Search - John Zorn :: Masada, Vol. 10

Another great Masada CD

Allan MacInnis | Vancouver | 10/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is, simply, yet another great Masada CD. The band are showing no sign of flagging. They're in fact becoming prolific enough that it's getting hard to differentiate between releases; each disc -- other than the abbreviated, cheap number four -- has equal parts of freeish raucousness, and playful, living jazz inspired by Jewish traditions, played by four superb jazzmen and lasting for around an hour; this disc is no exception. My favorite remains Masada seven, which somehow hooked me deeper than the rest, but... Anyhow, if you're considering adding number ten to your collection, I assure you, there's no reason not to. If you've never heard Masada, this is as good a disc to start from as any."

Great album - one of Masada's best!

T. Klaase | Orange Park, Florida United States | 06/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Masada 8 is my favorite out of the series (I do have all ten - and all the live ones too for that matter) but this is a close second. Masada 7 and 9 are also very good. Buy it today - you won't be sorry. The performances by all are on fire!!!"

The darkest of the Masada pieces.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 06/24/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Yod" is the last studio recording released by John Zorn's Masada (Zorn- alto sax, composer, Dave Douglas- trumpet, Greg Cohen- bass, Joey Baron- drums), an ensemble playing songs from a book Zorn wrote of melodies using the traditional Jewish scales and performed in a fashion largely reminiscent of the classic Ornette Coleman quartet. The performances rely on the strength of interaction between the musicians and powerful performances are often turned out, this album is no exception.



One thing that becomes readily notably is how overt the klezmer influence is-- whereas it was more a sound or feel in the past records, tracks like "Hashmal", "Tevel" and "Zevul" sound very much like traditional klezner pieces. Even the overt jazz sound oriented by the performance arrangement seems somewhat minimized. With this aspect so greatly influenced, one that has receded is the Carl Stalling influence on the performances-- Zorn's love of cartoon music is widely known, and this project has often exhibited freer, cartoony improvs. Here, only the brief (and unessential "Kilayim") walks in that domain. But really, its neither of these sounds that are of great interest on this record.



Instead, there's a darkness that pervades some of the works, an urgency that comes forth on pieces like the explosive "Ruach", the mounrful "Yechida" and the extended "Abrakala". "Ruach" opens the record with a screech and a fierceness that often pervades Zorn's work before settling into a groove. But it maintains a power to the performance that is uncommon even in Masada. "Yechida" is a soft, mournful piece, opening with a trumpet cadence gently responded to by Zorn before a march beat comes in an Zorn wails away bluesy and really cuts loose even of his own style. Simply amazing. But "Abrakala" may be the most compelling of these-- it takes several minutes to go anywhere, with a slow theme statement and a darkness to the performance as all four subtley express a tension that never gets released-- you wait for the explosion, but it never comes.



All told, there's better Masada pieces, but this one has quite a bit of merit to it. I find that as a whole this one is largely not that rewarding, but there's a couple key pieces that are fantastic. Don't start here, but come back to it when you've become familiar with the band's work, its quite rewarding in its own right."