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

Upcoming Tzadik releases for February
by Peter Gannushkin 22 Nov '02

22 Nov '02

Hello All, KOCH put four new Tzadik releases on the web site: 1 Elliott Sharp "String Quartet - 1986-1996" 2 John Zorn "Masada - 10th Anniversary" 3 Paul Shapiro "Midnight Minyan" 4 Ben Perowsky "Camp Song" All four are marked as "avant-garde" and should be out on February 25. First two of these sound really interesting, the third one might be also worth to check out, and I cannot care less about the last one, but who knows, it might be good two. NP: DJ Logic "The Anomaly" (CD) -- Best regards, Peter Gannushkin e-mail: shkin(a)shkin.com URL: http://www.downtownmusic.net/

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Electric Masada Review
by Samerivertwice＠aol.com 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

Not sure if this was posted yet. Tom John Zorn's Electric Masada At the Vogue Theatre on Friday, November 8 • By Alexander Varty John Zorn's Electric Masada is likely the most conventional and least interesting project the New York City-based saxophonist has ever embarked upon. Ranked against any of his other bands, it comes up short: compared to the split-second transitions and live plunderphonics of Naked City, its music is undeveloped and predictable; compared to the telepathic chamber jazz of News for Lulu, it's self-indulgent and harmonically simple; compared to the original, acoustic Masada, it's ungainly and overamped. Compared to just about everything else out there, it's just fine. In a way, it's possible to peg Electric Masada as Zorn's reaction to the jam-band movement, although he would probably dismiss that as an overly easy analysis. Yet this group does display a lot of the traits of the genre: long guitar solos, Hammond organ, a bass player who's happy to hang onto a simple ostinato for hours on end, a double-drummer percussion attack. But the similarities to the Grateful Dead and their offspring end there. Rather than base his music on stretched-out rock-song structures, Zorn has opted to go back to one of the greatest jammers of the 20th century, Miles Davis, and pick up where the late trumpeter left off on classic albums like Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson. Sure, the melodies that Zorn's working with here are different from those employed by Miles and his in-house composers Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul, but not that different. For Friday's concert, Electric Masada investigated several of the more than 200 titles Zorn has composed based on traditional Jewish modes and scales. But Shorter was interested in Middle Eastern music and Zawinul drew on his own Eastern European heritage in his compositions; it's only a short jump from what they were writing to what Zorn is doing. And once the tunes are in place, the methodology and even the staging of the music are nearly identical. When Zorn turns his back on the crowd to conduct the band, one can't help but be reminded of Davis's self-contained—some might say antagonistic—stage presence. Roughly speaking, both Davis and Zorn build their electric music by piling up layer upon layer of sound; the geological notion of strata might be a useful metaphor. Starting with the bass guitar—a ploy Davis borrowed from James Brown's mid-'60s bands—they add drums, percussion, and keyboards, all of which play more or less continuously. Guitar and horns then solo over the top, or add contrasting bits of instrumental colour. Sometimes everything collapses into pointillistic abstraction; then the bass comes back in and the musicians are off and running again. The pace is generally speedy, but occasionally slows for dreamy, balladlike interludes. Within this context, bands succeed or fail based on their ability to communicate, and in that regard Electric Masada truly distinguished itself. All seven musicians proved such virtuoso listeners that it seems unfair to single any of them out for special praise. Unfair or not, percussionist Cyro Baptista deserves a bonus for his unflagging energy and keenly appropriate sense of timing; whenever the jamming threatened to slump into mere noodling, he was there to pick up the pace. But it likely didn't take much encouragement to get guitarist Marc Ribot, keyboardists John Medeski and Jamie Saft, bassist Trevor Dunn, and drummer Kenny Wollesen back in line. Compared to some of the high-concept situations these players have engaged in, Electric Masada must seem a bit of a holiday, and on Friday everyone certainly sounded like they were having fun.

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Question about Mark E. Smith of The Fall
by Greg.Mills＠JWT.com 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

A friend mentioned Mark Smith has a solo album. This is alarming to say the least. Has anyone heard it? Is it music? Spoken word? I really can't imagine a Mark Smith side sounding much different from the Fall, unless it was spoken word. ------------------------------------ This transmission is confidential and intended solely for the person or organization to whom it is addressed. It may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it. If you believe you received this transmission in error, please notify the sender. ------------------------------------

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Re: Paris-recommendations
by Benjamin Pequet 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

At 04:57 PM 11/21/2002 -0700, papagian(a)nat.vu.nl wrote: >I will be in Paris for the next 2 weeks. Are there any >particular events/things/places that are worth looking for? >Any jazz/impro venues? From my bookmarks here are certainly a few links where to start: (all are not necessarily relevant, sorry) Batofar http://www.batofar.org Café de la Danse http://www.chez.com/cafedeladanse Groupe de recherches musicales http://www.ina.fr/grm Instants Chavirés http://www.instantschavires.fr.st IRCAM http://www.ircam.fr Improvisation Database http://www.improvdb.fr.st Mains d'Oeuvres http://www.mainsdoeuvres.org Nouveau Casino http://www.nouveaucasino.net KØn'sert Agenda http://www.konsert-agenda.org

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RE: Briggan Krauss
by patbor 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

I really recommend Briggan Krauss in gruops where Steven Bernstein is the leader: Diaspora Soul, Sexmob. SBernstein really gets the best out of BKrauss. ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: Parry Gettelman <parry(a)macconnect.com> Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 15:25:24 GMT >One of my favorite sax players, alto or otherwise. Such a swaggering sound, >and he really listens to other players, rather than just blowing. I wish he >did more as a leader -- his gig w/ 300 (trio w/ Kenny Wollesen and Wayne >Horvitz) at the Knitting Factory festival (or whatever they were calling it) >in 1998 or so was just amazing. The album was very good, too. I also liked >Good Kitty a lot. Wasn't wild about his solo foray into electronica, >however. > >Parry > >_______________________________________________ >zorn-list mailing list >zorn-list(a)mailman.xmission.com >To UNSUBSCRIBE or Change Your Subscription Options, go to the webpage below >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/zorn-list >

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Re: Claypool
by RainDog138＠aol.com 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

wasn't it your arguement that he was too identifiable with everything he did? i just was mentioning that he is NOT on the Waits stuff in case you hadn't heard it. -mike

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No Subject
by Eriedell＠aol.com 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

>> dont forget les claypools "purple onion >> hahah ;OP great album by a white folk >not a claypool fan, personally. primus always reminded me of a cross >between the chilli peppers and rush, and that is not a cross I would gladly >bear. "Purple Onion" is not a primus album. I know this is nitpicky, but it just sounds as if your commenting on the album without hearing it when you attribute it to Primus. >Wasn't the original proposition, though, that Revolver was the best album >ever made by white folks? >...was Beethoven black, as Anthony Braxton brilliantly asserts? Beethoven never made an album--his music has been put on record, but I argue that this is very different than making an "album." The listening experience Beethoven was writing for was a live performance. The Beatles wrote many of their albums to take advantage of the medium (Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour). andy

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Briggan Krauss/Claypool & Attention Deficit
by Theo Klaase 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

I think Wayne Horvitz got the best out of Briggan in each of the Pigpen releases... Wow, there some great music there. Claypool hasn't done it for me since Cheese and Pork Soda... The Oysterhead band was a bore too... Wanna here some great bass in a rock/improv setting - try Attention Deficit's the Idiot King album. The line up is Michael Manring - bass, Tim (Herb) Alexander - drums, and Alex Skolnick - guitar... __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com

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MMM
by alastair＠pretentious.co.uk 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

Someone wrote (sorry, lost the name): >The Beatles wrote many of their albums to take advantage of the medium (Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour). They didn't write Magical Mystery Tour to take advantage of the LP medium. Firstly, it's the soundtrack to their TV film of 1967, and secondly it originally came out as a six-track "double EP", two seven inch vinyl records in a little gatefold sleeve, with cartoon booklet and lyrics. It only came out as an LP in the US and other foreign territories, where they bunged the original six tracks on one side and recent singles and b sides on the other. No doubt US retailers and radio programmers would have found it difficult to get their heads around something that was neither an LP nor a single. In later years it came out as an LP in Britain and when it transferred to CD of course they went with the longer option, but don't tell me that "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" - both recorded BEFORE "Sgt Pepper" - are of a conceptual piece with "I Am The Walrus" and "Your Mother Should Know" because they're not. And it can't be counted as their best LP because it isn't one. Even if you do stretch a point I don't see how anything with "Flying" and "Blue Jay Way" on it could ever be considered for that crown anyway, good though the rest of it is. Ah, the days when (British) pop artists thought it perfectly right not to put their singles on their albums...how I miss them. Alastair -- Personalised email by http://another.com

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Paris-recommendations
by Emmanouil Papagiannakis 21 Nov '02

21 Nov '02

hi, I will be in Paris for the next 2 weeks. Are there any particular events/things/places that are worth looking for? Any jazz/impro venues? thanks manolis

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