The following afternoon-the Book of Angels special-saw Zorn leading a quartet with Lage, Dunn and drummer Kenny Wollesen followed by Cyro Baptista’s Banquet of the Spirits with Brian Marsella (keyboards), Shanir Blumenkranz (bass) and Wollesen.Įxhilarating, heady music-magic indeed. The drastic change of pace with Petra Haden singing Zorn songs was only partially successful but certainly allowed the audience to recover before the closing set of Cobra: a glorious rendition of what is now a classic game piece, with all its irony and sense of communal music-making at play when all the wheels and ropes began to work, creating the maze of relationships among the performers, which gives life to the vast musical fresco, even the composer/director himself seemed genuinely surprised at the power of the final result. Grohowski stoked the fire, amazing for his precision and drive while never obscuring the textures.
NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD PLUS
Insurrection, with the twin guitars of Julian Lage and Matt Hollenberg plus bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Kenny Grohowski was just that-jubilant, ferocious, played with the energy of a metal band and transparency of a Bartók string quartet. Hard and transparent like a diamond, Zorn’s music was based on the masterful use of timbral possibilities, exploring different materials in two memorable improvisations continuing the Classic Game of Strategy series. The proceedings were opened by a solo saxophone performance of stunning clarity, establishing the tone immediately. The venue remained unchanged: Dom Policije (Police Centre Theater) in a bit of an absurdist twist.
2nd-4th): a two-day Zorn extravaganza plus one evening of Bosnian artists and some side events like seminars (including yours truly presenting) and children’s concerts. Unlikely as it seems, it has to do with the global circulation of the music and unrestrained vitality of the first Masada recordings, which brought much-needed relief to the war-torn Bosnian city.Įnter Edin Zubčević, promoter extraordinaire, who, since 1995, has organized one of the most consistently engaging European jazz festivals, besides producing excellent records on his Gramofon label and contributing in general to the cultural life in various spots of the Balkans.Īfter the customary rollercoaster with the powers that be regarding grants and venues, Zubčević managed to put together a first-class program for the 22nd edition of the festival (Nov. XX2 Jazz Fest Sarajevo by Francesco Martinelli (New York City Jazz Record, issue 200, Decembar 2018)įor the past few years Sarajevo has been a sort of home away from home for John Zorn.
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