Diw Records

John Zorn & Masada - Vav (1995) {DIW Records Japan DIW-900} (Volume 6of10)
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© 1995 DIW Records Japan | DIW-900
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Klezmer / Post Bop / World Fusion / Ethnic Jazz

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.

John Zorn & Masada - Gimel (1994) {DIW Records Japan DIW-890} (Volume 3of10)
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© 1994 DIW Records Japan | DIW-890
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Klezmer / Post Bop / World Fusion / Ethnic Jazz

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.

John Zorn & Masada - Beit (1994) {DIW Records Japan DIW-889} (Volume 2of10)
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© 1994 DIW Records Japan | DIW-889
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Klezmer / Post Bop / World Fusion / Ethnic Jazz

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.

Trio Transition - Trio Transition with special guest Oliver Lake (1988) {DIW Records Japan DIW-829}
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© 1988 DIW Records Japan | DIW-829
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Modern Creative / Saxophone

This session with guest saxophonist Oliver Lake joining the collective Trio Transition – bassist Reggie Workman, pianist Mulgrew Miller, and drummer Frederick Waits – represents a free bop supergroup. Those names promise much, and the recording delivers that and more. This conjoining of talents results in an adventurous, free-swinging session informed by a keen sense of structure. The group's ability to match expansive free blowing with intriguing song forms is most pronounced on the ensemble's version of Stanley Cowell's joyful waltz, "Effie."

John Zorn & Masada - Dalet (1994) {DIW Records Japan DIW-923 rel 1997} (Volume 4of10)
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© 1994, 1997 DIW Records Japan | DIW-923
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Klezmer / Post Bop / World Fusion / Ethnic Jazz

This is the fourth in the series of John Zorn's 10 Masada quartet albums (plus, as far as I know, one live recording released by Jazz DCOR and few more released on Zorn's own label, Tzadik). The four musicians of Masada quartet (John Zorn - alto sax, Dave Douglas - trumpet, Joey Baron - drums, Greg Cohen - bass) are all masters of their instruments. They have recorded the ten albums in only a few studio sessions, all of which feature very, very passionate and inspired playing. All of the albums are beautifully played, with exquisite sense for measure and taste, the musicians bringing their instruments to the edge of possible (and beyond, as it often seems, it's awesome!) but their virtuosity never being self-serving. Many compositions sound like folk themes, there are a lot of emotions, a lot of melancholy or sense of longing, but also some 'smoking', joyous faster tracks.

John Zorn & Masada - Hei (1995) {DIW Records Japan DIW-899} (Volume 5of10)
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© 1995 DIW Records Japan | DIW-899
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Klezmer / Post Bop / World Fusion / Ethnic Jazz

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.

Big John Patton - This One's For Ja (1996) {DIW Records Japan DIW-919 rec 1995}
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© 1996 DIW Records Japan | DIW-919
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Hard Bop / Organ Hammond B-3

On the third album of his '90s comeback, Big John Patton chooses to create a relaxed vibe, smoothly grooving through a surprising choice of material. Most of the record consists of challenging songs like Coltrane's "Syeeda's Song Flute" and Grachan Moncur III's "Sonny's Back," which gives Patton – as well as his supporting band, featuring guitarist Ed Cherry and tenor saxophonist Dave Hubbard – the chance to create intricate yet accessible music. This is music that can be heard as simply a good groove yet it rewards careful listening. This One's for J.A. again confirms that Patton has made one of the rare comebacks in jazz, one that does justice to his earlier work.

John Zorn & Masada - Alef (1994) {DIW Records Japan DIW-888} (Volume 1of10)
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© 1994 DIW Records Japan | DIW-888
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Klezmer / Post Bop / Ethnic Jazz

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.

David S. Ware - Flight Of I (1992) {DIW Records DIW-856}
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© 1992 DIW Records | DIW-856
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Free Jazz / Tenor Saxophone

This is the final recording of the David S. Ware Quartet with drummer Marc Edwards, who would be replaced by Whit Dickey, who would be replaced later by Susie Ibarra. What is most notable about Flight of I is how Ware, completely oblivious to his critics, turned in his straightest ever recording, though no one could remotely call it "inside." The disc opens with one of Ware's compositions, "Aquarian Sound," which showcases the stunning complexity and beauty of Matthew Shipp's pianism. Opening with a series of vamps and augmented minor chords, he lays an opening ground for Ware to join the band.

Franco Cerri - Franco Cerri and His European Jazz Stars (1959) {Japan Mini LP DIW-3018 rel 2009}
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© 1959, 2009 Columbia Records Italy / DIW Records | DIW-3018
Jazz / Cool / Bop / Guitar / Saxophone

A gem of a session from Italian guitarist Franco Cerri — recording here at the end of the 50s with a well-titled batch of European jazz stars ! The groups shift slightly throughout the set, and players include Lars Gullin on baritone sax, Flavio Ambrosetti on alto, George Gruntz on piano, and Pierre Favre on drums ! The album features one trio track, three quartet numbers, three quintet tunes, and one sextet cut — all of them with Cerri's illuminating single-line work on guitar — sounding especially nice next to the horns. Ambrosetti is a real treat here — a sharp-edged player we'd never heard before, working with a strong undercurrent of soul that we really appreciate.