: "Zorn's infamous solo music for saxophone and duckcalls brings together his obsessive love for cartoon music, free jazz and musique concrete in a passionate and astonishing heterophony." 2 albums on one disc, c. 1981-85.

ZORN, JOHN The Classic Guide To Strategy Volume Three (Tzadik) cd 16.98

ZORN, JOHN The Unknown Masada (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Otherwise known as "Masada 10 Years Volume 3" this disc is the third in a series of covers discs celebrating a decade of jazz iconoclast John Zorn's Masada, the jazz-meets-Judaism project that in a lot of ways is his masterwork. What do they mean by "The Unknown Masada"? Well apparently the twelve tracks here are all Zorn/Masada compositions that have never before been recorded! The diverse lineup of contributors include the usual downtown NYC jazz supects, outsider avantgardists, some klezmer-oriented troupes, and prog rock weirdos. Specifically, this features Mike Patton's Fantomas (with easily the most frightening cut on here), Dave Douglas, Naftule's Dream, Eyvind Kang, Wadada Leo Smith, Eric Friedlander, Jami Saft, and others. Tatsuya Yoshida of Japan's Ruins contributes an amazing acrobatic progged-out track that's one of the disc's highlights. If you heard the previous "Voices In The Wilderness" double cd comp of Masada covers (vol. 2 in this series) this is quite similar, varied yet sounding "Masada" through and through (with the exception perhaps of that Fantomas cut). A worthy tribute, again.
MPEG Stream: TATSUYA YOSHIDA "Shofetim"

ZORN, JOHN Voices In the Wilderness (Tzadik) 2cd 21.00
The "Masada Guitars" disc from a few months back was but part one of Tzadik's 10th anniversary celebration of John Zorn's Masada group. Volume 2, "Voices In The Wilderness" continues the tribute, this time with two discs worth of catchy Masada covers by a host of musicians from downtown NYC and beyond. There's a lot of jazz and klezmer ensembles represented, as you'd expect, but also rock and electronica artists as well, many with previous releases on Tzadik. Some of 'em: Mike Patton, Naftule's Dream, Rova Saxophone Quartet, Satlah, Mephista, Pachora, Cracow Klezmer Band, Marc Ribot, Steven Bernstein, Jewlia Eisenberg, Tin Hat Trio, Kramer, Davka, Medeski Martin and Wood, and more. Definitely a lively crew! This is kind of the "party" Masada release as a result.
MPEG Stream: PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER "Karaim"
MPEG Stream: BEN PEROWSKY TRIO "Kisofim"

ZORN, JOHN Xu Feng (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Nothing can do better justice to a John Zorn release than his own obi (that chic Japanese-style paper card that fits over the spine), so without further ado, we give you the word from the horse's mouth: "This exciting release initiates a new series of CDs documenting the best of John Zorn's infamous game pieces, harnessing improvisers in complex compositional formats, combining the unpredictable edge of improvisation with the structural integrity of written composition. "Xu Feng" (shoo-fung) was composed immediately after "Cobra" and is the most dynamic and fast-paced of them all. Intense and violent, and featuring an extraordinary all-star band [Fred Frith, John Schott, Chris Brown, David Slusser, Dave Lombardo & William Winant], "Xu Feng" captures the exciting Kung-fu action of the martial arts for which the piece is named."

ZORN, JOHN'S MASADA Masada 10 (DIW) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Unbelievably, the FINAL volume in the Masada series, featuring as usual Zorn, Dave Douglas, Greg Cohen and Joey Baron. Also, as usual, it's great.

ZORN, JOHN, & SATO MICHIHIRO Ganryu Island (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Long-awaited reissue of rare 1984 lp, a collaboration between Zorn's saxophone and the Japanese shamisen of Sato Michihiro (who has also been heard collaborating with other downtown NYC types on his wonderful "Rodan" album from a few years back, and solo on a great PSF disc). Includes bonus tracks.

ZORN, JOHN, & YAMANTAKA EYE (BOREDOMS)-MYSTIC FUGU ORCHESTRA Nani Nani (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Includes the infamous "Bad Hawkwind".