Masada Songbook: S/D, C/D, etc.

Parts of this are really gorgeous. It seems almost too familiar, and yet I don't know what else it specifically reminds me of (aside from the Gnossienne comparison which feels very strong for me at times, despite the obvious differences). It's not because I recognize the material from other Masada songbook recordings (and in fact I think I read somewhere that a lot of these pieces hadn't been recorded yet).

Sounds great. Did you ever get the Masada String Trio disc from the 50th birthday series by any chance? I really love that album.

is circle maker masada songbook? i like circle maker lots.

I see Zorn recently added a (somewhat defensive sounding) explanation of the "Radical Jewish Culture" name on the Tzadik website.

Chaki -- yeah, Circle Maker and Bar Kokhba were the first two Masada songbook releases that weren't by the jazz quartet.

I think there's something appealingly early 20th century about this Uri Caine CD. Parts of it fit the mold of frantic modern classical piano music that is that way because our world has become a more automated, more complicated, more Chaplinesque place.