There was once a user on this Reddit—there have been plenty—who lacked even an ounce of decency and lived life with his caps lock permanently engaged... If you're actually curious about how and why that individual came to be, click here
Larry Ramirez10 said:Whether he’s actually an original musician is up for debate—but there's no denying his ear for talent. He knows how to pick the right collaborators (much like Miles Davis did back in the day).
Bravo... I've drawn parallels between Zorn and Miles on that exact point more times than I can count. It's about how Miles alone knew how to take someone else's ideas, refine them, and essentially monetize them without anyone ever raising an eyebrow.😎
Let me illustrate the difference between John Zorn and David Douglas for you—I’ll tell you about what an American journalist experienced at a festival over in Europe... He approached Zorn for an interview, only to be met with a cold refusal; the guy simply doesn't do interviews. A few minutes later, he runs into David Douglas. He asks him for the same thing, and Douglas starts explaining that he has to rush backstage because his set starts in fifteen minutes, but he gives his word that they will sit down for the interview after the show. Now, that journalist—convinced Douglas had just blown him off, albeit more politely—decides to give up on the interview entirely. But once the concert wraps up, there is Douglas, actively searching the hall for the man just so they can finally talk.
Regarding fees: Chris Eckman mentioned to me recently that in Seattle, Zorn is pulling in about $2,000 per gig because nobody is willing to pay him more—everything he does in Europe or Japan is essentially a grind. The same applies to lodging; while he stays in standard three-star hotels in the States without issue, out there he only plays luxury venues. So, who is really winning here?
And yes, Douglas's fee is significantly lower, despite the fact that over the last five years, his status in America has far surpassed Zorn's. In the US, he commands higher fees than Zorn, yet when he plays in Europe, he accepts similar rates and doesn't inflate them by ten or fifteen times, even though he could. It comes down to their fundamental approach: Zorn has evolved into a pure music businessman, whereas David Douglas has proven himself to be a phenomenal musician and a deeply humble man who doesn't insist on those aforementioned five-star accommodations.
I was a hardcore John Zorn fan from the late eighties until about seven or eight years ago. Then, I gradually got the chance to listen to a hell of a lot more music—specifically Japanese music—and it became clear to me that he isn't quite as original as I once believed. That made sense of a statement Roscoe Mitchell made back around '89. It was relayed through a translator back then (I think the current Prime Minister wasn't even around to edit it back then... haha):
"John Zorn today is what Stan Getz was in the fifties. Back then, Getz was stealing from Lee Konitz and knew exactly how to monetize it; today, Zorn cites us (the Art Ensemble of Chicago) and a few others as his influences, when in reality, he is shamelessly copying our ideas and profiting from them."
For years, I dismissed that as the bitter rant of a frustrated, aging musician. Eventually, I realized Roscoe was right...
rapidbison42 said:Late March 1991... there was a concert in Washington, D.C., right when I was stuck on my regular shift... The law is the law.
Give me a break—don't start with me too. I'm already getting enough grief because back on March 17, 1991, I was serving as an assistant platoon leader and couldn't just desert the base to catch a show at some gallery...😠
By the way, Eugene Chadbourne—who recorded those early tracks with Zorn that he actually released himself—told me that John Zorn was never, ever part of the New York punk, no wave, or hardcore scenes. He said the guy was always ambitious and a sharp businessman; he used every opportunity to build his own cult of personality, which explains that whole grindcore aesthetic they leaned into...
Mr. Wrong said:To "Pure" record? Absolute garbage. Completely. 😬
Look—if Big Black, Scratch Acid, and Rapeman from '89 were your drug of choice, maybe you could claim that first Jesus Lizard release was some world-class masterpiece. But let’s be real: it doesn't even come close to Liar. And it certainly can't touch the GOAT, which remains firmly seated in my top ten greatest albums of all time. 😉
rapidbison42 said:A Zorn performance with Masada runs about $30,000.
I already made it clear—he won't even pick up the phone for less than $20,000; that’s his baseline for a solo set. Since Masada usually commands anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000, this was actually the cheaper option...
As for his style—that’s exactly what started getting under my skin. He dresses like some grit-soaked grindcore icon, acting like an underground legend, yet he refuses to play anything less than a five-star venue. Total hypocrisy. 🙂
That said, there's no denying he recorded (or "borrowed") some incredible albums...
LOL, I haven't even bothered listening to Shota since that one review dropped... if I were writing it today, it would be way more brutal. 😠
Let’s get one thing straight—Jesus Lizard was my number one band from their very first EP all the way through Shota. Back in the early nineties, alongside NMN and Fugazi, they were the gold standard. When that mess came out, I felt stupid for even giving them the benefit of the doubt—I actually thought there might still be some hope left for them. Turns out, there wasn't. :2up:
To me, Masada is Zorn’s best project—it’s easily his most spontaneous and soulful work. Honestly, I’m baffled they even managed to book him for San Diego. Word is he won't even entertain a gig unless the offer clears $20,000 and includes a five-star hotel stay. Anyway, for the last five or six years, I've found David Douglas—the trumpeter for Masada and arguably the top jazz musician in New York right now—to be far more compelling to follow. 😈
He’s still basically Tom Waits—but that "TOM WAITS BAND" nonsense in the poster subheader is just terrible... as if Marc Ribot and Greg Cohen were actually in the lineup...
I consider myself more of a geek because I built my own bike from scratch 🙂 Soon, instead of using Hayes—rotors wear out way too fast, man—I might switch over to Magura discs. Maybe in two years at most, because by then I’ll have absolutely beaten this thing to death 31075 miles and the frame might be on its last legs. I'm eyeing what's shown in the photo below 😳
I just need Ken Vandermark to pull some strings at his brother's place to get me a discount and then 😎
I almost forgot Amy Farina, who performs alongside Ian with that "you know who" to create great The Evens music... Man, she was absolutely livid this past fall in Chicago—poor Mackaye could only shrug his shoulders in pure embarrassment...
