Tracklist :
1 Gratitude 7:52
Don Pullen
2 Resting On The Road 10:30
Don Pullen
3 Out Of A Storm 8:38
D.D. Jackson
4 El Matador 4:32
Don Pullen
5 Easy Alice 8:10
D.D. Jackson
6 Long Goodbye 8:00
Lawrence "Butch" Morris
7 Common Ground 7:54
Don Pullen
Credits :
Bass – Santi Debriano
Drums – J.T. Lewis
Piano – D.D. Jackson
Tenor Saxophone – David Murray
Transcription By – D.D. Jackson
Lee Konitz is up to his old tricks on this engaging studio session made for the Japanese label DIW, coming up with intriguing melodies to familiar chord changes from various standards and additional compositions. Without a piano to restrain his musical adventures, the alto saxophonist is consistently inventive throughout the date, well assisted by bassist Greg Cohen and drummer Joey Baron. Sometimes the detective work is elementary, such as "A Noble Tune," which any jazz fan should recognize as being inspired by "Cherokee," while other tracks may prove to challenge the keenest ears. In any case, this incredible musician, who learned from the brilliant though difficult Lennie Tristano, continues to be one of the most distinctive sounding alto saxophonists in jazz. This CD was not widely distributed in North America and is evidently now out of print, so expect to pay a premium price if you can find it. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1 Lennie's Pennies 4:28
Lennie Tristano
2 Fifth Avenue 4:40 
Lee Konitz
3 For Atilla 4:27
Lee Konitz
4 A Noble Tune 8:16
Lee Konitz
5 Tripletting 2:07
Lee Konitz
6 Folktune 3:39
Lee Konitz
7 Valeska 5:59
Lee Konitz
8 Sound-Lee 4:19
Lee Konitz
9 Rumblin' 3:11
Lee Konitz
10 Debussy 2:34
Lee Konitz
11 L.T. 6:43
Lee Konitz
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Written-By, Producer, Liner Notes – Lee Konitz
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Executive-Producer – John Zorn, Kazunori Sugiyama
Apparently his early Spy Vs. Spy homage with Tim Berne wasn't enough to satiate John Zorn's Ornette Coleman jones. Masada, Vol. 1: Alef is the jumping-off point for his prolific quartet, clearly modeled on Coleman's groundbreaking acoustic unit, and it's the first sighting of trumpeter Dave Douglas, too. The rhythm section is equally crucial, with Greg Cohen ably tackling the thankless task of bass anchor and Joey Baron the unsung hero for maintaining the fierce, high-energy pulse dictated by Zorn's punk sensibilities. The frenetic "Jair" sets a very Coleman-ish tone before the more measured "Bith Aneth" finds Douglas showing his range with muted squawks, growls, and broad lower-register tones that almost sound like a trombone. Douglas has to be consistently agile to handle the demands of foil for Zorn because the Masada norm doesn't call for many solos with just the rhythm section. The second lead instrument is almost always playing countermelodies behind the principal soloist, which makes for densely packed music with lots and lots of notes. Luckily, Masada is a savvy crew, not just rip-and-run raiders, so those notes create an ample spectrum of moods and flavors. "Bith Aneth" works off kind of a mutant tango rhythm and Cohen throws in a nice change of pace with a midsong switch to old-fashioned, near-slap bass on "Tahah." If the intense "Tzofeh" finds Zorn and Douglas playing tag over Baron's backbeat drive, they can also weave meandering harmonies through the lovely melody to "Kanah." "Delin" whoops exuberantly, the mysterious "Idalah-Abal" is pervasively melancholy, and the nine-and-a-half-minute "Janohah" is straight-up jazz with walking bass and Baron riding his cymbals before taking over as the lead instrument during the closing section. Hardly anyone outside of Coleman's immediate family of musicians has taken the plunge to delve deeply into his way of making music, so Masada fills quite a void. Alef is full of thrilling, varied music and just may remind some people who are put off by John Zorn's constant stream of conceptual projects how good a musician he is in a straight-ahead jazz context. Don Snowden
Tracklist :
1 Jair 4:54
2 Bith Aneth 6:25
3 Tzofeh 5:15
4 Ashnah 6:21
5 Tahah 5:41
6 Kanah 7:25
7 Delin 1:56
8 Janohah 9:40
9 Zebdi 2:48
10 Idalah-Abal 6:15
11 Zelah 3:48
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Producer, Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
John Zorn's absorption of klezmer motifs into avant-garde jazz is remarkable in itself, but even more extraordinary is Masada's utter command of the two genres' fiercely visceral energies. Fueled by Joey Baron's ferocious drumming and Zorn's savage, apocalyptic squeal, Beit is an archetype of focused intensity. (Anyone dying for truth in jazz needs only to hear "Peliyot" to be instantly transfixed and astounded.) Baron and Greg Cohen are among the most powerful and perceptive rhythm sections in any genre, and Dave Douglas, one of the most brilliant trumpeters of his generation, continues to lend immaculate support. Simply stated, this is one of jazz's greatest groups. Jim Smith
Tracklist :
1 Piram 7:08
2 Hadasha 10:05
3 Lachish 2:25
4 Rachab 4:47
5 Peliyot 4:32
6 Achshaph 2:44
7 Sansanah 7:09
8 Ravayah 3:19
9 Sahar 6:12
10 Tirzah 8:47
11 Shilhim 2:18
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Producer, Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
The unique and fresh voice of John Zorn's Masada reigns triumphant once again on this third installment, Gimel. Zorn has challenged and reinvented the face of modern jazz with this quartet. Expanding on traditional Jewish music of various types and adapting it to a jazz environment seems a daunting task, but one that Zorn and company (Joey Baron, Greg Cohen and Dave Douglas) have done well. Zorn's choice of personnel is impeccable, and this is evidenced by the intricate yet powerful sound. The album spans the barrage of songs like "Ziphim," "Katzatz" and "Hekhal" to the sweet moments of "Abidan" and "Sheloshim." At times sounding like an Eastern Ornette Coleman, and sometimes playing with the rampant fury that is characteristic solely of Zorn himself, the band has incorporated and evolved the form of jazz. This album is certainly a highlight of the Masada collection as a whole, and provides a great introduction to the band. Some of the songs can be found reworked on Bar Kokhba as well. There is little more to be said of this album, as the music speaks for itself. Marc Gilman
Tracklist :
1 Ziphim 9:17
2 Abidan 6:48
3 Katzatz 2:24
4 Hazor 6:04
5 Netivot 3:38
6 Karaim 5:58
7 Hekhal 3:02
8 Sheloshim 8:15
9 Lebaoth 5:12
10 Tannaim 8:54
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Producer, Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
Big-time consumer alert first: Masada, Vol. 4: Dalet has three pieces with all of 18 minutes of Masada music, so don't get caught paying full price (and don't necessarily blame the store, because it may be as just as unsuspecting as you are). While it's easy to imagine John Zorn's punk side getting off on the idea of a Masada EP, Dalet may just round up three stray tracks from the quartet's first session. Musically, "Midbar" is bluesy and Ornette Coleman-like, with occasional harmony flashes between Dave Douglas and Zorn and some mutated R&B quotes in the latter's solo. "Mahlah" is fairly muted, playing to the slower, forbidding side of Masada's music, and "Zenan" works off a harder tom-tom punch from Joey Baron. There's nothing to fault with the performances, and obviously Zorn wanted the music released, but really, what's the point? Is anyone seriously into Zorn and/or Masada going to knowingly choose an 18-minute disc with so many full-length volumes out there? Why didn't someone just squeeze the three pieces in somewhere on Masada, Vol. 1: Alef, Masada, Vol. 2: Beit, or Masada, Vol. 3: Gimel? Dalet isn't bad, just pointless except for total completists or timid souls who want to gingerly dip their toes in these swirling whirlpool waters. And it just doesn't compute that those kind of timid souls are going to be checking out John Zorn and Masada. by Don Snowden
Tracklist :
1 Midbar 6:20
2 Mahlah 8:19
3 Zenan 3:57
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
Hei, the fifth release from John Zorn's Masada Quartet, shows the band at their tightest and most agile. In sound and design, it is much like the other nine releases from the Quartet, but it is rivaled only by Masada, Vol 3: Gimmel and Masada, Vol. 6: Vav for the musical acumen and togetherness of the players. A Jewish version of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme, Zorn here continues to explore issues of Jewish heritage and identity in the assimilated and diaspora Jewish world. The two opening tracks, "Paran" and "Halisah," show the prodigious talent of the band's frontmen, with Zorn on alto sax and Dave Douglas on trumpet as they groove through Ornette Coleman and Gerry Mulligan-inspired selections from the Masada songbook with a couple of helpings of the Middle East thrown in. These tracks set the tone for what will be the theme of the album, later picked up on with "Neshamah" and "Hafla'ah." While this album is not as aggressive or as transgress as some other Zorn projects, most notably Naked City or The Parachute Years, Zorn and Douglas still prove that they can screech with the best of them on tracks such as "Hobah" as they assert a new Jewish identity. At times, the stellar rhythm section of the Quartet, manned by Joey Baron on drums and Greg Cohen on bass, threatens to overshadow the brass. This is especially true on "Beeroth," the jewel of an album already glimmering in the desert, as Baron plays like a man released from a cage. While more melodic than not, Hei shows that the man known for his outfit of camouflage pants stands alongside the Israeli army as living proof that Jews can fight. David Freedlander
Tracklist :
1 Shechem 11:25
2 Elilah 4:38
3 Kodashim 4:40
4 Halom 2:00
5 Ne'eman 9:56
6 Abed-Nego 7:14
7 Tohorot 4:39
8 Mochin 6:37
9 Amarim 4:28
10 Khebar 4:40
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
Recorded at the Power Station in New York in 1995, Masada, Vol. 6 Vav continues Masada's convincing union of Eastern European and Middle Eastern modalities with the freer, post-bop aspects of jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman. John Zorn's writing is particularly focused and well-informed, full of serpentine lines, mixed meters, and sudden shifts in tempo, while leaving plenty of room for collective and individual improvisation. The ensemble and the individual playing are uniformly superb throughout. Like much of Zorn's work, Vav exists in several simultaneous dimensions. For instance, "Debir," "Mikreh," "Nevalah," and "Nashon" showcase intense and intricate ensemble playing over variously fixed or open forms, which inform the generally caustic, playful and/or melodic improvisations. With bassist Greg Cohen in his pocket, Joey Baron's solo on "Nevalah" is one of the album's highlights. Conversely, "Shebuah," "Tiferet," "Avelut," and "Miktav" are generally slower and quieter. On "Shebuah," Cohen freely introduces the theme; on "Avelut" he solos with fragments of another. Trumpeter Dave Douglas' virtuosic playing is particularly effective at the slower tempos; his soulful solo on "Miktav" is another highlight. One of Vav's unifying threads is the ability of Zorn and Douglas -- sharpened through years of playing together -- to improvise contrapuntal lines together. "Beer Sheba" stands somewhat apart from the rest of the album. Zorn and Douglas slowly and freely state the theme while Baron and Cohen deliver a restless and churning texture. Zorn responds with his now-familiar shrieks over the slowly unfolding music that is reminiscent of his Pain Killer group. Vav is a consummate collection of Zorn tunes played with conviction and empathy by this extraordinary quartet. Mark Kirschenmann
Tracklist :
1 Debir 8:02
2 Shebuah 8:09
3 Mikreh 3:57
4 Tiferet 4:05
5 Nevalah 2:10
6 Miktav 9:40
7 Nashon 8:37
8 Avelut 7:31
9 Beer Sheba 8:50
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
Masada's seventh volume sounds almost like an odds-and-sods collection. It's a more fragmentary and disparate disc that doesn't have much musical middle ground -- the extremes between the group's atonal free improv bursts and its more melodic or atmospheric pieces are very pronounced. "Shevet" has a more overt klezmer influence and almost timbales tones from Joey Baron, while the segmented "Hath-Arob" is very Ornette Coleman-like before breaking down into free-blow sections. If the John Zorn-Dave Douglas exchanges seem a little more measured than usual at first, their dialogue continues nicely on "Mashlav"; it's Baron, using muted drums more than his customary cymbal clicks, who provides the novel element. But then "Shamor" alternates impressionistic, melodic wisps with outside blasts and "Bacharach" tosses off 80 old-timey, atypically sunny seconds as a prelude to "Otiot," a three-and-a-half-minute bass feature for Greg Cohen. The fragmentary "Nevuah" lacks the frantic frenzy of most of Masada's discs and the atmospheric "Kedem" never changes its low-key character over nearly ten minutes. The last three tracks are another mixed bag, and truthfully it's hard to get a handle on Masada, Vol. 7: Zayin. The music flies all over the map and it sounds like Masada is just wrapping up loose ends or spewing out material based on Zorn's concepts that could have stayed out in the woodshed. Although it's good to hear the group taking some different roads, this is a minor entry in its catalog. Don Snowden
Tracklist :
1 Shevet 7:58
2 Hath-Arob 3:24
3 Mahshav 6:16
4 Shamor 5:09
5 Bacharach 1:24
6 Otiot 3:27
7 Nevuah 8:22
8 Kedem 9:55
9 Zemer 2:14
10 Evel 5:35
11 Tekufah 6:59
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
Recorded four months after the fragmented loose ends of Masada, Vol. 7: Zayin, Masada seems to be settling into a new -- perhaps mature or more conventional -- phase with Masada, Vol. 8: Het. The frantic frenzy that drove its early releases is largely reined in, a couple of actual ballads sneak in the repertoire, and there are some solos by John Zorn or Dave Douglas with just the rhythm section instead of their usual countermelody exchanges. "Shechem" opens with very loose-limbed, Ornette Coleman-influenced free bop, with the two horns playing off Joey Baron's light tom-tom touch before Zorn takes a very melodic, flowing soloing on his own until organically handing it off to Douglas. Baron gets some solo space and the 11-minute piece even employs the common jazz device of trading fours, even if they're so extended it's more like trading eights. Greg Cohen has to wait for his bass solo minutes on "Kodashim" and among the leapfrogging melodies of the closing "Amarim." "Elijah" is an appealing, open-ended ballad with meandering dual melodies, and Masada drops the pace again on the straighter ballad "Mochim," with Douglas waxing muted and Zorn yearning in their statements. The slinky, mid-tempo "Ne'eman" is full of jazz noir surprises with nice crescendo climaxes in the melody and Zorn gets almost Pink Panther-ish in his phrases. And Masada springs its usual complement of mid-song change-ups -- the vibrant "Abed-Nego" turns contemplative near the end, while the mid-tempo melody of "Tohorot" picks up intensity as it goes along. Het isn't spectacular Masada full of fireworks, but there's plenty of that around -- this is just a very good, solid disc packed with strong performances and material. by Don Snowden
Tracklist :
1 Shechem 11:25
2 Elilah 4:38
3 Kodashim 4:40
4 Halom 2:00
5 Ne'eman 9:56
6 Abed-Nego 7:14
7 Tohorot 4:39
8 Mochin 6:37
9 Amarim 4:28
10 Khebar 4:40
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
Masada, Vol. 9: Tet gives off a first impression of being a totally in-the-pocket Masada disc and exactly what you want and expect from the group (that's not a criticism). All the trademark touches -- the Ornette Coleman and Middle Eastern tinges, the high-intensity sonic blitzes, the skyrocketing John Zorn/Dave Douglas exchanges -- are there and sounding just fine. But deep down, this volume in the Masada saga revolves around a pretty exceptional surprise and it's all the better for it.
This is probably the most democratic Masada disc, the best one for hearing the quartet with bassist Greg Cohen and drummer Joey Baron on equal terms with the front line. Whether by design or not, Zorn and Douglas scale back their twin-comet-trails-shooting-through-the-stars-playing-tag game enough to leave extra space that permits the contributions of Cohen and Baron to the group sound clearly shine through. There are more slow pieces with pervasively bluesy feels (the mournful "Kedushah," the very soft "Kochot") and overt Coleman references here, and it's Cohen's tone and touch that really define and shape them. The opening bass solo to the quietly haunting "Moshav" create a marked "Lonely Woman" atmosphere and there's a duet section during the fractured melody of the mid-tempo "Ner Tamid" where Zorn and Cohen sound like nothing so much as Coleman playing with Charlie Haden. The ensemble to "Acharie Mot" is pure Coleman triumphant, with Cohen strumming chords like Haden and Zorn totally Coleman in his solo, while Baron washes around the kit and does cymbal tricks. The drummer plays up a storm -- his thunderous explosions on "Leshem" play with time and silence before heading to the outside races, he works his romping tom-tom routine on the superb, relaxed opener "Chayah" and happily clomps along on the fine finale "Jachin." On "Meholalot," he works some serious crashes into his tom-toms and then gets a close-to-timbales sound that, with Cohen locked down in riff foundation, adds a Spanish/Latin tinge, especially when the music breaks down to just bass and drums.
All four players on "Meholalot" really push and comment on each other's phrases, while Douglas' solo on "Leshem," with Cohen walking and Baron racing underneath, inspires Zorn to squawk his way into the fray. "Chayah" drops a new twist with Douglas in an intriguing, half-comping role behind Zorn's sparer solo, who returns the favor before they go off on one of their patented intertwined line forays. It's not like Zorn and Douglas are way off their game -- they're in top form here and normally you expect that on a typical Masada disc. But they're the obvious front-line marquee guys and what distinguishes Nine/Tet is the ability to clearly hear and focus on what Cohen and Baron bring to the sound. It makes the music more varied, more capable of springing surprises, and an enormously valuable volume in the Masada catalog. by Don Snowden
Tracklist :
1 Chayah 9:33
2 Karet 1:56
3 Moshav 6:50
4 Leshem 4:36
5 Kochot 5:15
6 Meholalot 8:50
7 Kedushah 6:18
8 Ner Tamid 4:07
9 Acharei Mot 9:04
10 Jachin 5:37
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Produced, Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
From its first manic blast, it's clear that Masada, Vol. 10: Yod is going to be one of John Zorn and company's wildest, most confident works. It's also one of the most accessible, though that's hardly a safe recommendation: like all of the Masada series' works, Yod is not a friendly listen. The middle section of the album, though, with its gentle, hypnotic pace, offers a reprieve from the intensity of the other compositions. What continues to impress in this, their tenth release, is the group's relentless energy and the sheer brilliance of their interplay. The incredibly visceral soloing of Zorn and Dave Douglas, the mesmerizing, exotic pulse: all are the trademarks of one of jazz's greatest units, a group practically exploding with talent and ideas. by Jim Smith
Tracklist :
1 Ruach 4:07
2 Kilayim 6:45
3 Taltalim 6:45
4 Hashmal 3:22
5 Tevel 5:48
6 Segulah 5:31
7 Yechida 7:49
8 Tzalim 3:21
9 Nashim 4:38
10 Abrakala 14:28
11 Zevul 2:16
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Composed By – John Zorn
Bass – Greg Cohen
Drums – Joey Baron
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
This 1978 recording finds the estimable British guitarist in the musical company of several members of the cutting edge of the Japanese jazz avant-garde of the time. These musicians, including Kaoru Abe (who died later that year), the late bassist Motoharu Yoshizawa, and the trumpeter Toshinori Kondo match Bailey's unique brand of spiky intelligence with grace and confidence. The duo between Bailey and Kondo, wielding two trumpets simultaneously, is a small gem of concise free improv, while the trio with Abe and saxophonist Mototeru Takagi screams along with abandon. The session includes a couple of duos between Kondo and Takagi. One is a brief piece with each on multiple horns, sounding very much as though intended in tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who had died a few months prior to this recording. The other is a very attractive, considered performance beginning with watery lines that escalate into cascading torrents of sound. When the trio that opened the disc (Bailey, Yoshizawa, and drummer Toshi Tsuchitori) returns for a finale, the listener has the sense of having witnessed an intriguing roundtable of ideas, a meeting of cultures that turned out to not be very different. Duo + Trio Improvisations isn't an earthshaking entry in Bailey's lengthy discography, but a fine and absorbing listen, worthy of notice. by Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1 Improvisation 21 9:23
Bass – M. Yoshizawa
Drums, Percussion – T. Tsuchitori
2 Improvisation 22 2:28
Trumpet, Alto Horn – T. Kondo
3 Improvisation 23 12:04
Alto Saxophone – K. Abe
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – M. Takagi
4 Improvisation 24 8:00
Drums, Percussion – T. Tsuchitori
5 Improvisation 25 1:59
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – M. Takagi
Trumpet, Alto Horn – T. Kondo
6 Improvisation 26 5:41
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – M. Takagi
Trumpet, Alto Horn – T. Kondo
7 Improvisation 27 6:16
Bass – M. Yoshizawa
Drums, Percussion – T. Tsuchitori
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – D. Bailey (faixas: 1 to 4, 7)
"Retrospective - The Very Best Of e.s.t." is a retrospective of the unique work of e.s.t. and a tribute to the late mastermind Esb...
