Customer Reviews

Live in Middelheim

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The most inspiring live album by the most inspiring band in modern music! I believe that the musical telepathy displayed by these four virtuosos is unmatched. The fact that this CD is the document of a concert that has them playing together for the first time in almost six months is mind boggling and provides ample proof of their telepathic brilliance. This CD has them in their finest form, both as a group and as individuals. If you thought that Joey Baron was the world's greatest drummer, listen to 'Piram' and you will no longer think he is, you will know he is. 'Kedushah' is Greg Cohen's feature. He manages to somehow balance beauty and aggressiveness and what results is a perfect bass solo. Dave Douglas pulls off an understated beauty in 'Kochot' which displays some of very traits that make him one of the busiest and most sought after trumpet players in jazz. Composer and saxophonist John Zorn is possessed on 'Nevuah'. The magical tone of his alto is there in all it's glory and his trademark screams and quacks inspire the band to perform at a level of ferociousness and terror that most death metal bands can't match. A message for Mr.Zorn: Please, keep 'em coming! There will never be enough Masada releases.

I've heard all three Masada live disc sets and this one is the best, and the shortest (this one is the only one that isn't a two-disc set). I know those terms don't generally go together, but two discs of live Masada is a lot to take in all at once. That said, this is unreal. The recording quality is every bit as good as any of their studio albums, and the playing... well, I don't want to ruin it for you. Recommended starting point for anyone interested in jazz in general, and no Zorn fan could live without this. Drummer Joey Baron is in exceptionally top form here, and even bassist Greg Cohen gets a shot in the limelight on several not-to-be-missed interludes. Dave Douglas is fabulous as usual and Zorn himself really pushes the limits of what people might call melody. All in all, it's West meets East-- and it's wonderful. Buy it before you die. You'll be glad you did.

This is one of the craziest albums I have heard in a long time. The wails, screams, and turbulance are enough to crack any sane human being. Of the live Masada albums, this ranks as the best. It has more energy than a morning cup of coffee infused with 4 shots of espresso. Don't listen to it in a tranquil mood. This is for the heavy hitters. This album will keep giving from the first listening. Basically, it's the most exciting thing in free jazz in a long time. Buy it; you won't be disappointed

Most of Masada's recorded music is a quaint blend of Middle-Eastern melody with early-60's American jazz stylings. This, my friends, is a wholly different animal. This live recording is a cathartic, brutal trip into the minds of Joey Baron, Greg Cohen, Dave Douglas, and John Zorn as they cast the expectations of their audience into the mud and reinvent themselves at the same time. Unlike any Masada recording before or since, the band literally consumes the material alive in a high-speed, breathless and often mind-bogglingly-chaotic show of force. Although "Volume 4" and the like are a great deal more coherent and better showcase the material over the playing, this is my favorite Masada album by far. The interplay is just amazing.

John Zorn has never been an unqualified or uncreative musician. At the same time, he is almost never as world-class as the sidemen he surrounds himself with.
This recording of Masada, one of Zorn's most straight-ahead blowing ensembles, is a good example. Their music is a mating of classic Ornette Coleman Quartet with the music of Palestine, Mesopotamia, the Balkans. They can easily, if you're careless about protection, peel the skin right off your butt. Zorn has plenty to do with that burn, but I think he's outclassed by his choice of cohorts: Dave Douglas, Joey Baron and Greg Cohen. Their performance in Middelheim isn't an exception. Zorn's ideas bear a very close resemblance to what he plays on the recordings; He sounds a little hemmed in by his own set of gimmicks.
I usually really dig those gimmicks, but they have less of an impact when stood up next to the stylings of Dave Douglas. I had no trouble predicting what would come careening out of Zorn's horn, but trying to anticipate trumpeter Douglas would be like trying to bite a fart bubble at the base of a waterfall. That goes for Baron, too. And from Greg Cohen on bass, I haven't heard a better groove since I first heard the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever.

I have no real beef with being able to predict what comes from John Zorn, because that ability is more than compensated for by my ineptitude at foretelling what kind of mind-imploding, beautiful dung-bombs will come from the others. That's what makes this album good; plenty of good ol' Zorn-isms and a few jiggers of something fresh.

"Live at Middelheim" captures Masada live in 1999. The band (John Zorn- alto sax, Dave Douglas- trumpet, Greg Cohen- bass and Joey Baron- drums) by this point had such a stunning rapport that a Masada show is pretty much guaranteed to be filled with excellent, intense, and powerful music. Having stated that, this one pales compared to other live releases by the band.

The quartet hit the ground running-- downright explosive on "Nevuah". Zorn and Douglas rail away in a dueling solo with the rhythm section feeding the flames, and its really a jaw-dropping performance. "Sippur" matches this, but it's a quieter sort of intensity. But after this piece, the intensity drops a bit. This isn't to say it's not powerful music, it just feels a notch below the first couple pieces and other Masada shows. Admittedly, a deeply groove-oriented "Ne'eman" (with a bizarrely restrained and tense solo from Zorn) and a meditative and lovely "Ashnah" are among the finer Masada performances, but when comparing this to "Live at Tonic 2001", for example, it feels a bit lightweight as a whole.

Maybe I'm being too harsh-- if this were any other band, this would be a five star review, but I suppose my expectation from Masada is enormous.

this is punk rock jazz if i have ever heard such a thing. all the musicians are in top form, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Greg Cohen on bass, Joey Baron of drum, and John Zorn on sax. if you like Zorn get this and any other Masada projects. they are all great.

Purchased months ago, this fine gem remains veiled. I see no reason at this point to unwrap this majestic wonder as I am receiving great satisfaction just knowing that it is there for the taking in any moment of need.