I think I’m going to buy the new solo Uri Caine installment in the Book of Angels series. I’m still ambivalent about Zorn’s writing. Is his writing in this actually so hot, or is most of what’s good about these recordings coming from the performers and what they bring to the material (sometimes as improvisers)? But maybe Zorn would still get lots of points for facilitating all these performances. I really don’t have much of a feel for traditional Jewish music from Europe either, so I may not be in a good position to have an opinion about all of this (not that Zorn is slavishly following any one tradition).
I haven’t heard this one yet, but I give Zorn the benefit of the doubt... I like most of his stuff, personally, and he DID just win the MacArthur genius grant...
Post after you hear it.
I bought this Uri Caine installment of the Book of Angels series, and so far it is fantastic. Doesn’t even sound that much like the other Masada material I’ve heard. If Satie’s “Gnossienne” started to turn improvised and jazzy and more modern, they would sound a bit like this.
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.