Free Jazz Music

Nothing in modern-era music this ferocious, powerful, utterly beautiful and, ultimately, non-categorizable since Mahavishnu in its '70's prime. Nothing. Check out the 2 live versions of "Metal Tov".

I got into John Zorn and H.P. Lovecraft at about the same time (late 1980's), and have been a huge fan of both ever since. Somehow I missed this title when it first came out, having just found and purchased it a couple of weeks ago while catching up on Zorn's "hermetic" period (IAO, Magick, etc). Although none of the track titles or liner notes refer to Lovecraft by name, it's still mind-blowing to see a Zorn record with a Lovecraft title. Talk about concentric circles!

I can only echo the previous comments about how good a recording this is. I can't remember the last time a piece of NEW electric music got me out of my chair and dancing around, but this one certainly did. The comparisons to Miles' electric period are valid, but this is Miles-electric to factor of 10. Hints of everything from Santana to John Coltrane, even to Tom Scott/Weather Report, reverberate, but Electric Masada is still uniquely Zorn.

Despite the inaccurate Amazon description of only 1 disk (a creeping problem with this site, it seems), 2 live concerts are represented on the 2 x 70+ minute disks, with essentially the same titles on each. Disc I opens with the usual Zorn barrage insanity for 3 or 4 minutes, sort of a call to arms, before settling into an amazing groove of textures, rhythms, extended solos, dynamic arrangements, ethnic influences and just out-of-this world musicality. Man, this is good stuff!! Disk II is not far behind, but not quite to the level of Disc I, in my opinion. Still, it is different enough. Not sure why this just wasn't released as a single disk, but I'm not complaining. Can't get enough of it.

While I am not a Zorn expert by any means, I think this is one of his best recordings since the original Naked City albums. Perhaps a bit retro in it's allusion to 70's hard fusion, it's still great to hear a Zorn electric group stretch out on extended solos AND arrangements, with tons of influences AND original concepts. Just a great recording!

John Zorn's Electric Masada project is one of those bands that carries enormous weight with it-- indeed the label website states that "Electric Masada combines the raw power and manic speed of Naked City, the improvisational edge of Cobra and the spiritual lyricism of the Masada songbook"-- certainly a lofty bill to live up to. As-yet unrecorded in the studio, "At the Mountains of Madness" is the second live release by the band, recorded during two dates on the end of a European tour last year. Like the previous release ("50th Birthday Celebration Volume 4", recorded in September of 2003), this one remarkably lives up to all the hyperbole that the label's description can come up with.

For those who haven't seen this band live (and you really should if you get the opportunity-- the records really only capture a fraction of the power live), a bit about the performance environment. Zorn sits in the middle of the band, part performer, part conductor, indicating solos, moments, noises and so on, encourages solos he enjoys, shifting directions in those he does not, and so on. This leaves a fierceness and edginess reminiscent of the Game Pieces, although with the framework of the piece setting up the "rules", it translates better on album than the Game Pieces did. Zorn assembled for this tour what seems to be his preferred cast for Electric Masada-- the leader on alto sax, Marc Ribot on guitar, Ikue Mori on laptop electronics, Jamie Saft on keyboards, Trevor Dunn on bass, Joey Baron and Kenny Wolleson on drums and Cyro Baptista on percussion. Ribot, Saft and Baptista are in Zorn's direct line of sight in his regular playing position and are most commonly utilized in determining and altering direction of the pieces, whereas Dunn and the drummers are usually more concerned with maintaining the groove and rhythmic figures and Mori is somewhere totally in between all of this, providing an oddity to the music that really quite defies definition. The net result is that the entire performance is under Zorn's control at all times, with direction put forth usually via guitar or keyboard. The members of this band have been in projects together for the better part of twenty years of association with Zorn's downtown scene, however, and they respond to each other in powerful ways-- blending together seamlessly and moving as one voice.

About the music itself-- the two sets are both lengthy (the first disc runs about 80 minutes, the second 77), with eight and seven songs performed, respectively. Six songs are performed in both sets, and all the material except for "Metaltov" comes from the Masada book-- "Metaltov" is a Naked City piece that gets fitting readings in both sets. The performances really cover the range of Zorn's expression, from moody, spacious and lyrical ("Abidan", performed on both sets) to breezy with deep grooves ("Lilin" on the first set after the frantic opening) to explosive and fierce ("Metaltov") and overtly Stalling-influenced ("Hath-Arob"). Along the way, some fantastic playing comes forth from all parties, with the performance nothing short of top notch.

Comparing it to the birthday show, it's fairly similar, but if anything the performances here seem to capture more energy somehow. Five of the seven cuts from the birthday CD receive readings on this one, so you've some expectation of the diversity of material from the Masada songbook.

Bottom line-- this is just as fantastic as that release was-- music this powerful is so rarely performed, the opportunity to hear it on record is extraordinary. Highly recommended.

In its original accoustic incarnation, John Zorn's Masada explored more or less standard bebop (with elements of free jazz) using the compositional techniques of "Jewish" music (i.e. Klezmer) as a starting point. This seemed to represent a kind of coservatism for Zorn, who is renowned for his obsessive, fragmented po-mo sensibility. His (and his band's) work under the name Naked City reveled in throwing together as many different styles as possible, sometimes within a single song. So Masada could be seen as Zorn's longing for the "simpler" ways of tradition. With Electric Masada, Zorn seems to have once again decided to let his id run loose and transform his heritage into music that sounds like nothing less (and even a lot more) than a 21st century update of Miles Davis' electric period. I only wish they'd been around about a century ago when I had my Bar Mitzvah; if these guys had played during the reception, I might not have abandoned religion altogether!

I can picture it now: Zorn acting as a conducter/participant with a band including Marc Ribot on electric guitar, Trevor Dunn on bass and Ikue Mori on laptop electronics. They blast full force into the stormy seas of "Lilin" and instantly the dance floor erupts into a moshing mass of marauding Jews, except for my racist great aunt (c'mon, admit it--every family has one) that nobody really likes, who has a conniption and shrivels into an unconscious ball. The drumming of Joey Baron and Kenny Wollesen is as frenzied as the best hardcore punk even as they trade complex rhythmic patterns, which only eggs on the rest of the band. Zorn's signature saxophone playing, with its rapid high-pitched squealing, causes even more damage, shattering wine glasses all over the hall as waiters are trampled underfoot in their efforts to clean up. When the band launches into Naked City holdover "Metal Tov," not even the Roman army can defeat the crowd. The loud, abrasive guitar playing alone sets the roof on fire, and the Rabbi screams (in Yiddish, no less) "we don't need no water, let the m-----f----- burn!" Just when it seems that anarchy is all but inevitable, they play the relatively calm "Karaim" and we are instantly transformed into Torah scholars, bobbing our head to the bebop as we contemplate the mysteries of G-d. But wait! The frenetic "Hath Arob," which makes us imagine a heavenly fistfight between Miles and (Looney Tunes composer) Carl Stalling finally destroys the place, and the survivors emerge from the rubble as new people. I resolve not to waste my Bar Mitzvah money on college and instead travel the world, bringing news of Radical Jewish Culture to the trad, uncool masses. Soon, there is peace in the middle east and decent bagels in middle America. All because of Electric Masada. Amen.

Anyway, "At The Mountains of Madness," two discs of live recordings from the band's tour of Europe, while not enough to make atheists reconsider, is certainly inspiring enough to make H.P. Lovecraft (from whom the title is borrowed) rise from the dead and dance around like a satanic epileptic. And that ain't bubkis, my friends.

This is as good, if not better, than the 50th Birthday recording.

The boys are even tighter and most of the improvisation unfolds with a newfound ease. Don't worry, there is still plenty of insanity when the percussion gets going. Musically it is as if these guys are pounding on the gates of heaven, demanding a dialoge with G-d.

John Coltrane approached improvisation from a spiritual level - - THIS BAND DOES THE SAME!

My only criticism is the minimal amount of new material. Don't get me wrong, I could listen to them play the same song five times in a row. It's just that the songs off the last album had a rawness that it lost once the musicians get truly comfortable with the piece. Even so, they do amazing things once they are comfortable so I can't fault the material. I just want them to stay fresh and continue making music for 30 years!

Joe Morris and Co. are some of the finest improvisers out there. This is one of my fave Joe Morris recordings. It is also live so it has a certain energy to it. Buy it.

joe morris plays free jazz guitar in a style reminiscent of ornette coleman on alto sax, but also firmly schooled in wes montgomery. he stands clear of chordal distortion, playing instead single note improvisations much like a sax or trumpet solo, but firmly in a free style. the four pieces here were recorded live in an intimate performance at the knitting factory's small concert chamber, the old office of the factory. the intimacy is apparent: the feel is relaxed as each musician takes time developing solo interpretations of each tune's theme and rhythms. the first two tracks clock in at over twenty minutes apiece, so there's plenty of time given to exploration. a critique of free jazz is that it often settles into dissonant noodling, but not so here. the solos are remarkable in their study and development, plus the unusual instrumentation keeps the tension sparking (the interplay of viola [mat maneri] and guitar is amazing-- the viola almost becomes like a hammond b-3 at times). the band is top notch. the only gripe is that gerald cleaver sounds so restrained on drums that he sometimes gets lost in the mix, but his solos are astonishing, proving again that the drum set can be every bit as melodic and harmonic as other instruments. overall, this is a great free jazz session. enjoy!

As with Miles Davis, it seems if Sun Ra found special solace in performing live late in his career, though severe health problems had begun to rob him of his incredible gifts.

In what was scheduled to be a gig by tenor saxophonist John Gilmore and his group, Sun Ra sits in and plays a supporting role by adding wonderful textures on his synthesizer. The band - Chris Anderson, piano; Bruce Edwards, guitar and a rhythm section of John Ore and Buster Smith - is in outstanding form and shapes the music through the guidance from Sun Ra.

Clocking in at nearly 65 minutes, this is Sun Ra giving everything he has for the musicians and the audience. The legend lives through his stage presence.

Can these guys even play? It sounds like amateur hour at the local open mike night. Sloppy playing and thoughtless arrangements of a few standards and a couple of originals. It's basically a straight-ahead quintet with Sun Ra noodling above it all on synthesizer apparently whenever the spirit moves him. I laughed out loud several times at his absurd interjections. None of the soloists generate much excitement and the occasional interesting idea is never explored or developed. Gilmore especially sounds tired and bored. Maybe Sun Ra is a jazz legend but this record sounded like jive to me.

This greatly underrated album is wonderful, trippy jazz. What we have is basically a 5-piece band comprising Chris Anderson on piano, John Gilmore on tenor sax, plus bass, drums and guitar. Then, in addition, we have Sun Ra tinkling away mostly in the background adding synthesiser effects that give the music that unmistakeable Sun Ra flavor.

Round Midnight is one of the best versions of the tune I have heard, and the 11-minute S'Wonderful is, well, wonderful.

Not much detail on the liner notes, but it is 65-minutes of great music. Two of the tracks can be downloaded from Amazon in MP3 form, so if in doubt, check it out. The quality of the recording is excellent, and apart from a little polite applause at the end of each track, you would never know it's a live recording.

Very, very enjoyable.

Update November 2006

The original part of this review was written a few years ago and was one of the first reviews I wrote for Amazon. This album remains one of my all-time favorites, and while it may not be to everyone's taste, if you do like it, then there is nothing like it. At moment of writing I just finished listening to Round Midnight and still have a smile on my face.

Recorded near the end of his life, he sounds tired. The band -especially Gilmore-sounds good, but Sun Ra's playing is less than dazzling. Stick with the Evidence titles

I do think these performances are quite enjoyable. In point of fact, this band was originally booked as John Gilmore's band. Ra appeared and performed on electric keyboard, adding effects, but the piano playing that is central on these pieces is played by another young man (whose name escapes me) who does sound pretty much exactly like Sun Ra on the instrument. To me the pieces here form a nice little triad of quality recordings from the late 80's/early 90's with "Blue Delight" and "Purple Night"; the music flows and the music speaks its piece.

As with Miles Davis, it seems if Sun Ra found special solace in performing live late in his career, though severe health problems had begun to rob him of his incredible gifts.

In what was scheduled to be a gig by tenor saxophonist John Gilmore and his group, Sun Ra sits in and plays a supporting role by adding wonderful textures on his synthesizer. The band - Chris Anderson, piano; Bruce Edwards, guitar and a rhythm section of John Ore and Buster Smith - is in outstanding form and shapes the music through the guidance from Sun Ra.

Clocking in at nearly 65 minutes, this is Sun Ra giving everything he has for the musicians and the audience. The legend lives through his stage presence.

Can these guys even play? It sounds like amateur hour at the local open mike night. Sloppy playing and thoughtless arrangements of a few standards and a couple of originals. It's basically a straight-ahead quintet with Sun Ra noodling above it all on synthesizer apparently whenever the spirit moves him. I laughed out loud several times at his absurd interjections. None of the soloists generate much excitement and the occasional interesting idea is never explored or developed. Gilmore especially sounds tired and bored. Maybe Sun Ra is a jazz legend but this record sounded like jive to me.

This greatly underrated album is wonderful, trippy jazz. What we have is basically a 5-piece band comprising Chris Anderson on piano, John Gilmore on tenor sax, plus bass, drums and guitar. Then, in addition, we have Sun Ra tinkling away mostly in the background adding synthesiser effects that give the music that unmistakeable Sun Ra flavor.

Round Midnight is one of the best versions of the tune I have heard, and the 11-minute S'Wonderful is, well, wonderful.

Not much detail on the liner notes, but it is 65-minutes of great music. Two of the tracks can be downloaded from Amazon in MP3 form, so if in doubt, check it out. The quality of the recording is excellent, and apart from a little polite applause at the end of each track, you would never know it's a live recording.

Very, very enjoyable.

Update November 2006

The original part of this review was written a few years ago and was one of the first reviews I wrote for Amazon. This album remains one of my all-time favorites, and while it may not be to everyone's taste, if you do like it, then there is nothing like it. At moment of writing I just finished listening to Round Midnight and still have a smile on my face.

Recorded near the end of his life, he sounds tired. The band -especially Gilmore-sounds good, but Sun Ra's playing is less than dazzling. Stick with the Evidence titles

I do think these performances are quite enjoyable. In point of fact, this band was originally booked as John Gilmore's band. Ra appeared and performed on electric keyboard, adding effects, but the piano playing that is central on these pieces is played by another young man (whose name escapes me) who does sound pretty much exactly like Sun Ra on the instrument. To me the pieces here form a nice little triad of quality recordings from the late 80's/early 90's with "Blue Delight" and "Purple Night"; the music flows and the music speaks its piece.

i bought this album several years ago when i was first interested in jazz, and it has continued to be one of my favorite albums of any genre. superb recordings that do not appear on every greatest hits album. overall, a solid purchase.

This is my second purchase of this album. Don't loan it out. It is a great sampler to play for someone unfamiliar with Jazz that ones to hear some. They will get a great introduction to mainstream Jazz. There is something for everyone on it. Well produced