John Zorn

What kind of band even is this? They play jazz and they’re actually pretty damn good, but has anyone here actually heard them? Does anyone have a link to their stuff? Thanks🙂

I happened to stumble upon an album by John Zorn the other day... The Big Gundown.

Good music. 👍

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. 😈

Tyler Grant86 said:I honestly find it quite surprising that they actually decided to bring him to San Diego. It’s pretty common knowledge that if the offer isn't north of $20,000 and doesn't include a stay at a five-star hotel, he won't even bother discussing a concert... I guess some people just have very specific requirements!

A night out on the town! 😎

Tyler Grant86 said:For me, Masada is easily Zorn's best work because it feels so spontaneous and warm... honestly, I’m shocked anyone even thought about booking them for a gig in San Diego. Word on the street is if you aren't offering at least $20,000 and a suite at a five-star hotel, he won't even pick up the phone to talk about a show.
Anyway, over the last 5 or 6 years, I've been way more into what David Douglas has been doing. He’s the trumpeter for Masada and hands down the top jazz musician in New York right now.😈

Can someone give me some actual info on the band?👍

So, I was down in San Diego yesterday...
My relationship with jazz is, let's be honest, pretty ignorant—but since I love hitting up live shows and it's right in my backyard, I swung by this little Roman amphitheater.
Basically, the lineup featured an acoustic mass, which meant we had him on sax, Greg Cohen on bass, and two guys I didn't recognize on trumpet and drums.
I'll admit, I was bracing myself for some heavy experimental stuff, but what we got was—at least for my taste—pretty conventional. It was Jewish folk melodies jazzed up with all those classic tropes: drum solos, bass solos, the duo thing where it's just drums and bass before the horns kick in, and all that playing with dynamics. Honestly, it wasn't anything I haven't seen at the dozen or so jazz gigs I've sat through in my life.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. They played perfectly, and anyone deaf would tell you it was a great show, but after hearing all these legends about Zorn, I was expecting something a bit more out there. Plus, they were short. 50 minutes plus two encores of maybe 20 minutes.
Anyway, worth seeing, but personally, I'd rather listen to Dirtbombs :2up: .

I think the Masada string trio is absolutely fantastic!

Roger Jones5 said:What’s there to say? You’ve got him on sax, Greg Cohen on bass, and two guys I don't even recognize on trumpet and drums.

Look, I know there will be people showing up to the show just because Tom Waits' bassist is in the lineup...

But the rest of this crew—trumpeter David Douglas and drummer Joey Baron—are both absolute staples of the New York jazz scene over the last decade.

Tyler Grant86 said:Look, I know there’s gonna be people showing up to this gig just because Tom Waits' bassist is in the lineup...

But honestly, the rest of this powerhouse crew includes trumpeter David Douglas and drummer Joey Baron—both absolute heavyweights in the New York jazz scene over the last decade...

Wait, you're telling me that skinny guy is actually Tom Waits' bassist? 🙂

So, when is David Douglas finally going to make his way out to Washington, D.C.? Like, seriously, when?😕

Megan Peterson87 said:Is that skinny guy Tom Waits' bassist?🙂

Good grief—I honestly assumed you knew... he was practically synonymous with the genre through most of the eighties and a good chunk of the nineties.

Nathan Taylor3 said:So, when is David Douglas finally hitting Washington, D.C.? Seriously, when?😕

Look, right here it says 😉

Tyler Grant86 said:I’m honestly stunned anyone would even consider booking him for San Diego. It’s common knowledge that if you aren't offering at least $20,000 plus a five-star hotel stay, he won't even pick up the phone to discuss the gig...

I just read this yesterday in Thirst... 😉

LMAO—that’s that ancient interview with that lunatic Leonid from Ne Zhdali🤣

Megan Peterson87 said:can you give me some more info on the band?👍

everything you're looking for—projects, descriptions, albums and all that --> http://www.omnology.com/zorn01.html

Personally, I think Naked City is the best, haha 😁

Anyway, I was just flipping through Thirst again the other day, and man, every other name in there is yours... If I’d known you were the one who wrote that review of Shota when we first met, I would've said something! 🙂 😁

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:

Tyler Grant86 said:I know there'll be people showing up to the gig just because Tom Waits' bassist is in the band...

🙂

I honestly didn't even realize that until John Zorn introduced him. Take someone like Steve Vai, for example—I haven't gone to a single one of his shows because I just don't care about his solo stuff, even though he's basically the go-to guitarist for Waits.

http://www.tzadik.com/ is the official site for John Zorn's record label. It's the best place to dig through all the info on his projects and releases—and let me tell you, there are a ton of them, both from Zorn himself and the artists he works with.

Tyler Grant86 said:Just to be clear, I've been following Jesus Lizard since their very first EP. Up until Shota's era, they were my absolute number one band—right alongside NMN and Fugazi back in the early nineties. When they started sliding, I felt a bit silly for holding out hope that they might turn things around, but I guess it turns out there just wasn't any hope left :2up:

🙂
That being said, I still think Blue is actually pretty good 😁