JOHN ZORN - NEW MASADA QUARTET VOL. 3

• john zorn: new masada quartet vol.3
      (2024, cd, USA, tzadic)

If you lack energy in the morning, try a John Zorn album.
"New Masada Quartet, Vol. 3" features John Zorn on alto sax, Julian Lage on guitar, Jorge Roeder on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums.

Beautiful !!

I quote:

Wonderful music in which influences from klezmer, Eastern music and classical emerge. Get ready for fiery solos, moving lyricism and passionate ensemble playing.

The New Masada Quartet, captured live:

JOHN ZORN - THE HERMETIC ORGAN VOL.12 - THE BOSCH REQUIM

• john zorn: the hermetic organ vol.12 - The Bosch Requim
      (2024, cd, USA, tzadic)

Improvised organ music by John Zorn.
Volume 12 already, but this is my first encounter with "The Hermetic Organ" series.

Loud & dramatic.
Recorded in Den Bosch in The Netherlands in 2023.
Also out on vinyl.

Recorded at the Grote Kerk in Den Bosch as part of Zorn's 70th birthday celebration at November Music in Den Bosch, this exciting performance pays tribute to one of Zorn's seminal influences--the 15th century painter Hieronymus Bosch.

Performing on two different organs simultaneously, running from one to the other, this is one of the most bizarre installments in the entire Hermetic Organ series. The CD begins with a rare private performance of Zorn alone in the church exploring and stretching the organ's capabilities. For the evening performance, A Pilgrimage Through Hell, Zorn's dear friend and colleague of over thirty years John Medeski joins as his organ assistant, and the two of them literally pull out all the stops!

JOHN ZORN - ILL LASWELL - STERLING RUBY

John Zorn and Bill Laswell: TURBINES | Sessions | Gagosian Premieres

As part of Sessions, a spin-off of Gagosian Premieres, composer and saxophonist John Zorn and bass guitarist and producer Bill Laswell perform an improvised work in Sterling Ruby’s exhibition “TURBINES,” at Gagosian, 522 West 21st Street, New York.

-- info: Harald Häring

MARY HALVORSON QUARTET - PAIMON - BOOK OF ANGELS 32

• mary halvorson quartet: paimon - book of angels volume 32
      (2017, cd, usa, tzadik)

Six years ago, the Tzadik label released the final volume of recordings of John Zorn's "Book Of Angels".
Volume 32 !!

Info from Discogs:
Mary Halvorson is a guitarist, composer and improviser living in Brooklyn. She grew up in Boston and studied jazz at Wesleyan University and the New School. Since 2000 she has been performing regularly in New York with numerous groups and has toured Europe and the U.S. with Anthony Braxton and Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant. Mary released her debut as a leader in 2008 with The Mary Halvorson Trio recording, "Dragon's Head".

I'm not familiar with Mary Halvorson's output, but this "Paimon" album, where she (with her quartet) performs pieces from John Zorn's "Book Of Angels" sounds very impressive.

Here's a performance of a Zorn piece that's not on "Paimon" :

And here's Mary performing an original piece :

JOHN ZORN / MASADA STRING TRIO - AZAZEL - BOOK OF ANGELS VOLUME 2

• john zorn / masada string quartet: azazel - book of angels volume 2
      (2005, cd, usa, tzadik)

Diving deeper into John Zorn's immense catalogue, I listened to the Masada String Quartet's recording of "Azazel - Book Of Angels Volume 2" from 2005.
I don't have a clue on how or where it fits in John Zorn's catalogue so I guess I have a bit of reading to do to figure this all out, but this album sounds great.

Here's the Masada String Quartet in concert :