Monday, April 10, 2017

John Zorn - There Is No More Firmament (TZADIK 2017)



There is No More Firmament is a remarkable collection of recent compositions from 2013–2016 that showcase the range, variety and continued creativity of Zorn as he enters his sixties.

Connected together with a thread of intensity, magic and madness, the music tells a twisted and complex story of a magical descent into madness.

The compositions include two works for brass ensembles, a woodwind quintet, jazz piano trio, string trio and two solo pieces for clarinet and trumpet, with the outrageous trumpet solo Merlin appearing in two realizations—one by jazz master Peter Evans and another by the European classical virtuoso Marco Blaauw.

1. Antiphonal Fanfare For The Great Hall
2. Freud
3. Merlin
4. Divagations
5. Divagations
6. The Steppenwolf
7. In Excelsis
8. Merlin
9. Il n'y a Plus de Firmament

James Baker: Conductor
Marcus Rojas: Tuba
Matthew Welch: Conductor
Alex Bender: Trumpet
Marco Blaauw: Double-bell Trumpet In C
Jay Campbell: Cello
Andy Clausen: Trombone
Kevin Cobb: Trumpet
Peter Evans: Bb Trumpet
Mike Garfield: Trumpet
John Gattis: Horns
Stephen Gosling: Piano
Louis Hanzlik: Trumpet
Andy Kemp: Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet
Tim Leopold: Trumpet
Christian McBride: Bass
Rane Moore: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Eb Clarinet
Adrian Morejon: Bassoon
Sam Nester: Trumpet
Mike Nicolas: Cello
Tara Helen O’Connor: Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute, Bass Flute
Chris Otto: Violin
Michael Powell: Trombone
Eric Reed: Horns
Stephanie Richards: Trumpet
John D. Rojak: Bass Trombone
Joshua Rubin: Clarinet In A
Arthur Sato: Oboe, English Horn
Tyshawn Sorey: Drums