John Zorn at 60

[Mark Stryker]

Ben Sisario's profile of Zorn posted today on the New York Times website.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/arts/music/turning-60-john-zorn-sees-his-eclecticism-as-a-musical-norm.html

Edited July 10, 2013 by Mark Stryker

[Teasing the Korean]

Camouflage pants in 2013? How pathetic.

I miss the days when musicians had a sense of fashion.

[Big Wheel]

Yeah, remember when 60 year old men were at the forefront of haute couture?

I must admit it took a certain amount of pizzazz to pull off the PukeShirt™ with extra chest hair:

[Quasimado]

"People are coming out of conservatories wanting to improvise. They want to play in a club. They want to make some horrible noise.”

There's no way hip folks here will be taken in by that!

Q

[Teasing the Korean]

Yeah, remember when 60 year old men were at the forefront of haute couture?

I'll take Herb's look any day.

[robertoart]

"People are coming out of conservatories wanting to improvise. They want to play in a club. They want to make some horrible noise.”

There's no way hip folks here will be taken in by that!

Q

They want to let everyone know mummy and daddies money hasn't corrupted their street cred.

[Blue Train]

Just heard Zorn composed 10,000 in the time this thread has been going. They all sound the same, but who cares. It's John Zorn. He will put his name on everything....even those he doesn't perform on. Hey, he's a composer like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart (have to laugh when I hear the sycophants say this.)....but at least on those releases....the musicians names are mentioned on the cover.

Just like when he turned 50.....I expect @ least 10,000 60th Birthday releases.

He just composed another 300 in the time I took to post this.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Blue Train

[robertoart]

And all composed in camouflage pants.

[7/4]

However...Zorn isn't a dick like Keith Jarrett.

[Blue Train]

However...Zorn isn't a dick like Keith Jarrett.

He is however a poseur. 100 more compositions.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Blue Train

[jlhoots]

Some of you guys have too much time on your hands.

[Blue Train]

Some of you guys have too much time on your hands.

Translation:

He just dropped 200 more versions of the same thing.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Blue Train

[Hot Ptah]

I don't understand the hostility toward John Zorn. I have enjoyed some of his albums and found some of them to be exciting to listen to. I have not enjoyed some of his albums all that much--he is a lot like many jazz artists in that way. He puts out a lot of recordings, more than I can keep up with, or would really want to keep up with. But I find some of his new releases to be interesting and enjoyable to listen to.

He is not a commercial sell-out, nor is he known for any malicious behavior toward others, at least none that I am aware of. So why ridicule him? I must be missing something here.

I have noticed this before on Organissimo.org. Musicians who have gained some popularity or success can become the subject of intense scorn here. Meanwhile,some artists who do not sell many albums and have never worked steadily receive only the kid gloves treatment, with 100 % praise, even though their music could be open to thoughtful criticism. I have never understood this about Organissimo.org

Camouflage pants in 2013? How pathetic.

I miss the days when musicians had a sense of fashion.

Who cares what a jazz musician is wearing offstage? I know I don't care about it at all.

Just heard Zorn composed 10,000 in the time this thread has been going. They all sound the same, but who cares. It's John Zorn. He will put his name on everything....even those he doesn't perform on. Hey, he's a composer like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart (have to laugh when I hear the sycophants say this.)....but at least on those releases....the musicians names are mentioned on the cover.

Just like when he turned 50.....I expect @ least 10,000 60th Birthday releases.

He just composed another 300 in the time I took to post this.

I don't have anywhere near all of Zorn's recorded output, but from what I have, his compositions do not sound the same at all. In fact, I am not aware of many jazz composers who have written music as varied as Zorn.

However...Zorn isn't a dick like Keith Jarrett.

He is however a poseur. 100 more compositions.

Why he is a poseur? Please explain. That is a strong charge against an artist, and I am genuinely unaware of what Zorn may have done to deserve it.

Some of you guys have too much time on your hands.

Translation:

He just dropped 200 more versions of the same thing.

Blue Train, you seem to intensely dislike John Zorn. Could you explain why? I truly don't understand what there is about him that would inspire such dislike.

[jlhoots]

I don't understand the hostility toward John Zorn. I have enjoyed some of his albums and found some of them to be exciting to listen to. I have not enjoyed some of his albums all that much--he is a lot like many jazz artists in that way. He puts out a lot of recordings, more than I can keep up with, or would really want to keep up with. But I find some of his new releases to be interesting and enjoyable to listen to.

He is not a commercial sell-out, nor is he known for any malicious behavior toward others, at least none that I am aware of. So why ridicule him? I must be missing something here.

I have noticed this before on Organissimo.org. Musicians who have gained some popularity or success can become the subject of intense scorn here. Meanwhile,some artists who do not sell many albums and have never worked steadily receive only the kid gloves treatment, with 100 % praise, even though their music could be open to thoughtful criticism. I have never understood this about Organissimo.org

Camouflage pants in 2013? How pathetic.

I miss the days when musicians had a sense of fashion.

Who cares what a jazz musician is wearing offstage? I know I don't care about it at all.

Just heard Zorn composed 10,000 in the time this thread has been going. They all sound the same, but who cares. It's John Zorn. He will put his name on everything....even those he doesn't perform on. Hey, he's a composer like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart (have to laugh when I hear the sycophants say this.)....but at least on those releases....the musicians names are mentioned on the cover.

Just like when he turned 50.....I expect @ least 10,000 60th Birthday releases.

He just composed another 300 in the time I took to post this.

I don't have anywhere near all of Zorn's recorded output, but from what I have, his compositions do not sound the same at all. In fact, I am not aware of many jazz composers who have written music as varied as Zorn.

However...Zorn isn't a dick like Keith Jarrett.

He is however a poseur. 100 more compositions.

Why he is a poseur? Please explain. That is a strong charge against an artist, and I am genuinely unaware of what Zorn may have done to deserve it.

Some of you guys have too much time on your hands.

Translation:

He just dropped 200 more versions of the same thing.

Blue Train, you seem to intensely dislike John Zorn. Could you explain why? I truly don't understand what there is about him that would inspire such dislike.

I agree with Hot Ptah's entire post.

Edited July 15, 2013 by jlhoots

[Teasing the Korean]

Camouflage pants in 2013? How pathetic.

I miss the days when musicians had a sense of fashion.

Who cares what a jazz musician is wearing offstage? I know I don't care about it at all.

Isn't it interesting that piece that was quoted bothered to tell us what he was wearing? Why not take it up with the journalist who wrote the piece? He/she thought it was worth mentioning.

I happen to admire John Zorn for the most part. However, I think the stylistic and aesthetic choices made by artists - outside of their "art" - are relevant; and whenever anyone - jazz musician or not - makes a bad fashion choice, I will call them out on it - especially if the journalist who wrote the piece in question thought it was worth mentioning.

You have the choice to ignore me just as much as you have the right to ignore poor fashion choices, John Zorn's or your own.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Teasing the Korean

[Chuck Nessa]

Damn, now I need to buy camo pants.

[Blue Train]

It's like people think he just started wearing camouflage pants. It's his trademark form of dress. Read most any review of a performance, or interview and it will get mentioned.

[Aggie87]

I don't understand the hostility toward John Zorn. I have enjoyed some of his albums and found some of them to be exciting to listen to. I have not enjoyed some of his albums all that much--he is a lot like many jazz artists in that way. He puts out a lot of recordings, more than I can keep up with, or would really want to keep up with. But I find some of his new releases to be interesting and enjoyable to listen to.

He is not a commercial sell-out, nor is he known for any malicious behavior toward others, at least none that I am aware of. So why ridicule him? I must be missing something here.

I have noticed this before on Organissimo.org. Musicians who have gained some popularity or success can become the subject of intense scorn here. Meanwhile,some artists who do not sell many albums and have never worked steadily receive only the kid gloves treatment, with 100 % praise, even though their music could be open to thoughtful criticism. I have never understood this about Organissimo.org

Camouflage pants in 2013? How pathetic.

I miss the days when musicians had a sense of fashion.

Who cares what a jazz musician is wearing offstage? I know I don't care about it at all.

Just heard Zorn composed 10,000 in the time this thread has been going. They all sound the same, but who cares. It's John Zorn. He will put his name on everything....even those he doesn't perform on. Hey, he's a composer like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart (have to laugh when I hear the sycophants say this.)....but at least on those releases....the musicians names are mentioned on the cover.

Just like when he turned 50.....I expect @ least 10,000 60th Birthday releases.

He just composed another 300 in the time I took to post this.

I don't have anywhere near all of Zorn's recorded output, but from what I have, his compositions do not sound the same at all. In fact, I am not aware of many jazz composers who have written music as varied as Zorn.

However...Zorn isn't a dick like Keith Jarrett.

He is however a poseur. 100 more compositions.

Why he is a poseur? Please explain. That is a strong charge against an artist, and I am genuinely unaware of what Zorn may have done to deserve it.

Some of you guys have too much time on your hands.

Translation:

He just dropped 200 more versions of the same thing.

Blue Train, you seem to intensely dislike John Zorn. Could you explain why? I truly don't understand what there is about him that would inspire such dislike.

I agree with Hot Ptah's entire post.

Ditto.

[Teasing the Korean]

It's like people think he just started wearing camouflage pants. It's his trademark form of dress.

Even worse.

[Head Man]

Damn, now I need to buy camo pants.

Do they make them in XXXXL?

[AllenLowe]

I thought Zorn lived in Japan.

[AllenLowe]

I respect Zorn, and he was one of the earliest to show that there were ways to gather together parts of the world which had not been previousky used well in improvised music. His own work is sincere but, from the days I listened regularly, not that interesting. I even think the Big Gundown, in retrospect, is not very good.

but in a way he's like Brubeck, and has gotten rich and famous without compromising his own values. (and don't believe that article; he's got a lot of money. Not that there's anything wrong with that.......)

[AllenLowe]

on the other hand I was recently listening to his Sonny Clark CD, and his alto playing was brilliant.

[Hot Ptah]

on the other hand I was recently listening to his Sonny Clark CD, and his alto playing was brilliant.

To me, that is the distinguishing feature of John Zorn's music. There is a lot of it recorded, and if you don't like his electric guitar/noisy/punk-like band, you may like his acoustic Masada quartet music (it's easy to like Dave Douglas' playing there, I think), or his Book of Angels series, or his Bar Kokhva albums (which I find often quite conventionally beautiful), or his Cobra series, or his other small group jazz music, or his weirder experimental sounding stuff, or his film music, or his many other albums of various types. It is a vast and extremely varied output.

I myself do not like his "Absinthe" album at all--I have read that it is a good example of ambient sound. I guess I do not like ambient sound then.

I find that sometimes someone will say that they like or don't like Zorn, when they have heard only a small fraction of his recorded output. I have heard about 50--75 of his albums, and feel that I have heard only a small fraction of his recorded output. I do not think that it all sounds the same. I think there have been few jazz composers with a more varied output.

[CJ Shearn]

I find projects like Hemophiliac very interesting for the sound colors. Naked City for the mashups, and of course I love "Tap". I haven't heard a lot of Zorn, but enough to where certain projects really pique my interest.