Unknown Masada CD

The Unknown Masada

Personnel includes: John Zorn, Erik Friedlander, Dave Douglas, Ruins, Julian Kytasty, Ahava Raba, Rashanim, Jewlia Eisenberg, Koby Israelite, Ted Reichman, Zahava Seewald & Psamim, Trevor Dunn, Fantomas, Eyvind Kang, Jamie Saft, Wadada Leo Smith.
Personnel: John Zorn (alto saxophone); John Zorn; Mike Patton (vocals, electronics); Tatsuya Yoshida, Zahava Seewald (vocals); Koby Israelite (guitar, accordion, drums, percussion); Yaron Stavi (guitar, upright bass); Greg Cohen, Buzz Osborne (guitar); Brandon Seabrook (electric guitar); Julian Kytasty (bandurria); Michaël Grébil (oud); Tuur Florizoone (accordion); Glenn Dickson (clarinet); John Telfer (baritone saxophone); Gary Bohan, Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet); Sid Gauld (flugelhorn); Jim Gray (tuba); Michael McLaughlin (piano); Stomu Takeishi (bass instrument); Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (electric bass, bass guitar); Dave Lombardo, Ben Perowsky, Eric Rosenthal (drums); Ikue Mori (electronics); Jon Madof (guitar); Erik Friedlander (mandolin, cello); Andy Laster (clarinet, saxophone); Greg Tardy (tenor saxophone); Dave Douglas (trumpet, Fender Rhodes piano); Mathias Kunzli (drums, percussion); Satoshi Takeishi (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Geert DeWit.
Recording information: 01/2003-05/2003.
Arrangers: Jamie Saft; Dave Douglas ; Erik Friedlander; Eyvind Kang; Ikue Mori; Michaël Grébil; Wadada Leo Smith; Tatsuya Yoshida; Trevor Dunn; Michael McLaughlin ; Zahava Seewald; Julian Kytasty; Tuur Florizoone.
OK, by now everyone familiar with John Zorn's Masada project should realize that it's actually a songbook, and not a band per se. Unknown Masada is the third installment in the Masada 10th Anniversary series, presenting tunes from the book that had not been recorded to this point. As you might expect, there is a tremendous amount of stylistic diversity here, from the very traditional sound of Julian Kytasty to the very untraditional sounds of Fantômas. In fact, listeners more familiar with The Circle Maker or Bar Kokhba might not be prepared for some of the hard rock treatments of some of these tunes. Zahava Seewald, Erik Friedlander's Topaz, and Kytasty represent the more traditional end of the spectrum, while Koby Israelite, Jon Madof, and Jamie Saft give more of a hard rock sound to their tracks. Wadada Leo Smith's track features a very spare trumpet melody over a queasy soundscape supplied by Ikue Mori. Fantômas takes the hard edge a step further (to be expected), but the prog rock feel of both Tatsuya Yoshida and Eyvind Kang is somewhat unexpected. In fact, Kang's treatment of "Belimah" almost sounds like a lost early-'70s King Crimson outtake! Track highlights include "Kinyan" (Friedlander), "Vehuel" (Dave Douglas, featuring Greg Tardy and Zorn himself), "Zarach" (Saft), and "Belimah" (Kang). The Zorn crowd tends to follow his every move and usually know what to expect; the uninitiated should probably approach this one with some caution. ~ Sean Westergaard