Tuesday, May 5, 2009

John Zorn's Masada - Live in Middelheim (1999)




Every album by John Zorn's Masada seems better than the last, and this one is no exception. By the time of this recording the group was a tightly cohesive unit, performing at an extremely high and satisfying level, with Zorn and Douglas playing comfortably at a blistering pace. The songs are tinged with hints of Eastern European harmony, but the heat generated, while perhaps related to the raucous dancing at a Jewish wedding, is firmly rooted in the ways of Avant Garde Jazz. Zorn takes some of his best solos on disk, sounding like silly putty on speed, while the more proper Dave Douglas lags only slightly behind. With a recording time nearing eighty minutes, and substantial contributions from the entire quartet, the recording marks not so much a milestone in the life of the group as a symbol of its ability to constantly expand upon itself and draw on its not inconsequential roots, proving again that you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Jewish-tinged culture. ~ Steven Loewy, All Music Guide

In addition to Mr. Lowey's very knowledgeable review, I have to say that this is one of the best jazz albums in recent years, it grabs you by the balls and never lets go, enjoy. ~d3lta

track listing:

1. Nevuah
2. Sippur
3. Hath-Arob
4. Kedushah
5. Ne'eman
6. Karet
7. Kochot
8. Piram
9. Paran
10. Ashnah
11. Tahah

personnel:

john zorn as
dave douglas t
greg cohen b
joey baron d

rec. 1999

7 comments:

MUSIC THROUGH THE YEARS said...

Hi.Nice surprise.As usually you feed to us your good taste for music.I miss your views and comments about ..everything.Every day i visit you and i am happy to see your music.

HAVE A NICE TIME.

CHRIS

d3lta said...

Hi Chris, thanks for visiting, I miss our repartees too.

babbelino said...

John Zorn Acoustic Masada - Jazz in Marciac 2008

http://rapidshare.com/files/231674310/John_Zorn_Acoustic_Masada_-_Jazz_in_Marciac_2008.rar.html

Anonymous said...

babbelino, the link you provided is dead.

Rab Hines said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Neroon001 said...

I had this recording in my hands and almost bought it once,instead I got a Miles Davis album that I had been looking for.Since then I haven't seen this anywhere.Thank you very much for sharing this one

Anonymous said...
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