Sunday 1 June 2014

Review: Masada - Volume 2 - Beit

After a winning debut recording with new outfit Masada, John Zorn followed up quickly with another recording from the same one-day session that generated the first volume.

And it continues to be a great musical melting pot, mixing up Jewish musical themes with avant garde jazz, creating a a fantastically unique genre of music that perhaps only a few other people if any at all have ever come close to.

Zorn plays with fire and aggression, Dave Douglas once again inspires with skill and raw power, and Joey Baron and Greg Cohen continue to supply a thundering driving rhythm that few in acoustic jazz can hope to aspire to.

‘Beit’ though does not quite reach the highs of ‘Alef’. A personal favourite group of mine, ‘Beit’ comes up just a little short compared to the debut, with an intensity that doesn’t let up and an almost bloodlust-like energy that rarely comes off the boil. However while the slight lack of variety is a downside, it really is just nit-picking on what is still a highly accomplished and viscerally exciting musical trip that you need to hear.

****

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