Bar Kokhba

John Zorn - Bar Kokhba

Bar Kokhba
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Music CD Cover

Artist: John Zorn
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1996-08-20
Music Label: Tzadik
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. Gevurah
  2. Nezikin
  3. Mahshav
  4. Rokhev
  5. Abidan
  6. Sheloshim
  7. Hath-Arob
  8. Paran
  9. Mahlah
  10. Socoh
  11. Yechida
  12. Bikkurim
  13. Idalah-Abal
Music CD 2
  1. Tannaim
  2. Nefesh
  3. Abidan
  4. Mo'ed
  5. Maskil
  6. Mishpatim
  7. Sansanah
  8. Shear-Jashub
  9. Mahshav
  10. Sheloshim
  11. Mochin
  12. Karaim

Free Music Notes for Bar Kokhba

Free Music Review: As good as its reputation.
Hit: 5 Stars

"Bar Kokhba" is one of John Zorn's most tirelessly praised and revered albums-- look no further than the reviews here, all of them give the recording five stars. Likewise, every commercial review sings its praises-- "[t]he album consistently impresses" (All Music Guide), "a double album of painfully beautiful music" (omnology.com), "simply excellent music" (Lord Chimp's review here on amazon).... the praise goes on and on. The album is discussed as the kind of Zorn you could play for your friends and family, I even saw one review mention this as dinner music. Zorn? Dinner music? So what's the truth? Is this piece all those things? "Painfully beautiful"? Arresting and engaging? Human and living? A total masterpiece?

You know, it pretty much is. There's few albums that stretch over two hours as this one does that can really hold my interest, but this does so effortlessly. "Bar Kokhba", for those unfamiliar, is effectively billed as chamber ensembles play the Masada songbook. For those unfamiliar, the Masada book is a series of melodies written by Zorn using the "Jewish scales"-- this lends that Middle East meets Eastern European vibe that you get from traditional Jewish musics. Originally performed by a quartet modelled after Ornette Coleman's famed quarter on his Atlantic recordings (alto sax, trumpet, bass and drums), "Bar Kokbha" was the first recording to explore the music in different lights. Featuring violinest Mark Feldman, cellist Erik Friedlander, bassists Greg Cohen and Mark Dresser, guitarist Marc Ribot, pianist/organists Anthony Coleman and John Medeski, clarinetists David Krakauer and Chris Speed, drummer Kenny Wolleson and trumpeter Dave Douglas in various formations, the music is performed with a depth and sensitivity. Alternatingly aggressive (the Masada String Trio on "Sheloshim") and passive (piano and organ duet "Mo'ab"), delicate (downtempo Speed and Medeski duet "Abidan") and explosive (Coleman/Dresser/Wolleson piano trio "Nefesh"), patient (bubbling solo guitar piece "Mochin") and schizophrenic (Cecil Taylorish Medeski solo piano piece "Hath-Arob"), the music never ceases to engage the listener fully.

Still, as wonderful as this recording is, it's not the kind of thing everyone's going to "get" It's still a Zorn piece, and for every easily digestable piece ("Mashav"), there's one that's not so easy to deal with ("Paran"). Both of these are duets between Krakauer and Coleman, but while the former features melancholy clarinet over delicate piano, the latter features swirling, avant-garde organ and dug-in bass clarinet. But it's really this duality that makes the album so successful.

One more note-- the production on this is fairly unique-- it's almost as though Zorn wanted a human feeling to this-- clicking clarinet keys, fingers muting strings, and breathing all are readily apparent, and this serves only to enhance the recording. All in all, an essential entry in Zorn's catalog. Try a straight Masada piece first if you're new to the music (I'd recommend "50th Birthday Celebration Volume 7", a recent live recording for an introduction), but this may be a good second place to look. Highly recommended.
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