Search - John Zorn :: Unknown Masada: 10th Anniversary 3

Simultaneously solves two difficult problems . . .

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 06/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simultaneously solves two difficult problems . . .. . . That of the limited range of klezmer music, and that of the stylistic incoherence of anthologies. The first by employing the widest possible variety of performers--everything from The Fantomas purveying klezmer thrash to Julian Kytasty playing solo bandura; from the Medieval-sounding "Shagal," performed on oud, fiddle, ceterina d'amore, and accordion with vocals, to "Demai," featuring Wadada Leo Smith and Ikue Mori. The second by performing all John Zorn compositions. Thus, the annoying sameness of much of klezmer is overcome by such a shocking variety of musicians, while the problem of anthological diffuseness is conquered by focusing on the music of a single composer. The results, it must be admitted, are pretty spectacular: a huge range of aural soundscapes, mercurial, constantly shifting sonic palettes, top-notch artists bridging what would seem like impossibly variegated musical styles. The closest comparison I can think of is that wonderful disc Africa Straight Ahead, which does something similar for African acoustic jazz (though the two disc, of course, sound nothing alike).Let me come clean for a moment. Although I've come to greatly respect and admire John Zorn's Tzadik label, with such fabulous discs as Susie Ibarra's Songbird Suite, Mephista's Entomological Reflections, Jenny Scheinman's Shalagaster, Tim Sparks's At the Rebbe's Table, Cyro Baptista's Vira Loucas, Marc Ribot's Scelsi Morning, R. J. Rodriguez's El Danzon de Moises, I haven't much cared for Zorn's music in the past. My main objection has been that I detect too much of the mannered and ironic about him. For jazz music to succeed, it needs to operate out of genuine appreciation and appropriation, not cool distance. It's ironic that the artists on his label often seem to do a better job of pulling this off than he himself does.Bottom line: I guess Tzadik's kinda like ECM; it doesn't always work, but when it does, it works wonders. As it does here. Eminently worth picking up."

It's not the original Masada but that's okay, right?

T. Klaase | Orange Park, Florida United States | 07/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD reminds me a bit of the Masada double disc release just before it. Different artists looking thru there own eye glass at Zorn's compositions - compositions that are/were intended by and large for the Masada Quartet. Overall the songs are strong, only a few lacking depth and interest. Fantomas performs on track 10 featuring a stellar performance but a poor effort on mixing and/or recording in the studio. They had the same problem on the "directors cut" album from Ipecac. Wadada Leo Smith is interesting...
The two best tracks are the first one, under the direction of Eric Friedlander, and the 3rd track, featuring a confident Dave Douglas boldly arranging the composition with two other sax players, Zorn and someone else. Just what the Doctor ordered on that one!"

Unknown, no longer ...

Troy Collins | Lancaster, PA United States | 05/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The third in a series celebrating John Zorn's 10 year anniversary of his Masada ensemble, The Unknown Masada may go the furthest afield yet. Where the previous tribute CD, Voices in the Wilderness, made an attempt to expand the sonic possibilities of previously documented Masada tunes, this album reveals both unrecorded compositions and drastically different ensembles.Where Voices in the Wilderness utilized a variety of groups to perform Zorn's klezmer tinged jazz pieces, most of those ensembles were either primarily acoustic in nature or more overtly improvisational in their execution. This album, on the other hand, features tunes that have been rarely performed by any of Zorn's various Masada ensembles, if only because most of these pieces are more compositionally intricate.Dave Douglas' piece is exemplary of the albums best features. Not only does it feature an expanded variation on the classic Masada group (including Zorn himself no less) it has enough tricky time changes and stellar solo spots to make the album worth owning for this cut alone. Interpretations by the likes of Erik Friedlander, Naftule's Dream, and Eyvind Kang mingle with lesser known, but equally talented artists.The only weak spots lie in the more rock oriented material, which comes of as overly arranged and less freewheeling. Both Fantomas and Yoshida Tatsuya (from the Ruins) contribute tracks that often sound merely like distorted Middle-Eastern chord changes pounding away into oblivion. These however are the exception to a highly varied album whose merits outweigh its flaws."