Masada - Live in Sevilla (2000)

Masada
Live in Sevilla 2000 [LIVE]
320 Kbps

Original Release Date: July 25, 2000

Track list:

1. Ne'eman
2. Katzatz
3. Hadasha
4. Beeroth
5. Yoreh
6. Hazor
7. Nashon
8. Lakom
9. Bith Aneth

Personell:

John Zorn (alto saxophone);
Dave Douglas (trumpet);
Greg Cohen (bass);
Joey Baron (drums).

Recorded live in Sevilla, Spain in March 2000.

Sean Westergaard from Allmusic.com
Live in Sevilla, recorded and released in the year 2000, is arguably the finest document in this extremely prolific jazz quartet's catalog. If there's anyone who still believes that John Zorn is nothing more than an avant-garde screamer, look no further. The interplay between Zorn's alto and the trumpet of Dave Douglas is nothing short of amazing, and each one's soloing is focused and intense. Joey Baron and Greg Cohen are a fantastic rhythm section; Cohen acts as anchor while Baron playfully dances around the beat, simultaneously supplying a driving pulse. Even when Zorn and Douglas enter the realm of extended techniques (as on the end of "Ne'eman"), Cohen and Baron keep things firmly grounded. Of course, the real stars of the show are Zorn and Douglas; their solos are never less than dazzling, and each has an utterly unique style. Zorn's trademark alto wails are delightful and Dave Douglas has a warm and buttery tone all his own. This might also be the best recorded of the live Masada releases, making it a real jewel in an already glittering discography. Live in Sevilla proves that Masada is one of the most exciting jazz ensembles in the world, bar none.

Andrew Bartlett from Amazon.com
From the beginning, John Zorn made no secret about his intention to have Masada be very well-documented, indeed. After all, the quartet is something of a supergroup: trumpet star Dave Douglas and--star himself--Zorn are on the frontline; Joey Baron on drums and Greg Cohen on bass are vaunted rhythmists themselves. Who knew, however, that a few years into their existence, Masada would have a studio album for every letter in the Hebrew alphabet and live albums from four countries? Among the live albums, Live in Sevilla catches Masada at their most recent, and the quartet is on fire. Zorn plays with even more hunger for swerving, squalling segues between klezmer, Ornette Coleman, and sheer-energy-school, free-jazz extremities--this while Baron and Cohen firmly stitch things together in even, if quick, time signatures rather than free-time meanderings. Douglas sounds, well, as he often does, less likely to careen off into chaos and smitten as always with the solo logic of Booker Little and tone colors that recall Lester Bowie. Is this necessary listening for the average Joe? Likely not, but it catches one of jazz's most prolific bands in stunning form.

Dave Kaufman at http://www.geocities.com/ladenso1/Masada.html
Most Zorn fans probably aren't as excited by Masada as they once were. There are 10 studio Masada CDs (excluding the chamber group), titled 1-10 (Alef to Yud), similarly packaged with relatively little variation in content (although I think that's somewhat overstated). However, their live performances continue to be great. I saw them live this summer in Montreal and they were just superb. I recently picked up a recording of a live performance (recorded a few months prior to the Montreal concert), Live in Sevilla 2000 and it's probably the best Masada CD yet. This is a really smoking concert with the band playing at an astonishingly high level. It's the same mix of hebraic folk melodies, Ornette-like free jazz and straight ahead jazz, but this group never sounded better. Zorn and Douglas have developed an incredible telepathy, and the group is extraodinarily cohesive. Joey Baron is on fire throughout and is arguably the star of this proceedings (as he was in Montreal). He even takes a lengthy solo at one point that is never less than completely engaging. I don't know of any drummer who is more fun to listen to or to watch. Both Zorn and Douglas indulge in several very exciting fire-breathing solos and solos that are more subdued and nuanced. There is plenty of variation with great arrangements, exceptionally fine ensemble playing, beautiful melodies and much ferociously intense free jazz wailing. This is a little more out there than most Masada. The concert is also very well recorded and it's about 80 minutes in length (the entire set plus encores). My only quibble is the lack of real liner notes. There are 2 lines (in small font) of cryptic phrases (presumably conjuring up images of Sevilla) such as Alhambra by night, Wild Dogs, Restaurante Cunini, etc.. This is an excellent CD and if you buy just one Masada CD, this is the one to buy.

Enjoy!