John Zorn - Masada Live at Tonic 2001 (18 tracks) +Album Reviews

Amazing!

Todd Adamson | 10/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I thought last year's Live in Sevilla was the finest Masada recording, but Tonic far surpasses it. Zorn, Douglas, Cohen, and Baron tear through two hours worth of Masada compositions drawing heavily from Masada 9. Of special note is the absolute mastery of Joey Baren and Greg Cohen, who provide such a solid grove on disk one's Acharei Mot, I can actually feel the room spinning. Zorn and Douglas' interplay is so phenomenal they must be communicating telepathically. If Tonic has a flaw, the sound quality is not quite as good as Sevilla.Masada is, hands down, the finest working jazz group in the business today."

A stunner!!!!

Simone Oltolina | Morbio Inferiore, TI Switzerland | 02/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I discovered John Zorn and his many projects (naked city is a fave of mine) during one of my first forays into jazz territory (which is quite surprising in hindsight because for the most part, his music isn't what you'd call "accessible"). I've been digging his output ever since and been rarely disappointed. Quite the contrary, a couple of his albums would definitely rank in my favourite albums' list if there ever was such a thing :-). Masada is Joey Baron (drums), Dave Douglas (trumpet), Greg Cohen (bass) and Zorn himself on sax. They play a brand of klezmer-influenced avant-jazz but I found this release a lot more accessible that other stuff he put out so don't let the term "avant" scare you off, you'll find plenty of playful, enjoyable stuff here!!! The players are talented beyond belief and the sound quality, as other reviewers reported, is over the top! oh, Tonic is the most important jazz club in the world in case you didn't know..."

Super intense jazz

E. Hawkins | Sydney, Australia | 04/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is not music for putting on behind dinner conversation. It's not that Masada is hard on the ears. It's just that the intensity with which they play is too high to be safely ignored. All the members of the quartet play stunningly on this release -- Dave Douglas's playing on the first two cuts on disc 2 is glorious -- but for mine the absolutle key to the music is Joey Baron. His drumming is so detailed -- moving around the kit without ever simply indulging in noisy clatter -- and swinging that the band couldn't help but play well. An essential release for any self-respecting jazz fan."

...incredible!

M. Maurizio | Italia | 01/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These concerts are simply fantastic! Highly recommended."

A stunning set, even for Masada.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 01/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Live at Tonic" is one of those live shows where pretty much everything comes together. The Masada quartet-- John Zorn on alto sax, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Greg Cohen on bass and Joey Baron on drums-- an immensely talented unit to begin with, by this point was so intimately familiar with each other and the music that they always seem to hit the stage running, but these shows were clearly extraordinary, with two sets from one of Zorn's favorite stages, Tonic in Manhattan.

What really separates this group from virtually any other is the extraordinary level of interaction and brilliant performances between the soloists. Zorn's songbook is full of nice pieces and interesting melodies, but this group brings it to life with powerful individual performances and even better collective work. It also helps that an enormously high level of intensity is maintained by the group throughout.

Examples of this can be found throughout the album, but certainly even from the opening notes of both sets, this is clear-- "Karaim" on the first set finds Zorn soloing patiently, building slowly to a head before Douglas comes in and shakes things loose. All the while, Cohen and Baron maintain a fantastic groove below it all. "Lilin", opening the second set, builds in tension from the opening note, primed until it totally cuts loose and features some downright jawdropping soloing from both horn players. But again, it's the group that sets Masada apart-- take "Ner Tamid" on the first disc. Zorn's solo is fantastic, but below him, Cohen restates and twists the theme over and over again, performing with agility and grace rarely found. Or consider the cartoony ecstacy of "Malkhut" (performed in both sets), where all four members of the band get in on explosiveness and melodrama. And quite the opposite, the delicate, lovely and sensitive performance on "Galshan" (of which I believe this is the only live recording), where the band's interaction reaches such an enormous level that you actually pause during Cohen's solo simply because it's the only time someone feels in the spotlight.

Bottom line, the shows here are just staggering, and they capture as well as anything what Masada is all about. I give the slight edge to "50th Birthday Celebration Volume 7" (recorded at the same club two years later) for best Masada piece, but this one is certainly nothing to overlook. Highly recommended."

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