The Circle Maker [2-CD Set]

The Circle Maker [2-CD Set]

ASIN: B0000067WM

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com's Best of 1998
Zorn's work with Masada is prolific if nothing else: 10 CDs of Ornette Coleman-inspired klezmer tunes that evoke the Old World and swing. These two discs highlight those compositions in a whole new setting, music for chamber groups. One disc has a string trio, the other adds percussion and Marc Ribot on guitar to create a sextet. Great playing by New York City jazz heavyweights and compositions that sound like they belong on a spaghetti Western soundtrack combine to make this one of 1998's best jazz discs. --Jason Verlinde

Amazon.com
Influenced by both Ornette Coleman's classic quartet and klezmer, John Zorn has produced some of his best (and most consistent) work with his project Masada (Dave Douglas, Joey Baron, Greg Cohen). The compositions--all 10 CDs worth--have all been lush, gorgeous, and swinging. On The Circle Maker, Zorn successfully puts these tunes in the hand of chamber music ensembles over the course of two CDs (he did the same thing with 1996's Bar Kokbha, but that set never strayed far from the jazz idiom). Circle Maker's first disc, Issachar, features the solid trio of Mark Feldman (violin), Erik Friedlander (cello), and Greg Cohen (bass). But the real gem is the second CD, Zevulum, where those three are joined by Marc Ribot (guitar), Cyro Baptista (percussion), and Joey Baron (drums). It's an intense, moody, magic carpet ride that flies above and beyond the boundaries of world, classical, and jazz. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

Tahah
Sippur
Karet
Hadasha
Taharah
Mispar
Ratzah
Zebdi
Yatzah
Malkhut
Hodaah
Elilah
Meholalot
Kochot
Lachish
Shidim
Aravot
Moshav

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Zorn's work with Masada is prolific if nothing else: 10 CDs of Ornette Coleman-inspired klezmer tunes that evoke the Old World and swing. These two discs highlight those compositions in a whole new setting, music for chamber groups. One disc has a string trio, the other adds percussion and Marc Ribot on guitar to create a sextet. Great playing by New York City jazz heavyweights and compositions that sound like they belong on a spaghetti Western soundtrack combine to make this one of 1998's best jazz discs. --Jason Verlinde

Amazon.com

Influenced by both Ornette Coleman's classic quartet and klezmer, John Zorn has produced some of his best (and most consistent) work with his project Masada (Dave Douglas, Joey Baron, Greg Cohen). The compositions--all 10 CDs worth--have all been lush, gorgeous, and swinging. On The Circle Maker, Zorn successfully puts these tunes in the hand of chamber music ensembles over the course of two CDs (he did the same thing with 1996's Bar Kokbha, but that set never strayed far from the jazz idiom). Circle Maker's first disc, Issachar, features the solid trio of Mark Feldman (violin), Erik Friedlander (cello), and Greg Cohen (bass). But the real gem is the second CD, Zevulum, where those three are joined by Marc Ribot (guitar), Cyro Baptista (percussion), and Joey Baron (drums). It's an intense, moody, magic carpet ride that flies above and beyond the boundaries of world, classical, and jazz. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Typical Zorn composition vs. improvisation dilemmas will mire the vibrance.......2007-02-13

3 1/2

Delivered with virtuoso-like command, John Zorn's ongoing explorations into expanding the sonic palate of traditional Jewish music, as only the diverse musicianship of the notoriously eclectic, avant-garde trumpeter's Masada compilations would see fit, here translates some of their vast catalogue into a more traditional setting. Relying on a trio of string players, Zorn has reimagined some if his fiery klezmer jazz as fiery klezmer classical, replacing all of the Masada group's horn based zaniness with the fiery and overly erratic stringed assault, linked somehow deep within to the base that used to guide these compositions. When Zorn and company really want to do transcribed justice to these pieces, all is evident; the music explodes with a fiery, controlled expertise that will all but simmer the most shy of listeners. All too often however, Zorn falls prey to the same ambiguities that have seen all sides of his art suffer, the overdone artistic indulgences that seem to sometimes mask as soloing serves nothing but underlying the simplicity and disregard for substance with a blatant plea for style. There are still enough tracks on The Circle Maker that make this disc a must have for any adventurous jazz, classical, or Israeli fans to marvel over the talented and unique interpretations, but still too much material that will alienate someone not already keen on Zorn particular sense of asymmetrical aesthetics.

Zorn finally peaks my interest again.......2006-09-26

For a long time, I have held a basic simile tying together John Cage and John Zorn. Both of them have extraordinary ideas about the nature of music, and both a noted pioneers of new musical trends.

But both of them have created music that has been of little interest of me. With Zorn, I am a big fan of his Naked City work, and _Spy vs. Spy_ is nothing short of the Missing Link between jazz and punk. But when it came to his game pieces and a lot of his sporadic teamings (short of Hemophiliac), I have found his method tiresome and actually predictable, which for me tore down the curtain of awe and made me see him as a kind of one-trick solo pony. I credit the Tzadik label with pioneering many a talented new voice (ANYONE who promotes Eyvind Kang is a winner in my book), but it also seemed to become the Zorn repository, putting out any junk he had slapped together in the studio on a given day.

But this 2-CD set has revitalized my interest in a way I haven't felt since I first put on that original Naked City record. Zorn seems to do his best work with a little structure to work away from, rather than pretending to invent it from scratch. The Jewish rhythms used in here coupled with Zorn's purely original voice make this a wonderful listen throughout.

Is this a joke?.......2006-01-20

I bought this album because I heard John Zorn was a metal dude. But there isn't a single rocking song on the whole album. Plus they use such uncool intruments like fiddle and cello. You can't rock around the stage with those instuments. Plus I don't think too many hot chicks would be into this music, so if getting some tail is on your agenda than stay away from the Zorn. Not recommended for fans of WhiteSnake or Poison.

Masada in two different contexts........2005-06-29

John Zorn's "The Circle Maker" is two albums of new arrangements of pieces from the Masada songbook-- I hesitate to refer to this as "chamber music arrangements" because its largely untrue. The first disc, "Issachar", features the Masada String Trio-- Mark Feldman on violin, the incomparable Erik Friedlander on cello, and bassist Greg Cohen. The second disc, "Zevulon", credited to the Bar Kokhba Sextet, features the Masada String Trio again further augmented by guitarist Marc Ribot, percussionist Cyro Baptista, and drummer Joey Baron. Each record has its own personality.

The Masada String Trio, for those unfamiliar, is a powerful entity unto itself-- these three are masters of their instruments and like the Masada quartet, manage to operate on an extraordinarily high level. I find myself however comparing this album to the live "50th Birthday Celebration Volume 1" disc from the same group-- its actually quite a similar sleection of songs, but I'm inclined to find the live performance more engaging and much prefer that over this one. Still, there's a brilliance that shines in many spots. "Sippur" is probably the best example of this-- Friedlander delicately states the them beautifully arco over pizzicato backing, eventually Feldman counterpoints him, and then Fridlander takes an arco solo of absolutely breathtaking sensitivity. The haunting "Hadasha" shows off beautifully the range of technique these three have-- Feldman in particular digs in deep on this one, scratching and squeaking his way through the piece, but maintaing an extraordinary level of musicality. But probably nothing on the disc is as engaging as "Yatzah"-- opening all arco (unusual, Cohen plays pizzicato for the majority) with some lush and lovely soloing from Friedlander, eventually Feldman takes the theme with such a sensitivity and real understanding behind the music. His own solo finds him in an understated mood, but able to derive from one sustained note an uncommon level of power and what I contend is the best solo I've heard him play. And speaking of great solos, Friedlander takes a spotlight on "Elijah"-- performed as a solo cello piece, that is just stunning.

The second disc, "Zevulun", is not quite what one thinks of when one thinks chamber music-- indeed the ensemble feels more like a jam band playing Masada tunes then it does any sort of chamber ensemble. While the string trio's function remains largely the same, Ribot alternates between offering color and playing melodies, while Baron operates in a similar context to his place in the Masada Quartet. Baptista's role in the preceedings is, as always, harder to define-- he's all over the map, serving as rhythmic assistence, additional color, and a countermelodic voice at times. Many times, his presence on the pieces makes the piece.

Roughly speaking, "Zevulun" divides nicely into two kinds of pieces-- those where Ribot offers color and those where the String Trio does. Both have their moments-- I particularly like Ribot's playing on the surfish "Hazor" and the overly cinematic "Laylah". The latter in particular is really quite nice, it has that sort of churning anticipation that a good western soundtrack would need. Of the string driven pieces, "Khebar" is nice (and feels like a chamber piece) and "Teli" is just brilliant-- if Ribot plays at all, he's pretty muted, but the piece is downright funky with the strings intertwining with some frantic percussion. Also of note is "Ner Tamid", where the trio and Ribot alternate stating the theme (with minimal improvisation) and a nice chugging beat from the percussionists.

All in all, "The Circle Maker" is a has a lot of good music, and at its length (around two hours) and its price a bit over 20 bucks as I write this), its definitely a fine value, but there's definitely better material in this vein out there.

Beautiful klezmer chamber music.......2003-12-09

This is one of John Zorn's ten best albums, and it's likely to stay in the top ten for a long time. Unlike some of his other work, which emphasizes noise and quick changes from one piece of music to the next, The Circle Maker plays out in elegant waves of melody and percussion. It's Zorn's most beautiful album. It started with Masada, Zorn's four-piece jazz band. Masada plays "free jazz klezmer" --- original compositions based on traditional Jewish folk music themes, written in a simple way that encourages improvisation. On the Masada albums, the band blows the melodies apart on trumpet, saxophone, drums, and bass.

Zorn wrote new arrangements of these songs for chamber ensembles, replacing the old instruments with cello, violin, viola, guitar, bass, and percussion. The improvisation is out. The musicians concentrate on the melodies, playing off of each other in very subtle ways. The result is a combination of jazz, chamber music, and Jewish folk music, all rolled into one --- and played simultaneously. Even if you have no interest in John Zorn, you'll love this album. There isn't a single bad song on these two CDs. After you hear it, you'll want Bar Kokhba, which is more of the same.

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