John Zorn

I like too the ones you mentioned,( I'd add to the list The Goddess, In Search Of Miraculuos), these are among his most accessible ones, but the more interesting are the inaccessible ones
So maybe we should talk about the ones we dislike
I don't like his AG work(jazz or contemporary), I like his klezmer work  but only in small portions

I have the original Naked City (the debut I guess??)

It's a fun album. I like listening to it once in a while, though somewhere in the middle of the album, it gets too hardcore for my tastes, and I skip a couple of tracks; unless I'm with friends and we get a bit of a laugh out of it. I used to regret purchasing it, but now I'm glad I have it.

The only other John Zorn related album I have is the Electric Masada: 50th Birthday album. This album is absolutely awesome. Honestly I think Ive only listened to it twice, but I remember it being some really cool avant-jazz-fusion. Not the most out there album, kinda tame compared to some stuff Ive heard. I don't have any context for it though, as I don't have any other Masada recordings, or any other Zorn albums in general, but this is a great addition to my fusion collection. I may actually throw this one on today!

I've got this John Zorn documentary DVD, Bookshelf on Top of the Sky, and I was just thinking last night about re-watching it in the near future.

snobb wrote: I own around 50 Zorn/Zorn-related albums, and can agree Electric Masada is one between his best . For newbies with interest to dig Zorn music deeper I would recommend just to read a bit about his different series and projects  to understand better what could be attractive for you. His different projects could vary widely in musical sense - from free-jazz hard core to movie soundtracks (in 60s fashion) to klezmer-based fusion,etc.

You're right about this. I like some of his filmworks too. For example, I want to buy Filmworks xiii: Invitation to a suicide (it appeals me because I'm a happy person).

triceratopsoil wrote: Leng Tch'e and Zorn's grindcore stuff are my favourites of his, but that's pretty much not jazz related.  I'm not a big fan of his elevator jazz.  His classical music is pretty bitchen.

snobb wrote: triceratopsoil wrote: Leng Tch'e and Zorn's grindcore stuff are my favourites of his, but that's pretty much not jazz related.  I'm not a big fan of his elevator jazz.  His classical music is pretty bitchen. All wrong: a lot of Zorn's hard core is free-jazz/hard core, Zorn never wrote or recorded new age ("elevator music"). His "serious" works are far not an easy listening and sure are not for everyone taste.

I'm not talking about his free-jazz/hardcore tracks, I'm talking about the songs he did that were straight grindcore (which by the way isn't the same thing as hardcore), and the comment about "not jazz related" mostly referred to Leng Tch'e.  He did write and record what I think of as elevator jazz, I have at least 2 albums of it.  None of his works are an overwhelmingly difficult listen, a lot of them are boring squawking wank though.

Before you dismiss my post as "all wrong" at least make sure we are on the same page, wouldn't you?


Edited by triceratopsoil - 14 Jul 2011 at 5:56pm

The Truth wrote: Naked City was one hell of a project, just listened to Grand Guignol yesterday and man... Such greatness.

Maybe you fellas can help. I know John Zorn has done more albums that the USA and Europe debt in number but I have only heard one of his albums and have never returned. The mentioned album was "Spy vs Spy" and I did not like at all. Lucky I had borrowed it  Anyway what is real good?

Zorn's different projects/series contain very different music, so if you don't like one it doesn't mean you will hate others as rule. Possibly you could check any original Masada you will find - acoustic mixture of klezmer (Jewish Eastern European folk music, similar to Balkan) and some free-jazz over it. Melodic,easy accessible and catchy. There are some albums from initial series,no big difference which one you will try, they generally are quite similar.

Edited by snobb - 15 Jul 2011 at 5:23pm

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