Live in Middelheim
Based on their numerous studio recordings, it was all too easy to earmark John Zorn's Masada as anOrnette Coleman-inspired recipe with a dash of Middle Eastern spice. But hearing this powerful live recording from the quartet's 1999 gig in the Netherlands, there's no denying the saxophonist is onto something. Here, Zorn, trumpeterDave Douglas, drummerJoey Baron, and bassistGreg Cohendon't just use Masada's infectious melodies as launch pads for solos. Just the opposite--they fly from the start and somehow keep looking back to the original tunes along the way. Opening with "Nevuah," the quartet set a relentless pace; "Sippur" is Masada at it's most sly and soulful; and as "Ne'eman" slowly unfolds, the brass just gets wilder. On "Kedushah" and "Kochot," we finally get to hear Cohen, somehow keeping up with these gale force lungs. At times--thanks to Baron--they swing, but mostly this is a no-holds-barred assault of great, energized playing. Intense, solid, and one of the group's best efforts to date.--Jason Verlinde