The Big Gundown: John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone (15th Anniversary Edition
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Music CD Cover
Composer: Ennio MorriconeComposer: Ennio / Pontecorvo, Gillo Morricone
Composer: John Zorn
Conductor: John Zorn
Performer: John Zorn
Performer: Anthony Coleman
Performer: Wayne Horvitz
Performer: Bobby Previte
Performer: Arto Lindsay
Performer: Shelley Hirsch
Performer: Diamanda Galás
Performer: Mike Patton
Edition: Music CD
Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2000-08-22
Music Label: Tzadik
Soundtracks:
- The Big Gundown
- Peur Sur la Ville
- Poverty [Once Upon a Time in America]
- Milano Odeo
- Erotico (The Burglars)
- Battle of Algiers
- Giu la Testa [Duck You Sucker!]
- Metamorfosi [LA Classe Operaia VA in Paradiso]
- Tre Nel 5000
- Once Upon a Time in the West
- The Sicilian Clan [*]
- Macchie Solari [*]
- The Ballad of Hank McCain [Vocal Version][*]
- Svegliatti and Uccidi [*]
- Chi Mai [*]
- The Ballad of Hank McCain [*][Instrumental]
Free Music Notes for The Big Gundown: John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone (15th Anniversary Edition
Free Music Review: Zorn's first masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
One of the best albums in Zorn's catalog, "The Big Gundown" is a masterpiece augmented in this 15th anniversary edition with a number of new recordings. These are reinterpretations of Mooricone pieces (with one Zorn original) for various groups. The entire record is powerful and energetic, with breathtaking arrangements, brilliant performances, and a fire that had not been captured in Zorn's previous recordings. It is also probably his first true masterpiece.
I think in many ways, the opener and title track best illustrates the aesthetic on the record, if you don't like that one, you'll probably not care for the rest of it-- it covers a number of moods, being dark, haunting, theatrical, explosive and esoteric, sometimes all at once. This sort of theatrical mood extends across a number of songs, the haunting circular piano and percussion workout "Peur Sur la Ville" (with a blazing alto sax solo from Tim Berne), an the dark electric guitar workout take of "Once Upon a Time in the West", reduced a funereal pace.
But there are also many moments of delicate beauty as well-- take for instance "Poverty (Once Upon a Time in America)", with an unusual instrumentation of whistling, harmonica (both handled by Toots Theilman), harp and accordian. Particularly when the harmonica takes the melody, the support swells and embraces and holds on, expressing pain and loss and fear for the future. Or consider the brooding and yet someone still light "Giu la Testa (Duck You Sucker!)", building anticipation through its dark motifs and bizarre instrumentation (among others, the Japanese shamisen, english horn, acoustic guitar, gamecalls and keyboards).
The bonus tracks are no less essential-- Zorn brought in about everyone he played with for the originals, these were a chance to catch up. The amazing thing about Zorn is that as an arranger, he's lost none of his flair in the intervening years, in fact, he may have even gotten better. Zorn uses his "Bar Kokhba" sextet (the Masada String Trio augmented by guitarist Marc Ribot, drummer Joey Baron and percussionist Cyro Baptista) to great effect on breathtaking arrangements of "The Sicilian Clan" and "Chi Mai", and adds another great guitar workout feature with Ribot and Derek Bailey in a noisy, disjoint take of "Sveggliatti and Uccidi", but its Mike Patton's Tom growl on "The Ballad of Hank McCain" that is the gem of the material-- stunning delivery that really captures something special (and may be the best vocal Patton has ever done) over a delicate organ (Jamie Saft) and percussion (Baptista) backdrop that matches and perhaps outstrips the best of the original material.
This is essential music for Zorn fans, if you're not, this may well be a good place to start-- the music can be difficult, and it covers a ton of moods, but there is a lot to hear. Highly recommended.
The Big Gundown: John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone (15th Anniversary Edition Poster
As if John Zorn's super-creative take on film composer Ennio Morricone weren't essential in its first iteration on Nonesuch Records, Zorn is celebrating the album's 15th anniversary with an updated, remastered version. The darker lows and brighter highs make this Gundown clearly superior--with its original cast of characters (Bill Frisell, Arto Lindsay, Diamanda Galas, and many more) sounding alternately darker, sultrier, and more cinematic than ever. Zorn's reticence to record the original album's 10 pieces looks altogether unreasonable, as his genius for adding color and dimension to Morricone's tunes shows profusely. To make this an even better deal, there are six new bonus tracks that feature Marc Ribot as part of an ad hoc string quartet on "The Sicilian Clan" and "Chi Mai," and as sparring partner with British avant guitar god Derek Bailey on the roaring "Svegliatti and Uccidi." This one's magnificently important. --Andrew BartlettJazz Music CDs
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