Source: Tzadik.
John Zorn: Her Melodious Lay [#9309]
Julian Lage and Gyan Riley have a magical rapport, a deep mutual respect, and have recorded some of Zorn’s most melodious and intimate compositions. In addition to the many books of music written for their trio with Bill Frisell, they have also worked together as a duo on The Bagatelles (2015), Midsummer Moons (2017), Book Beri’ah (2019), and Quatrain (2023). For this fifth duo CD Zorn turns again to William Shakespeare for inspiration and has composed a varied collection of ballads, dances, lullabies, and fantasies that will delight, stimulate, and inspire. Her Melodious Lay contains nine poetic, through-composed pieces that blend classical, folk, jazz, film music, and more into a strikingly dramatic musical vision. Modern guitar music at its very best!
(June 2024)John Zorn: Ballades [#9310]
This third CD from the dynamic piano trio of Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder, and Ches Smith is a delightful surprise—and one of Zorn’s greatest achievements. Exploring a wide variety of tempi, moods, and feelings the compositions dive deeply into the parameters of melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture, stretching the ballade format to its limits and beyond. The trio, three essential members of Zorn’s inner circle, performs with passion, imagination, virtuosity, and a telepathic improvisational interplay at the very highest level. A stunning collection of modern Ballades performed by three of the greatest young musicians in the Downtown scene. Essential!
(July 2024)John Zorn: Hannigan Sings Zorn Volume One [#9311]
A remarkable meeting of two musical forces of nature finally available on recording! Barbara Hannigan is one of the most fearless and passionate performers in the classical world, and here she sings a challenging program of Zorn compositions with the virtuoso pianist Stephen Gosling. Featured here is the long-awaited recording of Jumalattaret, a song cycle in praise of nine Finnish Goddesses out of Sami Shamanism, and Split the Lark, Zorn’s tribute to the magical American poet Emily Dickinson. Using a variety of musical techniques and genres, the music moves from lyrical folk-like simplicity to more complex atonal and textural pyrotechnics. Included as a bonus is a rare piece of juvenilia: the charming surrealistic song Nazdar, Poupon, Nazdar. Composed circa 1971, when Zorn was about 17 years old, it is a very early example of Zorn’s multi layered genre smashing. In its brief twominute duration it contains traditional, proportional and graphic notation, and touches upon tonality, atonality, Messiaen birdsong, jazz, cartoon music, lyricism, French recitativo, whispering, vocalise, and vocal noises.
(July 2024)Mark Dresser: In The Shadow Of A Mad King [#4049]
Mark Dresser, the world’s most acclaimed experimental bassist, who has literally written the book on extended contrabass techniques, presents a fabulous CD of solo bass music. Featuring his dear friend, the honored poet Jerome Rothenberg (then 91 years old) on one long epic track, this project continues a long tradition that goes back to the 1950s jazz-poetry experiments of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Patchen, and Ferlinghetti. Close friends and colleagues for decades, the telepathy between Mark and Jerome is both palpable and inspiring. A classic!
(June 2024)
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