Search - John Zorn :: O'o

On par with "The Dreamers"

J. GARRATT | 07/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It may seen difficult to believe, but John Zorn's all-star lilting surf combo is able to sound better on each subsequent release without actually overshadowing previous releases. Since I loved "The Dreamers" so much, I had reservations about hearing "O'o." On one hand, I might be disappointed if it didn't measure up. On the other hand, it could be of such high quality that it would dwarf an album like "The Dreamers" in my mind, reducing great music to a mere footnote.



Well neither one happened with me when I first heard this new album. "The Gift," "The Dreamers," and "O'o," they are each the same in their different ways. Or maybe it's the other way around. Either way you look at it, its pretty fresh, unique and entirely reverent to the Zorn catalog. In other words, don't be afraid. Embrace it. There is formula, and there are breaks in the formula. It's highly melodic and any CD that features Marc Ribot on guitar is worth purchasing. And yes, the packaging is something to behold. Especially in the age of digital downloads.



Listen to the sample of "Kakawahie," hopefully that will be enough to persuade you."

Another great record from "The Dreamers" band.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 02/02/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The followup to 2008's The Dreamers, "O'o", named for an extinct Hawaiian bird, continues Zorn's exploration of the melodies of exotica and surf music. Featuring the same superb band (Marc Ribot on guitar, Jamie Saft on keyboards, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Trevor Dunn on bass, Joey Baron on drums and Cyro Baptista on percussion), "O'o" isn't quite The Dreamers, but it's still a great record.



Like its predecessor, "O'o" is stunningly diverse and loaded with great melodies and even better performances. Like so many records by Zorn, he illustrates what's to come on the opener-- "Miller's Crake" opens with a great, swinging piano trio performance before giving way to a fantastic melody on vibes with counterpoint from Ribot. Aggressive solos by Saft, Ribot and Wollesen push the piece as each seems to outdo the next. And as the album continues, these strengths keep up throughout with just startling diversity-- "Po'o'uli" lets Baptista's bird sounds work through a circular piano motif and unison vibes and guitar melody statement, "Little Bittern" builds through a locomotive feel serving as just a phenomenal feature for Ribot, who just eats the piece alive and "The Zapata Rail" reaches almost for a soul jazz feel, with a superb organ performance outdone only by Ribot's guitar playing, which in turn is outdone by Baron's accompaniment on the drum kit. Along the way, we get a great drum feature ("Solitaire") and a typically playful composition from Zorn ("Mysterious Starling").



Still, I gave The Dreamers 5 stars and I leave this one short-- and only because, while it's just a great album, it seems to be missing somehthing. Maybe just one more awesome cut-- maybe something just fiercely explosive like The Dreamers' "Of Wonder and Certainty", or maybe I can't quite put my finger on it. Regardless, "O'o" is a superb record, if anyone but Zorn did it, I'd be talking about it as their masterwork. Highly recommended."