David Sefton has been able to entice John Zorn for an exclusive performances this March at the Adelaide Festival. Rather a coup, as Zorn has been on the wish list of Festivals and major presenting festivals around Australia for some time.
“I am thrilled and proud that Adelaide Festival will present John Zorn in Australia for the first and only time ever. The epic scale of these concerts is a testament to the range and diversity of Zorn’s music. There really is no one else like him and this is Australia’s chance to finally see him live.” Artistic Director David Sefton
The exclusive concerts showcase Zorn’s work with four marathon evenings and a star studded cast of musicians, significant in their own right such as Dave Douglas, Marc Ribot, Joey Baron and many, many more, just under 40 in total. Personally for me, this is a must hear and see event.
For an insight into Zorn, his practise and more information on Zorn and his practice, you can listen to two radio interviews with Dave Douglas, (also accompanying Zorn on this trip) and Michael Bates.where Zorn talks about finding the language of the alto saxophone in the 70′s through an obsessive practice method, his approach to writing for recent pieces that pair through-composed elements with improvisers, and the leadership strategies of Gen. George S. Patton. The second podcast focuses on his practice method. They make fascinating listening.
GREEN LEAF, PODCAST, From a Noise from the Deep Podcast series
Zorn forged his reputation experimenting and mixing between so many genres and styles that conventional categorisation of his music is meaningless. Forty years of relentless genre busting musical experimentation, performance and composition will be distilled into four exclusive evenings, four of which are over three hours in length.
The Adelaide performances include not only US based collaborators traveling to Australia (including Mike Patton, Bill Laswell, Marc Ribot, Joey Baron, Dave Lombardo and John Medeski), but also Australian contributions from Elision Ensemble and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The four programs are:
The Masada Marathon concert with 11 groups performing a diverse range from Zorn’s epic project of modern Jewish music Masada. The core bands will include; Masada Quartet, Bar Kokhba, The Dreamers, Masada String Trio and Electric Masada.
The evening also features a set from the ritualistic rock ensemble Abraxas and the hauntingly beautiful female a cappella group Mycale alongside intimate solo performances from Erik Friedlander and Uri Caine. Caine will also perform a lyrical and intense duet for violin and piano with Mark Feldman. John Medeski will form a trio with Trevor Dunn, Kenny Wollesen; and Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista plays with his band Banquet of the Spirits.
The second concert Classical Marathon will feature a dozen of Zorn's most dynamic classical compositions, with music for large and small ensembles: his two dynamic concertos for violin and cello, a string trio, piano trio, music for two bass clarinets, a set of madrigals for six voices and so much more. Performing will be many young virtuosos hot on the New York scene as well as members of the Elision Ensemble and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra under the baton of David Fulmer. Classical Marathon will also feature three major new classical compositions—Illuminations, a piano piece inspired by Arthur Rimbaud, Zorn’s a cappella vocal piece The Holy Visions, plus his incredible new string quartet The Alchemist.
A triple bill of concerts are presented on the third evening of the series, beginning with Bladerunner; featuring Zorn on saxophone joining downtown bass legend Bill Laswell and drumming genius Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Fantômas, Philm) in a powerful improvisational trio.
This is followed by Essential Cinema; a screening of experimental films by Joseph Cornell, Maya Deren, Wallace Berman and Harry Smith accompanied by members of Electric Masada performing live soundtracks composed and conducted by Zorn.
The third evening concludes with Cobra; a special performance of Zorn’s most celebrated improvisational ‘game piece’ featuring a dozen of NY's most astonishing improvisers prompted by Zorn himself.
Zorn @ 60, the final concert is a celebration of his sixth decade, and is divided into four hour-long sets. For the Song Project, Zorn has asked some of his favourite lyricists (Mike Patton, Jesse Harris, Sean Lennon and Sofia Rei) to write words to tunes from his catalogue. The result is a unique retrospective of vocal music including compositions from Naked City, movie soundtracks and more.
The second set features the powerful rock music of Templars – In Sacred Blood, the sixth release in the Moonchild series featuring Mike Patton on vocals, then the evening concluding with two of Zorn's tightest ensembles, The Dreamers and Electric Masada.
“A limitless, tireless creative mind.” – The New York Times on John Zorn
Note: Performance dates and artists details in these concerts have changed since the publication of the printed guide:
Tuesday, 11 March 7.30PM Masada Marathon
Wednesday, 12 March 7.30PM Classical Marathon (Conductor: David Fulmer)
Thursday, 13 March 7.30PM Triplebill: (Bladerunner, Essential Cinema and Cobra)
Friday, 14 March 7.30PM Zorn @ 60
Please check the Adelaide Festival website for up to date information on the program. Musicians listed were correct at time of printing:
