The Painted Bird (Tzadik)

John Zorn

Released March 18, 2016

DownBeat Four-and-a-Half-Star Review

YouTube:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lE8asqbIshMByBIU6LbhmSXFgy9iBGc9M

Spotify:

About:

The fourth CD in a 12-month period by Zorn’s most powerful new ensemble presents nine genre-busting compositions mixing jazz, metal, classical, world music and more. This time their trademark sound is augmented by the ringing tones of Kenny Wollesen’s vibraphone to create their wildest, most insane CD to date. Juxtaposing complex atonal lines, driving vamps, heavy metal riffs, improvisational madness, shredding solos and moments of profound lyricism, The Painted Bird is a surreal and expressive new world in sound. Moonchild meets Nova Express! Zorn returns to the attack with his more forceful formation of the last years. Only in the last twelve months he has continued delving into this tereno. “Simulacrum” The true discoveris of witches and demons “,” Inferno “and now” The painted Bird “. John Medeski, Matt Hollenberg, Grohowky, the collaboratio on two issues of Ches Smithy inclusion in odo album of Kenny Wollensen that and it has become fundamental to the music of Zorn.
The formula is the same; mix of different musics, jazz, metal, classical … if you think something was on Naked Music, although in a different way. It’s almost the natural heritage of Zappa or Captain Beefheart, passed through the sieve of the chords of Hebrew music. As it is always fascinating and overwhelming. Zorn is always Zorn. A journey to other worlds. As he says this CD, it’s like Moonchild meets Nova Express.

Track Listing:

1. Snakeskin (John Zorn) 07:43

2. Plague (John Zorn) 02:58

3. Ravens (John Zorn) 03:51

4. Comet (John Zorn) 03:20

5. Cinders (John Zorn) 03:23

6. Nettles (John Zorn) 03:06

7. Night (John Zorn) 05:19

8. Spike (John Zorn) 03:27

9. Missal (John Zorn) 04:19

Personnel:

Simulacrum Ensemble 

John Zorn: conductor

John Medeski: organ

Kenny Grohowski: drums

Matt Hollenberg: guitarwith

Ches Smith: congas (7), voudun drums (8)

Kenny Wollesen: vibes

Recorded at East Side Sound

Producer: John Zorn

Associate Producer: Kazunori Sugiyama

Recorded and Mixed by Marc Urselli

Mastered by Scott Hull

Design: Heung-Heung Chin

Artwork: Detail of Hieronymus Bosch (c.1450-1516) painting “The Garden of Earthly Delights”

Review:

I recently received a stack of new releases from John Zorn’s Tzadik label and diligently started listening. But, frankly, I haven’t gotten past the first disc because it’s so damned good. I keep going back to The Painted Bird over and over. It’s a rip-roaring, tribal jazz/metal shred fest that will get the blood flowing and the head boppin’. I know I’m late to this party. The album came out in March and critic Bill Milkowski already gave it 4½ stars in DownBeat, but the loud-loving boy in me couldn’t resist adding it to this month’s Editors’ Picks. Let’s start with the lineup: John Medeski on organ, Ches Smith on congas and voudun drums, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Kenny Grohowski on drums and Matt Hollenberg on guitar. This is the fourth album of Zorn music this group has delivered in a 12-month period, and there’s more to come. This is rapid-fire, in-your-face, beautifully aggressive music that features crazy-good improvisation. Wollesen just melts down the vibes on “Snakeskin.” The whole band squeals and wails on “Comet,” a stop-start romp of tremendous ingenuity and musical interplay. “Night” is a majestic beast of a tune. And ’Missal” simmers down the proceedings to a low boil heading out of the set. The tunes are fantastic. The musicianship is beyond compare. This unit is tight, engaged and outrageous. You can feel them smiling behind this shimmering wall of sound. The Painted Bird is a fantastic listening experience.

Frank Alkyer (DownBeat)