John Zorn Electric Masada: 50th Birthday Celebration Vol. 4 CD

Live Recording

Electric Masada: Marc Ribot, John Zorn, Trevor Dunn, Kenny Wollesen, Joey Baron, Cyro Baptista, Ikue Mori.
This is part of Tzadik's Birthday Celebration Series.
Electric Masada: Trevor Dunn (bass instrument); Ikue Mori (electronics); Jamie Saft, John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Joey Baron, Cyro Baptista, Kenny Wollesen.
Personnel: Marc Ribot (guitar); John Zorn (alto saxophone); Jamie Saft (keyboards); Joey Baron, Kenny Wollesen (drums); Cyro Baptista (percussion); Ikue Mori (computer).
Recording information: Tonic, New York, NY (09/27/2003).
Unknown Contributor Role: Electric Masada.
At long last, John Zorn's Electric Masada project gets a release of its own. Recorded during his 50th birthday celebration in September of 2003, the set delivers everything you would expect from an Electric Masada show: great tunes, blistering solos from everyone concerned, and a slightly rocked-up atmosphere. The band does not disappoint; there seems to have been a real air of excitement surrounding the whole 50th birthday series, at least judging from the performances that had been released to this point. The bulk of the soloing belongs to Zorn on alto, Marc Ribot on guitar, and Jamie Saft on Rhodes, with Ikue Mori's laptop contributing interesting colors and tones, with sounds that range from what sounds like a babbling child to shards of broken glass. The double drums with percussion of Kenny Wollesen, Joey Baron, and Cyro Baptista come up with some wild rhythms, especially during Ribot's solo on "Tekufah." "Idalah-Abal" really rocks things up, and "Hath-Arob" gets even crazier, sounding like a Cobra-esque conduction. "Yatzar" and "Kisofim" are on the mellow side, but no less exciting musically. Several of the tunes stretch out to near epic lengths, giving the players plenty of room to play, with Zorn leading the way and calling the shots. This is a fantastic ensemble, with lots of time spent playing together, and Zorn knows how get the best out of them. Fans of the Masada series will not be disappointed. Excellent. ~ Sean Westergaard
Recorded during a string of concerts staged to commemorate John Zorn's 50th birthday, ELECTRIC MASADA captures the plugged-in variation of Zorn's acoustic, avant-Klezmer jazz quartet. Regular members Dave Douglas (trumpet) and Greg Cohen (bass) are absent here, with bassist Trevor Dunn admirably filling Cohen's position. Zorn's alternately lyrical and aggressive alto saxophone playing is still front and center, as are Joey Baron's dazzlingly polyrhythmic drum patterns. Rounding out the ensemble are guitarist Marc Ribot, keyboardist Jamie Saft, percussionists Kenny Wollesen and Cyro Baptista, and Ikue Mori on laptop electronics.
As one might guess from the personnel and instrumentation, the music here is dense, highly rhythmic, experimental, and often chaotic. The nearly 15-minute "Tekufah" is a cerebral, funky brew that recalls Miles Davis's early-1970s period (circa LIVE EVIL), with Saft's Rhodes creating a busy, cool counterbalance to Ribot's screaming guitar and the webs of thundering drums. "Idalah-Abal" leads off with a punishing death-metal riff that gives way to a rising tide of noise led by Zorn's screeching alto. Elsewhere, the jagged, fragmentary skronk of "Hath-Arob" contrasts with the quietly shimmering dream of "Yatzar," proving Zorn's penchant for endless surprises in the service of his bold, heroic music.