John Zorn Sacred Visions

The sixth installment in John Zorn's Moonchild series centers around the mysterious, monastic cult of warriors known as the Knights Templar, who were established and recognized by the Catholic Church somewhere near 1128 and were excommunicated by Pope Clement V in 1312 for heresy (allegedly for overtly worshipping Baphomet, i.e. Satan). While the Moonchild trio has been a constant - vocalist Mike Patton, drummer Joey Baron, and bassist Trevor Dunn - they have been augmented from time to time. Here, John Medeski's organ makes them a quartet and it's a nice touch; Zorn's music for this cycle, while full of dynamic bursts of rock, jazz, and avant power, also evokes Roman Catholic liturgical music to great effect…

John Zorn - Inferno (2015) {Tzadik TZ 8336}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 269 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 108 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 310 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2015 Tzadik | TZ 8336 | Tzadik Archival Series
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Fusion / Experimental / Metal / Atonality / Ambient

The third CD from Zorn’s most dangerous new instrumental ensemble is inspired by the work and thought of Swedish playwright, poet, painter, philosopher, novelist, alchemist and occultist August Strindberg, whose dark brooding visions were a precursor to expressionism, surrealism and more. Featuring the long form composition “Inferno,” named after one of Srindberg’s most startling texts, the music touches upon metal, jazz, minimalism, atonality, ambient and more. White hot burning intensity from the mind of downtown NY’s eternally youthful hell-raiser performed by a virtuoso trio forged from the worlds of jazz and metal.

An album which straddles the line between John Zorn's classical compositions and his more theoretical, experimental work, Angelus Novus collects four pieces which span 20 years of his career. 1983's "For Your Eyes Only" is a chamber symphony which lurches from all-out aggression to jazzy horn interludes and breezy wind pieces. "Christabel" is a 1972 student piece that also has sharply executed cuts alternating between fluttering, energetic sections and smooth, serene ones that could act as the soundtrack to the Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Zorn has said that the piece was inspired by Coleridge)…

John Zorn - The Last Judgment (2014) {Tzadik TZ 8325}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 258 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 96 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 34 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2014 Tzadik | TZ 7181 | Tzadik Archival Series
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Experimental

Featuring the same magical Templar quartet from “In Sacred Blood”, “The Last Judgment” is the final CD in the remarkable Moonchild septology. This project has explored many different worlds in the past 8 years, and this CD takes a moody and lyrical approach with Medeski’s organ fully integrated into the band. Once again inspired by the legend of the powerful Knights Templar and their tragic demise under accusations of heresy in 1307, Zorn has composed a suite of pieces with a strong sense of continuity and emotional impact. Mike Patton draws on every vocal technique in his huge arsenal and the rhythm section of Dunn and Baron are tighter than ever. The last piece of the Moonchild puzzle—essential!

In Search of the Miraculous is an album by composer John Zorn released as a part of Tzadik's Archival series in 2010. Allmusic awarded the album 4 stars. Writing for All About Jazz, Warren Allen stated "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".