01. 6th Floor Walk-up Waiting
02. Jazz Laundromat
03. Dawn Escape
04. Her Sheets
05. Soiled Luscious
06. Strange Neighbor
07. For Derek and Evan

Thurston Moore - Collage, Composer, Guitar, Improvisation
John Zorn - Composer, Improvisation, Saxophone

Put to tape in a single live session one evening in February of 2013, @ finds two of New York City's longest-running fringe dwellers churning out sheets of collaborative sounds that conjoin their respective and distinct states of constant freak-out. Thurston Moore, known best for his decades of noisy pop with Sonic Youth, has always sought shelter in an array of far noisier side projects, and here he offers only electric guitar improvisations, clattering and chiming but not quite as all-out in the cacophonous noise directions as he can sometimes veer. John Zorn, playing only sax, actually tends to be the wilder of the two in their duets, blowing skronky and continuous runs midway between Albert Ayler's spiritual blasts of mayhem and the gritty downtown N.Y.C. sound he helped helm with his Tzadik label and its scene of improvisers. The connectivity of the duo is impressive, especially in moments of complete and unexpected synchronicity that come on more sprawling tracks like "Strange Neighbor" and the unfortunately titled but dutifully ripping feedback fest "Jazz Laundromat." The quieter moments of @ find less willful instrument destruction, but just as sideways of a look into structured improvisation. "Her Sheets" builds on droning, contemplative sax figures from Zorn as Moore scratches and picks at his guitar until a looming cushion of sound eventually forms, womb-like, around the both of them. These seven improvisations sound inspired without feeling at all heavy-handed or urgent. More so, @ succeeds with the type of conversational playing that could only be achieved by two masters so deep into their craft that it probably feels a lot like breathing to them by now. ---Fred Thomas, Rovi

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1. Prelude: From A Great Temple
2. Sacred Dance (Invocation)
3. The Book of Shadows
4. Affirmation
5. The Magus
6. Hymn for a New Millennium
7. Journey of the Magicians
8. Mythic Etude
9. Postlude: Prayers and Enchantment

Rob Burger: piano, organ
Greg Cohen: acoustic bass
Ben Perowsky: drums
Kenny Wollesen: vibraphone
Shanir Blumenkranz: electric bass
John Zorn – arranger

John Zorn's compositions revel in a rare blend of allusion and mystery. His albums often exist both on a self-contained level as individual works of art, yet are simultaneously layered with tokens and tributes to the many artists who have shaped his unusually eclectic aesthetic. While the first album of his Alhambra Legacy compositional project consisted of a collection of light and airy melodies for piano trio, the second, In Search of the Miraculous, draws overtly for inspiration on Georges Gurdjieff, the 1920s Greek-Armenian mystic and composer.

Gurdjieff as a composer drew off the musical forms of Eastern Europe and Asia, including Armenia, Turkey and the Greek Orthodox Church. Similarly, Zorn's fascination with mysticism has appeared in a variety of forms throughout his work, both through his classical explorations of occult themes and in his probing experimentations with Jewish music. Much like Gurdjieff, Zorn here bases his compositions on a set of Eastern modes, using undulating waves of repeated figures to create a trancelike, minimalist sound.

The Alhambra Trio's 2009 debut played Zorn's latest compositions in a style that has become particularly interesting to him—brief pearls of melody that, in the vein of much of his work, defy genre. On this disc, however, he weaves together a much more mystical sound. Melding together elements of his file card composition process, which involves the cutting together of disparate musical ideas much as a director edits the scenes of a movie, Zorn has done something truly original with this quintet. The pairing of Shanir Blumenkranz on Fender bass and Greg Cohen on double bass makes for a rich bottom, while Kenny Wollesen's vibes add a certain otherworldly glow to the band. Rob Burger reprises his role on piano, and his warm touch makes even repeated Philip Glass-like figures hypnotically lyrical. Moreover, despite the mellow tempos, overt prettiness and hypnotic repetitions, this music moves and grooves with a dervish intensity.

Such intensity appears in Gurdjieff's songs, but it has never sounded like this. The use of Fender bass, the touches of improvisation from five master players, and Zorn's eclectically prismatic view of composition make the songs truly original. The result is a meditative atmosphere with a distinct rock and soul influence. The centerpiece of the album is the nine-minute long "The Magus," a delirious and evocative piece of composition that rolls through evolving repeated lines, complex time signatures and feels, to create a piece that is at once beautiful and intense. It is deeply complex in structure and execution, without sounding like it.

And in an age where much of the experience of listening to music has been stripped down to a click of the mouse button, the packages for Zorn's albums—done by the ever-superb Heung-Heung Chin—continue to enhance the delights of the music within. While somewhat pared down compared to other recent Tzadik releases, it's interesting to note the allusions to Gurdjief within the packaging here. For instance, the inset within the package arranges the musicians and song titles around an Enneagram, a nine-pointed mystical symbol linked to both Kabbalistic and Sufi traditions. The title itself, In Search of the Miraculous, is also the name of a book on Gurdjief's teachings, while the subtitle, Hymns, Prayers and Sacred Dances, bares a close resemblance to a collection of Gurdjief's music released as Chants, Hymns, and Dances (ECM, 2004). The song titles of both Gurdjief and Zorn also often refer to magicians, ritual dances, and ancient tomes of knowledge.

In a year that found Zorn release no less than 12 albums in 12 months, this was one that stood out. Some may find it difficult to embrace the mystical/minimalist aesthetic captured here, but there is so much art present. For Zorn as a composer, the writing is an important step in the development of his file card music. For the musicians, the songs contain deeply passionate performances that sound effortless, even where they are certainly not. And for the listener, there are pleasures to be found either just in listening or in trying to unwind some of the layers within this suite of music. This is simply an album to lose oneself within. ---Warrem allen, allaboutjazz.com

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1. Nevuah (9:50) 
2. Sippur (3:22) 
3. Hath-Arob (5:22) 
4. Kedushah (6:55) 
5. Ne'eman (13:07) 
6. Karet (2:05) 
7. Kochot (4:59) 
8. Piram (12:10) 
9. Paran (6:02) 
10. Ashnah (7:21) 
11. Tahah (7:27)  

Total Time: 78:31

Joey Baron - Drums
Greg Cohen - Bass, Double Bass
Dave Douglas - Trumpet
John Zorn - Composer, Producer, Sax (Alto), Saxophone

Every album by John Zorn's Masada seems better than the last, and this one is no exception. By the time of this recording the group was a tightly cohesive unit, performing at an extremely high and satisfying level, with Zorn and Dave Douglas playing comfortably at a blistering pace. The songs are tinged with hints of Eastern European harmony, but the heat generated, while perhaps related to the raucous dancing at a Jewish wedding, is firmly rooted in the ways of avant-garde jazz. Zorn takes some of his best solos on disc, sounding like silly putty on speed, while the more proper Douglas lags only slightly behind. With a recording time nearing 80 minutes, and substantial contributions from the entire quartet, the recording marks not so much a milestone in the life of the group as a symbol of its ability to constantly expand upon itself and draw on its not inconsequential roots, proving again that you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Jewish-tinged culture. ---Steve Loewy, Rovi

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1 	Litany I 	7:52
2 	Litany II 	7:01
3 	Litany III 	10:33
4 	Litany IV 	8:10
5 	Litany V 	4:27
6 	Litany VI 	6:16

Alto Saxophone, Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor – John Zorn
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Chorus – Abby Fischer, Kirsten Sollek, Martha Cluver
Drums – Joey Baron
Electronics – Ikue Mori
Organ – Jamie Saft
Voice – Mike Patton

In 2006, John Zorn issued two recordings that were the first two volumes in the realization of a project that, as he put it in his notes to the second volume, a methodology "combining the hypnotic intensity of ritual (composition) the spontaneity of magic (improvisation) in a modern musical format (rock)." Those two efforts, Moonchild and Astronome, used the same trio: vocalist Mike Patton, bassist Trevor Dunn, and drummer Joey Baron. Zorn supervised and produced both discs; he conducted them as well. In the third edition of this project -- which is dedicated as the others were to French poet and dramatist Antonin Artaud, magician and occult philosopher Aleister Crowley, and composer Edgard Varèse -- Zorn ups the musical ante: in addition to the aforementioned musicians, he includes himself on alto saxophone, Jamie Saft on organ, and Ikue Mori on electronics. As if this weren't exotic enough, Zorn also utilizes a chorus consisting of Abby Fischer, Kirsten Sollek and Martha Cluver. Clocking in at 44-and-a-half minutes, these six pieces are the boldest, most exotic, and perhaps most extreme in the entire envelope thus far. ---Thom Jurek, AllMusic Review

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1. Premiere Livre (14:41) 
2. Deuxieme Livre (0:51) 
3. Troisieme Livre (16:46) 
4. Epilogue (1:46) 
Étant Donnés: 
5. 69 Paroxyms For Marcel Duchamp (13:17)  
Total Time: 47:21 

Line-up/Musicians  
Duras: - Christian Bard / percussion - Anthony Coleman / piano - Cenovia Cummins / violin 
- Mark Feldman / violin - John Medeski / organ - Jim Pugliese / percussion 
Étant Donnés: 
- Mark Feldman / violin - Erik Friedlander / cello - Jim Pugliese / percussion

A compilation of two classical pieces that show off the pretty side of John Zorn, Duras: Duchamp is a tribute to two great artists of the 20th century. Marguerite Duras, whose poetic prose is reproduced in two melancholic fragments in the liner notes, is honored by a composition of shimmering, bell-like tones coupled with the fluttering of strings, featuring the work of violinist Mark Feldman, cellist Erik Friedlander, and pianist Anthony Coleman, among others. Bits of recorded sound -- water, church bells, the scratching of pen on paper, and others -- help add atmosphere to the piece, which remains both sad and fragile throughout. Feldman really stands out in this work -- providing long, wavering tones that hang in the air, punctuated by the sounds of the other players. The second piece, music composed for Marcel Duchamp, influential artist of the early 20th century (actually titled "Étant Donnés"), is a series of 69 paroxyms arranged in three groups. The music is equally quiet, but is much more varied in its textures and shifts moods quickly and often. Instead of a melancholy tone, the music is percussive and shuffling in parts. The strings, when they are present, squeak and grind amid samples of things like the slurping and splashing of water. The cuts between themes are not abrupt; the pieces flow in and out of each other, fading in and out when they don't overlap, but never breaking off suddenly. The contrast between the pieces dedicated to Duras and Duchamp show Zorn's capability for infusing music with the personality of the person to whom he is paying tribute. This album shows that some of his best work can come when he is composing around a philosophical core instead of just playing with sound. If this is not one of his most complex classical pieces, it is at least one of his most beautiful in its embodiment of the spirit of the two honored artists. ---Stacia Proefrock, Rovi

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01.Chemical Garden			play
02.Port Of Saints
03.Rain Flowers
04.The Outer Half
05.Did Fingers Talk
06.The Ticket That Exploded
07.Blue Veil
08.Ic 2118
09.Lost Words			play
10.Between Two Worlds
					
Personnel: 
John Medeski (piano); 
Trevor Dunn (bass); 
Kenny Wollesen (vibraphone); 
Joey Baron (drums).

Arranger: John Zorn.

Following 2010's relentless series of monthly releases, Nova Express is John Zorn’s first major release of 2011.

For anyone new to Zorn’s music, one of the most important things to realize is that his releases all come out on his own Tzadik records. While Zorn deserves all of the praise in the world for the label and what it has done for the experimental music community, his own releases often suffer from a troubling lack of self-editing. Of the already mentioned monthly 2010 releases, only a small amount of must-hear material stands out. I have also always had a problem with many of his classical pieces such as Aporias. While his extremely abrasive composition and performance styles are fantastic in his improv music, they often fall short in composed works, seeming merely flashy and overburdened.

Not so on Nova Express. Composing music for a jazz ensemble – while certainly not a new idea – is perfect for Zorn’s musical style. It is often hard to tell moments of improvisation from the rest of the material, but on Nova Express, Zorn writes some of his most impressive attempts at the lyrical atonality that has always been his major accomplishment. In spite of the dissonance and density of much of the material, melodies are always apparent and even surprising within extremely disjunct and violent lines. In fact, “The Outer Half” features a middle section that is among the most tonal and lyrical things Zorn has ever written. It may relate to the lack of any instrument capable of creating extreme squeaks or noises, but parts of this album, along with his recent The Dreamers project, can almost lead a listener to thinking the old master of noisy jazz is mellowing with age.

The comparison to the Dreamers is probably apt. While Nova Express does not go as far into the easy listening territory to which that album strived, it is rare for a jazz-oriented Zorn album not to utilize saxes, electric guitars, or something equally capable of establishing a level of aural violence. This calms the surface texture of the music, in spite of the fact that the music itself draws heavily from previous Zorn projects, ranging from Naked City to Electric Masada. Opener “Chemical Garden” especially calls to mind the cut-up techniques, game pieces, and directed improv for which Zorn is known.

As a whole, Nova Express is successful. Like any of Zorn’s work, it is part of a massive body of compositions and inventive ensembles that demonstrates his incredible diversity and prolific nature. Thus while it is among his most solid recent releases, that must be taken with some warning. Any fan of Zorn’s Masada ensembles will find much to appreciate here. Yet to anyone new to the music, there are many better places to start, such as Electric Masada, the Moonchild ensemble, Naked City, or, more similarly in instrumental texture, Bar Kokhba. While not his best release, Nova Express is probably Zorn’s most interesting combination of his compositional output and his jazz-oriented releases. Unlike dozens of his personal releases, this is well worth attention. --- Patrick Nickleson

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1. Miller's Crake (4:18)
2. Akialoa (4:46)
3. Po'o'uli (5:41)
4. Little Bittern (6:29)
5. Mysterious Starling (4:32)
6. Laughing Owl (4:44)
7. Archaeopteryx (5:06)
8. Solitaire (2:10)
9. Piopio (5:11)
10. Zapata Rail (2:52)
11. Kakawahie (4:14)
12. Magdalena (5:07)

Marc Ribot: guitar; 
Jamie Saft: piano, organ; 
Kenny Wollesen: vibraphone; 
Trevor Dunn: bass; 
Joey Baron: drums; 
Cyro Baptista: percussion.

Named after an extinct Hawaiian bird, O'o is the charming follow up to the self-titled debut of composer John Zorn's most accessible project, The Dreamers. Culled from Zorn's inner circle of longstanding collaborators, this all-star sextet of Downtown veterans explores his most tuneful compositions, threading aspects of easy listening, exotica, film soundtracks, surf, and world music into an evocative panorama.

Zorn's recent forays into conventional song forms and traditional structures reveal a softening approach to composition. Though no stranger to melody or harmony, Zorn's musical statements have become more cohesive and predictable over the past few years—the polar opposite of his seminal game pieces, like Cobra, and his most revered band, Naked City. Although the mercurial improvisations of his early game pieces still drive the furious Electric Masada, and Moonchild continues on its nineties-inspired path of metallic destruction, his neo-classical chamber music writing, acoustic Masada projects and ensembles like the recent piano trio featured on Alhambra Love Songs (Tzadik, 2009) offer a more introspective view. Since the dissolution of Naked City in the early nineties, each of Zorn's various ensembles has adopted a distinct identity; Masada has become the standard bearer, while The Dreamers are the yin to Moonchild's yang.

With a mix of wistful nostalgia and cinematic ambience, The Dreamers brings Zorn's fondness for Post-War exotica to life, invoking the buoyant surf of The Astronauts ("Laughing Owl"), the celluloid drama of Ennio Morricone ("Archaeopteryx") and Nino Rota ("Miller's Crake"), and the enchanted island sounds of Martin Denny ("Po'o'uli") and Les Baxter ("Solitaire"). Marc Ribot 's singular guitar dominates, particularly on the scorching "Little Bittern," while Kenny Wollesen's effervescent vibes and Jamie Saft's percolating keyboard filigrees provide an array of kaleidoscopic euphony. Trevor Dunn's robust bass lines, Joey Baron's infectious drumming and Cyro Baptista's ingenious percussion accents provide the group with a solid rhythmic foundation that never wavers, lending the quicksilver tunes that dominate the album's final third a vivacious air.

Exploring a range of moods, the sextet invests these colorful miniatures with vibrant lyricism, elevating them beyond mere incidental music, making O'o a delightful, if unsurprising listen. ---Troy Collins, allaboutjazz.com

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1. Enchantress (7:44)
2. Ishtar (5:36)
3. Heptameron (5:18)
4. White Magick (6:37)
5. Drawing Down the Moon (5:49)
6. Beyond the Infinite (11:51)
7. Ode to Delphi (4:43)

Personnel: 
Marc Ribot (guitar); 
Carol Emanuel (harp); 
Rob Burger (piano); 
Ben Perowsky (drums);
John Zorn (arranger).

John Zorn's interest in mysticism has shown itself in many different ways over the last two decades, but has become even more pronounced in the last couple of years. For instance, Goddess: Music for the Ancient of Days can be seen as a companion piece to In Search of the Miraculous, issued in February 2010. Both recordings share most of the same musicians: Rob Burger (piano), Ben Perowsky (drums), Kenny Wollesen (vibes), and Carol Emmanuel (harp). Trevor Dunn and Marc Ribot round out the cast on upright bass and guitar, respectively. Emmanuel's harp plays a central role in these proceedings -- more so than on its predecessor. Since this set celebrates "women in myth, magick and ritual throughout the Ages," and the aural evidence is in each of the album's seven titles, this only makes sense. While the entire ensemble executes Zorn's otherworldly, melodic, and cyclical compositions, it is Emmanuel's harp that is the guiding and anchoring force in each of them. The opening track, "Enchantress," uses a close thematic variation of "Sacred Dance" from In Search of the Miraculous; its dynamic and textures are different, but there is only a single note that denotes one theme from the other. Ribot's guitar plays an interesting role on this album, especially on tracks such as "White Magick," where along with the circular theme and a gradually layered and building sense of dynamic and tension, his instrument plays on the outer ring, where the chaotic element is at work in all ritualistic practice and the unexpected can happen and usually does. "Drawing Down the Moon" is perhaps the most singular cut. Written as if it were a song, it features lovely interplay between Burger and Emmanuel, with Emmanuel embellishing the melody with a surf-like reverb on his guitar. "Beyond the Infinite," the longest composition here, is also the knottiest. But it never leaves its harmonic balance in the lurch. Dunn's bass plays an important role in extending its melodic reach as Emmanuel's harp and Burger's piano play through a series of shifting, interlocking rhythmic and lyric patterns, and Wollesen's vibes solo is a stunner. This mystic celebration of the feminine is, like its previously released cousin, another of Zorn's more ambitious -- yet deliberate -- attempts at writing adventurous music that is at once accessible and arresting in its beauty. ---Thom Jurek, Rovi

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