John Zorn: The Bagatelles Vol. 4 – Ikue Mori [#5214]
From March to May 2015, John Zorn composed 300 new tunes that were eventually collected into a book of music he called “The Bagatelles.” After five years of performances around the world in venues large and small, the choicest ensembles have gone into the studio and the results are some of the most exciting and varied music Zorn has ever presented. Volume four features the scintillating soundscapes of electronic music wizard Ikue Mori, and she has arranged these pieces with grace, elegance, and a meticulous sense of detail to create one of the most unique and fascinating renditions of Zorn’s “Bagatelles.”
PainKiller: The Great God Pan [#9321]
The reunion of PainKiller, the world’s most extreme sax-bass-drums trio, was one of the great musical events of 2024. For the third installment of their new trilogy of albums, Zorn, Harris, and Laswell take a more moody direction, creating two long tracks combining heavy metal intensity with ambient textures and a brooding lyricism. Inspired in part by Arthur Machan’s gothic novella “The Great God Pan,” the music weaves a frightening tapestry of mystery, horror, and the imagination.
John Zorn: Impromptus [#9322]
With “Suite for Piano” in 2022, Zorn began exploring classical forms in the context of the jazz piano trio. The second CD in the series was a beautiful collection of “Ballades,” released in July 2024. This third project presents nine Impromptus—freewheeling forms that unfold like brilliantly imaginative short stories. Brian, Jorge, and Ches outdo themselves here with telepathic interplay, endless creativity, and a courageous ability to go places that have never been discovered before. With each new recording, this trio gets both tighter and more explorative. Essential!
John Zorn: Fantasma [#9323]
Zorn’s compositions for classical soloists with rhythm section are among the most successful and powerful meetings of classical and jazz ever conceived—completely notated virtuosic scores for classical players augmented by improvisers who illuminate the music with surprise, support, and an imaginative unpredictability. Mining this magical world since 2010, the project reached its apotheosis in the acclaimed 2021 release “Heaven and Earth Magick.” Here that same quartet divides into different groupings to present a varied and dramatic program of new music at its complex, mischievous best. Joined by electronic wizard Ikue Mori on one track, “Fantasma—Illusions from a Surrealist Mirror” is an endlessly imaginative and compelling new project of dynamic cross-genre music from Downtown magus John Zorn.
