John Zorn

John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category".<ref name="RCJE">Template:Cite book</ref> His avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jazz, rock, Jewish music, hardcore, classical, contemporary, surf, metal, soundtrack, ambient, and world music.<ref name="RCJE" /><ref name="Milkowski00">Milkowski, B., "John Zorn: One Future, Two Views" Template:Webarchive (interview) in Jazz Times, March 2000, pp. 28–35,118–121; accessed July 24, 2010.</ref> Rolling Stone noted that Template:Nowrap Zorn has operated almost entirely outside the mainstream, he's gradually asserted himself as one of the most influential musicians of our time".<ref>Alkyer, F. First Take: Happy Birthday Mr Zorn, Down Beat, October, 2013, pg. 10.</ref><ref name=RollStone>Steamer, H., ‘He Made the World Bigger’: Inside John Zorn's Jazz-Metal Multiverse, Rolling Stone, June 22, 2020.</ref>

Zorn engaged New York City's downtown music scene in the mid-1970s, collaborating with improvising artists and experimenting with compositional strategies and arrangements.<ref name="RCJE" /><ref name="Milkowski00" /> Over the next decade he performed throughout Europe and Japan and recorded on independent US and European labels. He released The Big Gundown, reconstructing the spaghetti Western, gangster and war movie themes of Ennio Morricone, a formative musical influence, to acclaim in 1986.<ref name="RCJE" /><ref>Zorn, J., Ennio Morricone Was More Than Just a Great Film Composer, He was one of the great composers, period., NY Times, July 9, 2020</ref><ref>Rockwell, J., Zorn Variations on Themes by Morricone, NY Times, November 2, 1986.</ref> Spillane and Naked City further demonstrated Zorn's ability to merge and blend musical styles in new and challenging formats.<ref>Watrous, P., "Spillane", a Blend of American Styles, NY Times, May 25, 1988.</ref><ref>Rockwell, J., As Important As Anyone In His Generation, NY Times, February 21, 1988.</ref><ref>Pareles, J., "There Are 8 Million Stories in John Zorn's Naked City', New York Times, April 8, 1990.</ref>

Zorn spent significant time in Japan in the 1980s and early '90s returning to Lower East Side Manhattan to establish the Tzadik record label in 1995.<ref name=browbeat>Burma, M., John Zorn Interview, Browbeat, Issue 1, 1993</ref><ref>Watrous, P., John Zorn Takes Over the Town, NY Times, February 24, 1989.</ref><ref>Fordham, J. (1993), The Essential Guide to Jazz on CD, Greenwich Editions: London.</ref><ref>Liner notes to Nani Nani (1995), Tzadik: New York.</ref> Tzadik enabled Zorn to establish independence, maintain creative control, and ensure the availability of his growing catalog of recordings. He prolifically recorded and released new material for the label, issuing several new albums each year, along with recordings by many other artists.<ref name="Gordon">Gordon, T., (2008), John Zorn: Autonomy and the Avant-Garde Template:Webarchive; accessed November 15, 2013.</ref>

Zorn performs on saxophone with his Naked City, Painkiller, and Masada bands. He also conducts ensembles such as Moonchild, Simulacrum, several Masada-related groups, and encourages musicians toward their own interpretations of his work. He has composed concert music for classical ensembles and orchestras, and produced music for opera, sound installations, film and documentary.<ref name=RollStone/> Tours of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have been extensive, usually at festivals with musicians and ensembles that perform his repertoire.<ref>John Zorn Festival in Israel 2008 website Template:Webarchive; accessed September 2, 2008.</ref><ref>Kelman, J. Festival International Musique Actuelle Victoriaville Review at All About Jazz, May 15, 2008.</ref><ref>Moore, C. Adelaide Festival 2014: Loud and Proud Template:Webarchive, Limelight, October 29, 2014.</ref>

Early life and career

Early studies

John Zorn was raised in Utopia, Queens and studied piano, guitar and flute at the United Nations International School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=NPR>At 60, 'Challenges Are Opportunities' For John Zorn, NPR.org, September 3, 2013.</ref><ref>Helland, D Downbeat.com John Zorn Biography</ref> Zorn's mother, Vera (née Studenski; 1918–1999), listened to classical and world music; his father, Henry Zorn (1913–1992), was interested in jazz, French chansons, and country music; and his older brother collected doo-wop and 1950s rock and roll records.<ref name="enotes">Bourgin, S. M. (ed.),(1996) Contemporary Musicians, Vol. 15: Zorn, John Template:Webarchive accessed May 26, 2008</ref> Zorn spent his teenage years "listening to The Doors and playing bass in a surf band" while also exploring the experimental and avant-garde music of György Ligeti, Mauricio Kagel and Karlheinz Stockhausen and listening to cartoon soundtracks and film scores.<ref name=RollStone/><ref name="Gordon" /><ref name="enotes"/><ref>Put More Blood Into the Music (1989)</ref>

Zorn taught himself orchestration and counterpoint by transcribing scores and studied composition under Leonardo Balada before enrolling at Webster College where he attended lectures by Oliver Lake.<ref name="Milkowski98">Milkowski, B. (1998) John Zorn interview in Rockers, Jazzbos & Visionaries New York: Watson-Guptill Publications</ref><ref>Wendell, E. Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians: John Zorn Template:Webarchive; accessed October 9, 2013</ref> While at Webster he incorporated elements of free jazz, avant-garde and experimental music, film scores, performance art and the cartoon scores of Carl Stalling into his first recordings and discovered Anthony Braxton's groundbreaking solo album For Alto which inspired him to take up the instrument.<ref name="RCJE"/><ref name=RollStone/><ref>Bartlett A Zorn of Plenty Template:Webarchive Seattle Weekly, June 23, 1999.</ref><ref>Zorn, J (1995) liner notes to John Zorn: First Recordings 1973 New York: Tzadik.</ref> "I'm not going to sit in some ivory tower and pass my scores down to the players." said Zorn, "I have to be there with them, and that's why I started playing saxophone, so that I could meet musicians. I still feel that I have to earn a player's trust before they can play my music."<ref name="Service2003"/>

Leaving Webster after three semesters, Zorn lived on the West Coast before returning to Manhattan where he gave concerts in his apartment and other small NY venues, playing saxophone and a variety of reeds, duck calls, tapes, and other instruments.<ref name=RollStone/><ref name="sounds of staley and zorn">Pareles, J., Concert: Sounds of Staley And Zorn, NY Times, December 4, 1983</ref> Zorn immersed himself in the underground art scene, assisting filmmaker Jack Smith with his performances and attending plays by Richard Foreman.<ref>Blumenfield, L. Iconic New York composer John Zorn celebrates his 60th in Australia Template:Webarchive, The Saturday Paper, March 8, 2014.</ref>

Early compositions and recordings

Zorn's early major compositions included many game pieces described as "complex systems harnessing improvisers in flexible compositional formats".<ref>Zorn, J. The Game Pieces in Cox, C. & Warner, D., Eds. (2004) Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music, Continuum Press: New York (Template:ISBN)</ref><ref name="Duckworth">Duckworth, W. (1999) Talking Music, Da Capo Press (Template:ISBN) pp. 444–476</ref> These compositions "involved strict rules, role playing, prompters with flashcards, all in the name of melding structure and improvisation in a seamless fashion".<ref name="Milkowski00" /> Zorn's early game pieces had sporting titles like Lacrosse (1976), Hockey (1978), Pool (1979), and Archery (1979), which he recorded and first released on Eugene Chadbourne's Parachute label.<ref>Poop, C. E. Pukekos Website, January 28, 2011</ref><ref name="Roussel 2013">Roussel, P. (2013) John Zorn Discography Template:Webarchive, accessed November 1, 2013</ref> His most enduring game piece is Cobra, composed in 1984 and first recorded in 1987 and in subsequent versions in 1992, 1994 and 2002, and revisited in performance many times.<ref>Kozinn, A John Zorn and 'Cobra' NY Times, September 3, 1989</ref><ref>Ross, A Music and Plenty of It: 12 Hours' Worth In Fact NY Times March 15, 1993</ref><ref>Ratliff, B Stretching the Boundaries of the Things Musicians Do NY Times, August 5, 1996</ref>

In the early 1980s, Zorn was heavily engaged in improvisation as both a solo performer and with other like-minded artists.<ref name="Milkowski00" /> Zorn's first solo saxophone recordings were originally released in two volumes as The Classic Guide to Strategy in 1983 and 1986 on the Lumina label.<ref>Proefrock, S. Allmusic Review: The Classic Guide to Strategy, accessed November 1, 2013</ref> Zorn's early small group improvisations are documented on Locus Solus (1983) which featured Zorn with various combinations of other improvisers including Christian Marclay, Arto Lindsay, Wayne Horvitz, Ikue Mori, and Anton Fier.<ref>Layne, J. Allmusic Review: Locus Solus, accessed November 1, 2013</ref> Ganryu Island featured a series of duets by Zorn with Michihiro Sato on shamisen, which received limited release on the Yukon label in 1984.<ref>Layne, J. Allmusic Review: Ganryu Island, accessed November 1, 2013</ref> Zorn has subsequently reissued these early recordings.<ref name=Tzadikcatalog>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:John Zorn Münster 1990.jpg

Zorn in 1990

Breakthrough recordings

Zorn's breakthrough came in 1986 with the acclaimed The Big Gundown released on Nonesuch Records.<ref>Yanow, S. Allmusic Review: The Big Gundown; accessed November 1, 2013</ref> The album was endorsed by composer Ennio Morricone, who said: "This is a record that has fresh, good and intelligent ideas. It is realization on a high level, a work done by a maestro with great science-fantasy and creativity ... Many people have done versions of my pieces, but no one has done them like this".<ref>Morricone, E. in liner notes to The Big Gundown – 15th Anniversary Edition Tzadik: New York.</ref>

Zorn followed with Spillane in 1987, his second major-label release, featuring performances by Albert Collins, the Kronos Quartet, and the sprawling title track, an early "file-card" composition.<ref name="Watrous1993">Watrous, P. "John Zorn Makes Radical Turn Chic", nytimes.com, September 16, 1993.</ref> This method of combining composition and improvisation involved Zorn writing descriptions or ideas on file-cards and arranging them to form the piece.<ref>Cook, R. & Morton, B. (1992), The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP and Cassette, Penguin Books.</ref> Zorn described the process in 2003:

I write in moments, in disparate sound blocks, so I find it convenient to store these events on filing cards so they can be sorted and ordered with minimum effort. Pacing is essential. If you move too fast, people tend to stop hearing the individual moments as complete in themselves and more as elements of a sort of cloud effect ... I worked 10 to 12 hours a day for a week, just orchestrating these file cards. It was an intense process.<ref name="Service2003">Service, T. "Shuffle and Cut", The Guardian, March 7, 2003.</ref>

Zorn's file-card method of organizing sound blocks into an overall structure largely depended on the musicians he chose, the way they interpreted what was written on the file cards, and their relationship with Zorn who stated "At the end of the day, I want players to say: this was fun—it was a lot of fucking work, and it's one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was worth the effort."<ref name="Service2003"/>

Three further releases on Nonesuch followed; Spy vs Spy in 1989, Naked City in 1990, and Filmworks 1986–1990 (1992) before Zorn broke with the label.<ref name="Milkowski00"/>

Music

Jazz

Zorn demonstrated his hard bop credentials as a member of the Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet, recording Voodoo in 1986.<ref>Yanow, S. Allmusic Review: Voodoo, accessed November 1, 2013.</ref> News for Lulu (1988) and More News for Lulu (1992) featured Zorn, Bill Frisell and George E. Lewis performing compositions by Clark, Kenny Dorham, Freddie Redd, and Hank Mobley.<ref>Yanow, S. Allmusic Review: "News for Lulu"; accessed November 1, 2013.</ref><ref>Yanow, S. Allmusic Review: "More News for Lulu"; accessed November 1, 2013.</ref> He recorded Spy vs Spy featuring hardcore punk versions of Ornette Coleman's compositions in 1989.<ref name=RollStone/><ref>Rockwell, J. Zorn & Berne Downtown, nytimes.com, August 22, 1987.</ref><ref>Yanow, S. Allmusic Review: Spy vs Spy; accessed November 1, 2013.</ref> According to Cook, "Zorn's admirers often consider him a masterful bebop alto player, but when he does perform in something approaching that style his playing has little of the tension and none of the relaxation of the great beboppers, often sounding more strangulated than anything".<ref name="RCJE"/>

Film music

Zorn stated that "After my record The Big Gundown came out I was convinced that a lot of soundtrack work was going to be coming my way".<ref Name=Filmworks1986-1990>Zorn, J. (1992) liner notes to Filmworks 1986–1990 Tzadik: New York</ref> While interest from Hollywood was not forthcoming, eventually independent filmmakers like Sheila McLaughlin and Raúl Ruiz sought his talents.<ref>Layne, J. Allmusic Review: Filmworks 1986–1990, accessed November 6, 2013.</ref> Filmmaker Walter Hill rejected his music for a film to be called Looters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although Zorn's score did not make the final cut he used the money he received to establish the record label, Tzadik, on which he released Filmworks II: Music for an Untitled Film by Walter Hill in 1995.<ref>Layne, J. Allmusic Review: Filmworks II: Music for an Untitled Film by Walter Hill. Accessed November 5, 2013.</ref> Zorn also produced a series of commercial soundtracks for the advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy, including one directed by Jean-Luc Godard, a long-term Zorn inspiration.<ref name="Filmworks III">Zorn, J. (1997), liner notes to Filmworks III: 1990–1995 Tzadik: New York.</ref> Zorn used his film commissions to record new ensembles like Masada and the Masada String Trio. From the mid-1990s, Zorn composed film music for independent films dealing with BDSM and LGBT culture, documentaries exploring the Jewish experience, and films about outsider artists. In 2013, after releasing 25 volumes in his Filmworks Series, Zorn announced that he would no longer be releasing music for film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Hardcore: Naked City, Painkiller and beyond

Zorn established Naked City in 1988 as a "compositional workshop" to test the limitations of a rock band format.<ref>Zorn, J. (1993) liner notes to Zornfest program Template:Webarchive</ref> Featuring Zorn (saxophone), Bill Frisell (guitars), Fred Frith (bass), Wayne Horvitz (keyboards), Joey Baron (drums), and vocalist Yamatsuka Eye (and later Mike Patton), Naked City blended Zorn's appreciation of hardcore punk and grindcore bands like Agnostic Front and Napalm Death with influences like film music, country or jazz often in a single composition.<ref>Carla Chiti (1998), John Zorn in Sonora. Itinerari Oltre il Suono: John Zorn. Italy: Materiali Sonori Edizioni Musicali.</ref> The band performed pieces by film composers Ennio Morricone, John Barry, Johnny Mandel and Henry Mancini and modern classicists Alexander Scriabin, Claude Debussy, Charles Ives, and Olivier Messiaen and recorded heavy metal and ambient albums.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1991, Zorn formed Painkiller with Bill Laswell on bass and Mick Harris on drums.<ref>Huey, S. Allmusic Artist Biography: Painkiller, accessed November 4, 2013</ref> Painkiller's first two releases, Guts of a Virgin (1991) and Buried Secrets (1992), also featured short grindcore and free jazz-inspired compositions.<ref>Huey, S. Allmusic Review: Buried Secrets. Accessed November 4, 2013.</ref> They released their first live album, Rituals: Live in Japan, in 1993, followed by the double CD Execution Ground (1994), which featured longer dub and ambient-styled pieces.<ref>Rikard, M. Allmusic Review: Execution Ground. Accessed November 4, 2013.</ref> A second live album, Talisman: Live in Nagoya, was released in 2002 and the band was featured on Zorn's 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 12 (2005) with Hamid Drake replacing Harris on drums and guest vocalist Mike Patton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Both bands attracted worldwide interest, particularly in Japan, where Zorn had relocated following a three-month residency in Tokyo.<ref name=Goldberg>Goldberg, M. John Zorn Interview Template:Webarchive, BOMB Magazine, Issue 80, Summer 2002.</ref>

File:Mike Patton-1.jpg

Moonchild at the Barbican: Mike Patton (facing away) and Trevor Dunn

In 2006, Zorn formed the voice/bass/drums trio of Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, and Joey Baron as "a compositional challenge, as a song cycle, songs without words" as he decided "I want to work with Patton more; Patton was very hungry to do more work together. ‘OK, so let's start it with just bass, drums, and voice".<ref name=RollStone/><ref>Walters, J.L. John Zorn: "Crowley at the Crossroads", The Guardian, June 21, 2006.</ref> Rolling Stone said that Moonchild was "a band that, much like Naked City, mutated radically across its lifespan as Zorn kept raising his compositional bar. While it touched on similar extremes as that group... its episodes are more sustained, its structures more conventionally songlike" noting "For the first five of Moonchild's seven albums, released from 2006 through 2014, Patton utilized his full whisper-to-scream range while operating entirely without lyrics".<ref name=RollStone/>

Concert music

As Zorn's interest in Naked City waned, he "started hearing classical music in [his] head again."<ref>McCutchen, A. (1999) The Muse that Sings: Composers Speak about the Creative Process Oxford University Press: New York, p. 167.</ref> Zorn started working on compositions that drew on chamber music arrangements of strings, percussion and electronic instruments. Elegy, a suite dedicated to Jean Genet, was released in 1992.<ref>Butler, B. Allmusic Review: Elegy, accessed November 4, 2013.</ref>

The establishment of Tzadik allowed him to release many compositions which he had written over the previous two decades for classical ensembles. Zorn's earliest released classical composition, Christabel (1972) for five flutes, first appeared on Angelus Novus in 1998.<ref>Proefrock, S. Allmusic Review: "Angelus Novus"; accessed November 4, 2013.</ref> He credits the composition of his 1988 string quartet Cat O' Nine Tails (commissioned and released by the Kronos Quartet on Short Stories) to awakening him to the possibilities of writing for classical musicians. This composition also appeared on The String Quartets (1999) and Cartoon S/M (2000) along with variations on "Kol Nidre", inspired by the Jewish prayer of atonement which was written at the same time as the first Masada Book.<ref>Tommasini, A "Finding, and Savoring, A Muse in 'McHale's Navy'", nytimes.com, December 5, 2001.</ref>

Aporias: Requia for Piano and Orchestra (1998) was Zorn's first full-scale orchestral release featuring pianist Stephen Drury, the Hungarian Radio Children's Choir and the American Composers Orchestra conducted by Dennis Russell Davies.<ref>Layne, J. Allmusic Review: Aporias: Requia for Piano and Orchestra; accessed November 5, 2013.</ref>

Much of Zorn's classical work is dedicated or inspired by artists who have influenced him:

• Duras: Duchamp (1997) contains tributes to Marguerite Duras and Olivier Messiaen<ref>Proefrock, S. Allmusic Review: Duras: Duchamp, accessed November 5, 2013</ref>
• Songs from the Hermetic Theatre (2001) features compositions dedicated to Harry Smith, Joseph Beuys, and Maya Deren<ref>Jurek, T. Allmusic Review: Songs from the Hermetic Theatre, accessed November 5, 2013</ref>
• Madness, Love and Mysticism (2001) featured Le Mômo, inspired by Antonin Artaud, and Untitled, dedicated to Joseph Cornell<ref>Jurek, T. Allmusic Review: Madness, Love and Mysticism, accessed November 5, 2013</ref>
• Chimeras (2001) was based on Arnold Schoenberg's atonal composition, Pierrot Lunaire<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Several of Zorn's later concert works drew inspiration from mysticism and the works of Aleister Crowley in particular; Magick (2004) featured a group called the Crowley Quartet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A 2009 performance of the album's centerpiece Necronomicon was described as "... frenetic vortexes of violent, abrasive motion, separated by eerily becalmed, suspenseful sections with moody, even prayerful melodies. The music is sensational and evocative, but never arbitrary; you always sense a guiding hand behind the mayhem".<ref>Smith, S. Music in Review, NY Times, April 4, 2009.</ref>

Later works expanded to include vocal and operatic works; Mysterium released in 2005 featured Frammenti del Sappho for female chorus;<ref>Sanderson, B. Allmusic Review: Mysterium, accessed November 5, 2013</ref> Rituals (2005) featured Zorn's opera composed for the Bayreuth Opera Festival in 1998;<ref>Sanderson, B. Allmusic Review: Rituals; accessed November 5, 2013.</ref> and La Machine de l'Être composed in 2000, premiered at the New York City Opera in 2011, and recorded for the 2012 album Music and Its Double.<ref>Woolfe, Z. To Get to City Opera, Mr. Downtown Practiced Eclecticism, NY Times, March 16, 2011</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Zorn's concert works have been performed all over the world and he has received commissions from the New York Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonic and BBC Radio 3.<ref>liner notes to Madness, Love and Mysticism (2001) Tzadik: New York</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Masada books

Conversations with Joey Baron led Zorn to explore and embrace Jewish culture. A further file-card composition Kristallnacht (1992) reflected on the Night of Broken Glass that violently and destructively targeted Jews in Germany and Austria in 1938.<ref>Pareles, J. "Evoking a Terrible Night in 1938", nytimes.com, December 19, 1992.</ref><ref>Layne, J. Allmusic Review: "Kristallnacht"; accessed November 4, 2013.</ref> Several movements used the Phrygian dominant and Ukrainian Dorian scales common to klezmer music.<ref>Paeles, J. Old and New in a Jewish Festival, nytimes.com, December 20, 1995.</ref><ref>Yaffe, D. Learning to Reed, New York Nightlife, April 5, 1999.</ref> Zorn set himself the task of writing 100 compositions using the scale within a year.<ref>Kaplan, F. John Zorn's Joyful Jazz, Slate, October 3, 2003.</ref>

Book One

File:John zorn masada.jpg

Masada: Joey Baron (drums), Greg Cohen (bass), Dave Douglas (trumpet), John Zorn (alto saxophone)

In 1993 Zorn engaged Baron along with Dave Douglas (trumpet) and Greg Cohen (double bass) to provide musical cues for Joe Chappelle's first film Thieves Quartet (later collected on Filmworks III: 1990–1995) and established the first Masada group to perform his recent compositions using the instrumental lineup and improvisational approach of Ornette Coleman's pioneering free jazz quartet.<ref>Ratliff, B. True to '60s Rhythms and Jewish Culture, NY Times, June 11, 1999.</ref><ref>Cyclic Defrost, Greg Cohen: “Telepathic transmissions, humour and joy.” Interview by Bob Baker Fish</ref>

Within three years, the number of compositions had grown to 205 and became known as the first Masada Book. Zorn explained:

In 1996, Zorn released Bar Kokhba featuring Masada compositions recorded by a rotating group of musicians.<ref>Gilman, M. Allmusic Review: Bar Kokhba accessed November 6, 2013.</ref> Two ensembles arose from this album: the Masada String Trio, composed of Greg Cohen (bass), Mark Feldman (violin), and Erik Friedlander (cello); and the Bar Kokhba Sextet which added Marc Ribot (guitar), Cyro Baptista (percussion), and Joey Baron (drums), both of which were featured on 1998's The Circle Maker.<ref>Layne, J. Allmusic Review: The Circle Maker accessed November 6, 2013.</ref> The Masada String Trio were also featured on Zorn's Filmworks series, as part of his 50th Birthday Celebration, and released two albums as part of the Book of Angels project, Azazal and Haborym.<ref>Jurek, T. Allmusic Review: Filmworks XI: Secret Lives accessed November 6, 2013.</ref><ref>Westergaard, S. Allmusic Review: 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 1 accessed November 6, 2013.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2003, Zorn formed Electric Masada, a band featuring Zorn, Baptista, Baron, and Ribot, along with Trevor Dunn (bass), Ikue Mori (electronics), Jamie Saft (keyboards), and Kenny Wollesen (drums) releasing their debut live album from Zorn's 50th Birthday Concert series and a double live CD recorded in 2004.<ref>Fordham, J. John Zorn, The Guardian, July 22, 2003.</ref> In 2019, Zorn formed the New Masada Quartet with Julian Lage (guitar), Jorge Roeder (bass), and Kenny Wollesen (drums).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A Tenth Anniversary Series of Masada recordings was released by Zorn beginning in 2003. The series featured five albums of Masada themes including Masada Guitars by Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell, and Tim Sparks; Masada Recital by Mark Feldman and Sylvie Courvoisier; Masada Rock by Rashanim; and two albums featuring various artists, Voices in the Wilderness and The Unknown Masada.<ref name=Tzadikcatalog />

File:Bar Kokhba 2014.jpg

Bar Kokhba at 2014 Newport Jazz Festival with Marc Ribot, John Zorn, Cyro Baptista (left to right)

Book Two

In 2004, Zorn began composing the second Masada Book, The Book of Angels, resulting in an additional 316 compositions.<ref name=Ratliff2006>Ratliff, B. A Most Prolific Composer Opens His Book of Angels, NY Times, September 12, 2006.</ref><ref>Gilbert, A Music on the Edge San Francisco Chronicle, May 29, 2005.</ref> Zorn explained:

Zorn released thirty-two volumes of Masada Book Two compositions performed by many varied artists.<ref name=AAJ>Phipps, D. Album Review: Mary Halvorson: Paimon: Book Of Angels Volume 32, All About Jazz, December 13, 2017</ref><ref name=MTVHive>Wolk, D. "Pat Metheny Mingles in the Weird World of John Zorn" Template:Webarchive, MTVHive.com, May 29, 2013.</ref> The titles of many Masada Book Two compositions are derived from demonology and Judeo-Christian mythology.

The Masada quartet performed at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in March 2007 for what were billed as their final concerts.<ref>Ratliff, B. Barricades to Storm, Whether or Not Any Guards Were on Them, NY Times, March 13, 2007.</ref> Zorn reformed the band as a sextet with Uri Caine and Cyro Baptista in 2009 saying:<ref name="Milkowski2009">Milkowski, B. John Zorn: The Working Man Template:Webarchive, Jazz Times, May 2009.</ref>

Zorn's Masada compositions and associated ensembles have become a central focus of many concerts and festivals and he has established regular 'Masada Marathons' that feature various bands and musicians performing music from the Masada Books.<ref name=Ratliff2006/><ref>Chinen, N. "Exploring the Topography of John Zorn's Continent", nytimes.com, February 19, 2010.</ref>

Book Three

Zorn completed the third Masada book, titled The Book Beriah, in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Dreamers

Zorn released one of his most popular albums, The Gift, in 2001, which surprised many with its relaxed blend of surf, exotica and world music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 29, 2008, at St Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, Zorn premiered The Dreamers, which saw a return to the gentle compositions first featured on The Gift and established the band of the same name.<ref>Chinen, N. "Twangy Tones and Vibes in a Fistful of Nostalgia", nytimes.com, March 3, 2008.</ref> The Dreamers released their second album, O'o, in 2009, an album of Zorn's Book of Angels compositions in 2010 and a Christmas album in 2011.<ref>Jurek. T. Allmusic Review: O'o, accessed November 26, 2013</ref><ref>Allmusic entry: Ipos: Book of Angels Volume 14; accessed November 26, 2013</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other work

File:Zorn-Barbican.jpg

Zorn with Gavin Bryars and George E. Lewis at the Barbican Tribute to Derek Bailey, 2006

Tzadik Records

In 1992, John Zorn curated the Avant subsidiary of the DIW label with jazz producer Kazunori Sugiyama and released several Naked City recordings on the label as well as many other albums featuring Zorn affiliated musicians including Derek Bailey, Dave Douglas, Erik Friedlander, and Marc Ribot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1995, Zorn established the Tzadik label, allowing him to record and release his continually expanding catalog and works by others. Zorn stated "I do feel that it’s a lot easier to keep your head clear from greed if you’re not involved with major corporations. When I was working with Nonesuch for a short period, I got wrapped up with the same shit of like, “Why does Bill Frisell have a bigger budget than me?” I mean like, that’s something to think about? I could feel greed growing in me like a cancer. And for me, it’s very hard to deal with.."<ref name="Milkowski00" />

The label's releases are divided into series:

• The Archival Series features Zorn's recordings exclusively, including re-releases of several albums that appeared on other labels, Zorn's film work, and recordings from 1973 onwards;
• The 50th Birthday Celebration Series is 11 live albums recorded in September 2003 at Tonic as part of the month-long concert retrospective of Zorn's work;
• The Composer Series features Zorn's music for "classical" ensembles along with work by many other contemporary composers;
• The Radical Jewish Culture Series features contemporary Jewish musicians;
• The New Japan Series covers Japanese underground music;
• The Film Music Series features soundtracks by other musicians (Zorn's Filmworks recordings are featured in the Archival Series);
• The Oracle Series promotes women in experimental music;
• The Key Series presents notable avant-garde musicians and projects;
• The Lunatic Fringe Series releases music and musicians operating outside of the broad categories offered by other series; and
• The Spotlight Series promotes new bands and musical projects of young musicians.<ref name="Tzadik">Template:Cite web</ref>

Tzadik also releases special-edition CDs, DVDs, books and T-shirts. Since 1998, the designs of Tzadik releases have been created by graphic artist Heung-Heung "Chippy" Chin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Stone (music venue)

Zorn's earliest New York performances occurred at small artist-run performance spaces including his own apartment.<ref name="Milkowski00" /> As his profile grew, he became associated with several Lower East Side alternative venues such as the Knitting Factory and Tonic.<ref name="Pehling2009" /> On Friday April 13, 2007, Zorn played the final night at Tonic before it closed due to financial pressures.<ref>Sisaro B Avant-Garde Music Loses a Lower Manhattan Home, NY Times, March 31, 2007.</ref><ref>Chinen N Requiem for a Club: Saxophone and Sighs, NY Times, April 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Zorn was the principal force in establishing The Stone in 2005, an avant-garde performance space in New York's Alphabet City which supports itself solely on donations and the sale of limited-edition CDs, giving all door revenues directly to the performers.<ref>Ratliff B For Jazz Musicians and Fans, a (Tiny) Room of Their Own, NY Times, April 5, 2005</ref> Zorn holds the title of artistic director and regularly performs 'Improvisation Nights'.<ref>Fitzell, S.P. The Stone: John Zorn's Latest Downtown Venture, All About Jazz, April 7, 2005.</ref> Zorn feels that "The Stone is a unique space and is different from Tonic, the Knitting Factory, and most of the other venues we have played at as there is no bar ... so there is NO pressure to pack the house with an audience that drinks, and what night you perform has nothing to do with your power to draw a crowd or what kind of music you might play".<ref>Eisinger, D. W. Altered Zones Artist Profilë: John Zorn Template:Webarchive, accessed November 25, 2013.</ref> On January 10, 2008, Zorn performed with Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson at a special benefit night at The Stone which was also released on The Stone: Issue Three on CD.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2016 Zorn announced that The Stone would close in February 2018 but that he was hopeful that a new location could be found, stating "Venues come and go, but the music continues on forever!"<ref>Chinen, N. The Stone Announces Its End Date, NY Times, December 27, 2016</ref> By March 2017 Zorn had negotiated with The New School to move The Stone to Greenwich Village.<ref>Woolfe, Z. The Stone, an Influential Music Space, to Move to the New School, NY Times, March 1, 2017</ref> On February 25, 2018, the last performance was held at the original venue and Zorn moved operations to The New School's The Glass Box Theatre on the basis of a handshake deal.<ref>Russonello, G. John Zorn's Club the Stone Begins a New Life on the Other Side of Town, NY Times, February 27, 2018</ref>

50th and 60th birthday concert series

In September 2003, Zorn celebrated his 50th birthday with a month-long series of performances at Tonic in New York, repeating an event he had begun a decade earlier at the Knitting Factory.<ref>Pareles J 40 Years of Restless Music NY Times, September 3, 1993</ref><ref>Price, E & Roussel, P Zornfest pages at WNUR at www.wnur.org Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Ratliff, B. Fluttering Rat-a-tats to Celebrate a Birthday, NY Times, September 9, 2003.</ref> He conceptualized the month into several different aspects of his musical output. Zorn's bands performed on the weekends, classical ensembles were featured on Sundays, Zorn performed improvisations with other musicians on Mondays, featured his extended compositions on Tuesdays and a retrospective of game pieces on Wednesdays.<ref>Zorn, J. (2003) 50th Birthday Celebration program</ref> A total of 12 live albums were released on his 50th Birthday Celebration Series.<ref>Davis, F. Overcoming Irony, John Zorn Goes for the Heart, Not for the Easy Kill, Village Voice, March 23, 2004</ref>

File:Zorn@60@Met.jpg

John Zorn performing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in September 2013

Zorn's 60th birthday celebrations encompassed concerts across the globe from festival appearances to unique events in art galleries and unusual venues across 2013 and into 2014.<ref>Sisario, B. Lionized, but Restless as Ever, NY Times, July 10, 2013.</ref> The first concerts under the Zorn@60 banner were performed at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in April 2013.<ref>Schell, J. If You Don't Catch It, It's Gone: Zorn @ 60, Walker Art Centre Green Room, April 10, 2013</ref> This was followed by performances at the Museum of Modern Art and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Smith, S. Under Installation, Vocal Colors, NY Times, June 24, 2013.</ref> The European leg of Zorn@60 commenced at the Barbican Theatre in London in July 2013.<ref>Kilbey, P. How it's done: John Zorn celebrates his 60th birthday at the Barbican, Bachtrack, July 16, 2013</ref> Festival appearances in Belgium, Poland, Spain and Germany followed soon after.<ref>Terrie, S. Gent Jazz 2013: John Zorn at 60, DeMening, July 14, 2013</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Zorn@60 at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days 2013, (Free) Jazz Alchemist, July 9, 2013</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Weir, B. Review: San Sebastian Jazz Festival Template:Webarchive, Jazz Journal, accessed October 7, 2013</ref> These were followed by concerts in Victoriaville, Canada.<ref>Woodard, J. Avant-Garde Artists Thrive Annually at Victoriaville Template:Webarchive, Down Beat, September 27, 2013</ref> Returning to New York City other concert appearances occurred at Alice Tully Hall and Lincoln Centre.<ref>Sahr, D. Waving a Wand: The Magic of John Zorn's Quartets, Seen and Heard International website, August 1, 2013</ref><ref>Schweitzer, It's His Party, He Can Play With Elbows if He Wants, NY Times, July 19, 2013.</ref>

Zorn undertook another of his celebrated Masada Marathons at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in August.<ref>Pareles, J. A Fraction of a Repertory Is Enough for a Celebration of Productivity, NY Times, September 16, 2013.</ref> Further New York City concerts in September included performances of music for film at the Anthology Film Archives, classical works and Cobra at the Miller Theatre, a day-long concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art<ref>Watch John Zorn and Mike Patton Terrorize the Met Museum for 11 Hours... in 77 Seconds!, Christopher R. Weingarten Spin, September 30, 2013</ref> and a performance of improvised duets with Ryuichi Sakamoto.<ref>Smith, S. A Stage Buckling With New-Music Luminaries Has Space for Orchestral Scores, NY Times, September 26, 2013.</ref><ref>Smith, S. Surrounding Art With the Sounds of 60, NY Times, October 2, 2013.</ref><ref>HC John Zorn + Ryuichi Sakamoto, PopMatters, October 6, 2013</ref> In October, the International Contemporary Ensemble performed a retrospective of Zorn's classical music at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.<ref>Reich, H. Celebrating John Zorn's 60th, with plenty of ICE, Chicago Tribune, October 24, 2013</ref> The final Zorn@60 concerts were performed as part of the Adelaide Festival in Australia in March 2014 featuring a four concerts covering the breadth of his compositional and improvisational range.<ref>McBeath, J. Zorn and co display dazzling versatility, The Australian, March 13, 2014</ref><ref>Whittington, S. Adelaide Festival review 2014: Zorn in Oz – Zorn@60, The Advertiser, March 16, 2014</ref>

Arcana (book series)

In 2000, Zorn edited the book Arcana: Musicians on Music featuring interviews, essays, and commentaries by musicians including Anthony Coleman, Peter Garland, David Mahler, Bill Frisell, Gerry Hemingway, George E. Lewis, Fred Frith, Eyvind Kang, Mike Patton and Elliott Sharp, on the compositional process.<ref>Zorn. J. (editor) Arcana: Musicians on Music, Hips Road: New York (2000) (Template:ISBN)</ref> Zorn released the second volume of Arcana: Musicians on Music in the summer of 2007. According to the preface by Zorn, "This second installment of what will be a continuing series of books presenting radical, cutting-edge ideas about music is made, like the initial volume, out of necessity."<ref>Zorn. J. (editor) Arcana II: Musicians on Music, Hips Road: New York (2007) (Template:ISBN)</ref> New volumes have since been released; the eighth volume was published in September 2017.

In other media

Zorn also appeared on the 1985 Henry Hills film Money about the financial struggles of Manhattan avant garde artists during the age of Reaganism.<ref>Money|Henry Hills</ref>

Awards

In 2001, John Zorn received the Jewish Cultural Award in Performing Arts from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture.<ref>Merkin Concert Hall Composer John Zorn to Present Chimeras at Merkin Concert Hall, press release, May 8, 2002 Template:Webarchive</ref> In 2006, Zorn was named a MacArthur Fellow.<ref>Lee, FR This Years MacArthur Awards Cover Many Fields NY Times, September 19, 2006</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, he was the recipient of Columbia University's School of the Arts William Schuman Award, an honor given "to recognize the lifetime achievement of an American composer whose works have been widely performed and generally acknowledged to be of lasting significance."<ref name="ColumbiaNews07">Columbia News (2007) Composer John Zorn Garners William Schuman Award, March 2007</ref>

In 2011, Zorn was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame by Lou Reed, and was awarded the Magister Artium Gandensis, an honorary degree from the University of Ghent.<ref>University of Ghent Hogeschool website accessed August 31, 2011 Template:Webarchive</ref> In 2014, he received honorary doctorates from The State University of New York and the New England Conservatory of Music.<ref>The Music of John Zorn: A 35-Year Retrospective Template:Webarchive, New England Conservatory, accessed August 1, 2016</ref><ref>NEC Honorary Doctor of Music, New England Conservatory, accessed August 1, 2016</ref><ref>Purchase College 2014 Commencement Celebrates Creativity and Achievement, SUNY, accessed August 1, 2016</ref>

Filmography

• Money (1985), a "manic collage film" by Henry Hills on "the early days of "language poetry" and the downtown improvised music scene."<ref>Cf. website of filmmaker Henry Hills. Retrieved June 16, 2013 Template:Webarchive</ref>
• Put More Blood Into the Music (1987), documentary by George Atlas on New York avant garde music, aired Sunday March 12, 1989, as episode 292 of The South Bank Show.
• Step Across the Border (1990), documentary on Fred Frith.
• A Bookshelf on Top of the Sky: 12 Stories About John Zorn (Tzadik, 2004), film portrait by Claudia Heuermann.
• Masada Live at Tonic 1999 (2004), concert film.
• Celestial Subway Lines / Salvaging Noise (2005), experimental documentary by Ken Jacobs with soundtrack by Zorn and Ikue Mori.
• Sabbath in Paradise (Tzadik, 2007), documentary by Claudia Heuermann on Jewish musical culture in New York's avant garde Jazz scene in the 1990s.
• Astronome: A Night at the Opera (2010), an opera by Richard Foreman, music by John Zorn.
• Zorn I (2016) by Mathieu Amalric
• Zorn II (2018) by Mathieu Amalric
• Zorn III (2022) by Mathieu Amalric

Bibliography

• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana: Musicians on Music. Hips Road: New York 2000, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana II: Musicians on Music. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2007, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana III: Musicians on Music. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2008, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana IV: Musicians on Music. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2009, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana V: Musicians on Music, Magic & Mysticism. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2010, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana VI: Musicians on Music. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2012, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana VII: Musicians on Music. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2014, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana VIII: Musicians on Music. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2017, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana IX: Musicians on Music. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2021, Template:ISBN.
• Zorn, John (editor). Arcana X: Musicians on Music. Hips Road/Tzadik: New York 2022, Template:ISBN.

Further reading

• Cole Gagne, Soundpieces 2: Interviews with American Composers. Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press, 1993. Template:ISBN
• Edward Strickland, American Composers: Dialogues on Contemporary Music. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991. Template:ISBN
• NYTimes feature/interview, 2013
• Template:NYTtopic

External links

• The Stone website
• Hips Road Edition: Concert music of John Zorn, including score and mp3 samples
• Template:Usurped
• Template:IMDb name
• Discography of John Zorn by Patrice Roussel (to June 2013) Template:Webarchive
• John Zorn Primer The Wire Issue 156 Feb 1997
• John Zorn interview (Hungarian) Template:Webarchive
• Brackett, John. John Zorn: Tradition and Transgression. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008. Template:ISBN.
• John Zorn Q&A Session
• John Zorn radio interview by Chris Comer: chriscomerradio.com/john_zorn/john_zorn8-24-1999.htm