John Zorn’s 30th anniversary of ‘Cobra’

From The Brooklyn Paper:

Thirty years ago, John Zorn found a way to control chaos. In 1984, the celebrated jazz saxophonist and composer introduced the world to a new composition called “Cobra” at a performance at Roulette, then located at a loft space in Tribeca. For the show, a group of musicians — including guitarist Bill Frisell, turntablist Christian Marclay, and trombone player Jim Staley — were given visual instructions by Zorn via printed cards, hand gestures, and even the movement of his baseball cap to play little snippets of improvised solos. The result was a funny and fast-paced cacophony.