November 2002 - zorn-list - mailman.xmission.com

electric masada on fire
by Matthew Garrington 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

Listen, starting a mosh pit is NOT stupid, especially if you are a fan of the Accused. Shit! matt PS I don't feel a wee bit sympathetic for Zorn having to go through all the BS that a composer/band leader may have to go through. He's sill not a bus driver, and frankly he shouldn't be until he learns how to control his temper. Have you ever seen a mad bus driver???!!! I once saw a bus driver shut the bus door on a mother and her child. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive medley & videos from Greatest Hits CD

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An Electric Masada question
by William Crump 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

Does Zorn play with this group, or just conduct as with the trio and sextet? Wm. Crump

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re: electric masada outburst
by jfire 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

I was at the Seattle show last Saturday and my recollection goes like this: A guy about two rows back bellows out near the end of one tune: "NICE BEAT, DRUMMER!" Then, once the tune ends, Zorn sort of scrutinizes the crowd. The same guy then bellows: "We're still here!" Zorn says something like, "yeah, I know. I'm just wondering who's talking? I mean, we're trying to concentrate. It's ok if you enjoy it. That's great. Just don't talk. Listen. I mean, keep your fucking mouth shut." I wouldn't really classify it as a tirade or anything. Not the most tactful way to handle it and humiliating the guy wasn't necessary. I brief, "we're glad you're enjoying the show, but we'd appreciate you just listening while we play" would've been nicer, but I don't think Zorn cares much about being nice. Like someone mentioned, he has no shortage of self-esteem. Overall, though, he's thing was a lot less bothersome than the guy shouting ove the music. Some people feel like they have to make some one-on-one contact with the performers, even it it's negative, I guess. For what it's worth, the band itself was awesome. I didn't enjoy it as much as a Masada quartet performance, but the musicianship and interaction was a joy to behold. There are overtones of electric Miles and even Santana in the overall electric jaminess of it. Zorn does a lot of "conduction"--telling when he wants the other guys to play, or when he wants different groupings to play off eachother. He DOES play sax thoughout--someone else was asking if he actually participates in the group or if they just play his music. I was most impressed with Ribot and Wolleson, though everybody holds their own. Cyro was a lot of fun, particularly during a quiet tune (I'm sorry, I can't keep track of which tune is which. It sounded very much like something off "The Gift." Perhaps something on one of the new "Filmworks" albums) where he did bird calls and stuff. I hope they'll do issue a CD (maybe even with the "Nice Beat, Drummer" on it! It'd be sort of like Dylan's "Judas" album but different). Also, I think we're due for a Zorn-related DVD. Wouldn't you love to SEE the assorted Masada groups on a disk? Over and out, John Firehammer This is Pop! The Best Pop Culture Sites on the Web http://thisispop.50megs.com __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos http://launch.yahoo.com/u2

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Re: John's Electric Masada Experience.
by Kevin 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

I was at the Electric Masada show in Vancouver, and there wasn't any audience confrontation at all. At one point some guy got up and started dancing and drumming on the stage, but Zorn didn't say a thing. I can't say i blame him for tearing into that guy, though Whether they're shouting praise or derision - it can really take you out of the moment or music, as it were. Case in point being the night after Electric Masada, i saw Diamanda Galas at the same venue, and there was a couple behind that just would not shut the fuck up - making inane comments and so-forth. It's happened before at other shows, but i never got so annoyed that i said anything - but this time it was so distracting i had to turn around and tell them to shut the fuck up, which thankfully, they did. There's probably more tactful ways of dealing with them, but interruptions are interruptions - regardless of intent.

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Re: Electric Masada Outburst
by mr.dave＠attbi.com 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

Actually I was at the show too, but my reaction to 'the incident' was different than John's. The vocal audience member was sitting second row center, maybe 10 or 12 feet from JZ's elbow. Actually JZ said, "You, why don't you shut up?" The audient said, "It's so beautiful!", to which JZ said, "Enjoy the show, but shut your fat mouth." Zorn didn't say "fucking mouth" until AFTER the audience applauded him. The guy didn't leave as far as I noticed. I think he just enjoyed the rest of the show with his mouth shut. I wasn't offended, and I don't think very many others were either. I've certainly heard stories (and heard tape) of much worse than that. It was truly a fabulous show by the way, and I'm glad I went. It's not often you get to see Masada tunes performed with the intensity of Naked City ... Dave > I bet most of the audience was either secretly or obviously happy that Zorn > told the guy off. I would have been. Why should one jerk-offs "expression" of a > good time get in the way of the other hundreds of people who paid the same > amount of money not to hear some dork's interjections, but the music itself. > Maybe he could have been more diplomatic, but I've seen plenty of instances > (nearly every Empty Bottle festival for instance) where the presenters or > performers are asking kindly for consideration and not getting it. I've told > off more than a few co-audience members standing or sitting near me who were > being too loud myself - usually to the cheers of the rest of the audience. > Being nice about it usually doesn't work, being logical and angry gets the job > done though, sad to say. It baffles me why people would pay good money to hear > music and then talk through it. If I want to talk to my friends we go to a > restaurant or a bar w/o live music or bowling or for a walk or something.

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RE: Electric Masada Outburst
by Downard, Peter 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

As Gertrude Stein (or someone must have) said, a jerk is a jerk. Anyway, this can't really matter. If you emptied your record collection of every work by every artist who has been objectionable on a personal level in his or her life, you would be missing a lot of the greatest music ever recorded. Peter Downard

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Re: Upcoming Tzadik releases
by mr.dave＠attbi.com 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

This is correct. I know that Zony Mash recorded a track last Wednesday, and the tune has made it into their live show as well. Dave ---------------------------------- Wow. He is putting out his own tribute album? John Schuller www.johnschuller.com www.worldmisery.com do you know the deutsch that I'm sprechen?

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Re: Electric Masada Outburst
by Crowmeat Bob 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

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Re: Electric Masada Last Night
by Tom Benton 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

skip heller wrote... > John -- You make a good point here, but you might want to take it a step > further: You're John Zorn, you've time-consumingly written and arranged > a bunch of music... You think? Admittedly, I haven't heard the electric masada band, but based on some of these filmworks records it doesn't seem like he's working very hard at all some of the time. Unless the time-consuming part is figuring out where he put his rolodex. Don't get me wrong, he's a monstrously talented guy when he's on, but I suppose I just flinch a little bit at seeing 'music composed by JZ' stamped on 'Trembling Before God' just as a for instance (a record I enjoy quite a lot, for the record). But anyway, I suppose that's beside the point. John Zorn is certainly not a human jukebox, but he may be a talented asshole. As someone mentioned earlier, maybe this is such a part of his schtick at this point that he can't just solve problems like a stern but nevertheless civil human being; still, given the choice between ruining some affectionate if massively inconsiderate idiot's day or not, I'm a fan of the latter. (and this doesn't even touch on the sad witnesses to this massively unprofessional explosion...)

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Re: Upcoming Tzadik releases
by john schuller 11 Nov '02

11 Nov '02

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