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Music CD - John Zorn, Masada Chamber Ensembles: Bar Kokhba
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Music CD: Bar Kokhba
Artist: John Zorn, Masada Chamber Ensembles
List Price: $22.98
Our Price: $16.12
Your Save: $ 6.86 ( 30% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Tzadik
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Tracks:
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1. Gevurah
2. Nezikin
3. Mahshav
4. Rokhev
5. Abidan
6. Sheloshim
7. Hath-Arob
8. Paran
9. Mahlah
10. Socoh
11. Yechida
12. Bikkurim
13. Idalah-Abal
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0702397710820
Label: Tzadik
Manufacturer: Tzadik
Number Of Discs: 2
Publisher: Tzadik
Release Date: 1996-08-20
Studio: Tzadik
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: You gotta love it
Comment: Okay, this is the only Masada album I own. These songs are chamber arrangements of the Masada songbook. In my opinion, it just seems to work best with this. Because the original Masada songs were written for trumpet sax, bass, and drums, well, the Jewish melodies really wouldn't sound that great. But with pianos, and most of all, actual string instruments, it's the straight source of beautiful melodies of Jewish music. It just sounds complete with actual strings, rather than try to make something like Paran on a trumpet.
The top reviewer nailed it when describing one of it's many strengths, it's got beauty and variety. There are different styles, sounds, tempos, everthing is made up in different ways and sounds different. It's full of very real and authentic Jewish melodies. It's not all of just that, as there are middle eastern vibes aside from the straight up Yiddish music. The instruments are used the best ways. The song titles may further tell you something about the song, as I now get many images or even looking at the soul. Or something like that.
I will note that some of these songs really got on my nerves, particually the self-indulgent, boring Marc Ribot solo piece. It never really reaches a conclusion, and the notes don't evoke much. Thankfully, my only gripe, but this album isn't just something to listen to. YOu must have it conjure up images, I don't know. I just think that music like this requires more than an experience than simply a casual, listen soley for entertainment.
Add my useless voice to the reviews. A double album worth getting.
9/10
Customer Rating: 
Summary: I did not receive until today my cd.....................
Comment: Thanks Anazon, after more of one month I did not again received my stuff, instead to ask to me a review of the compact disk, it should be usefull that you ask to me where is it my stuff!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: ONE OF JOHN ZORN'S BEST!
Comment: This is a beautiful recording. Somewhat more accessible than some John Zorn records. I don't write long reviews. YOU NEED TO OWN THIS!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: As good as its reputation.
Comment: "Bar Kokhba" is one of John Zorn's most tirelessly praised and revered albums-- look no further than the reviews here, all of them give the recording five stars. Likewise, every commercial review sings its praises-- "[t]he album consistently impresses" (All Music Guide), "a double album of painfully beautiful music" (omnology.com), "simply excellent music" (Lord Chimp's review here on amazon).... the praise goes on and on. The album is discussed as the kind of Zorn you could play for your friends and family, I even saw one review mention this as dinner music. Zorn? Dinner music? So what's the truth? Is this piece all those things? "Painfully beautiful"? Arresting and engaging? Human and living? A total masterpiece?
You know, it pretty much is. There's few albums that stretch over two hours as this one does that can really hold my interest, but this does so effortlessly. "Bar Kokhba", for those unfamiliar, is effectively billed as chamber ensembles play the Masada songbook. For those unfamiliar, the Masada book is a series of melodies written by Zorn using the "Jewish scales"-- this lends that Middle East meets Eastern European vibe that you get from traditional Jewish musics. Originally performed by a quartet modelled after Ornette Coleman's famed quarter on his Atlantic recordings (alto sax, trumpet, bass and drums), "Bar Kokbha" was the first recording to explore the music in different lights. Featuring violinest Mark Feldman, cellist Erik Friedlander, bassists Greg Cohen and Mark Dresser, guitarist Marc Ribot, pianist/organists Anthony Coleman and John Medeski, clarinetists David Krakauer and Chris Speed, drummer Kenny Wolleson and trumpeter Dave Douglas in various formations, the music is performed with a depth and sensitivity. Alternatingly aggressive (the Masada String Trio on "Sheloshim") and passive (piano and organ duet "Mo'ab"), delicate (downtempo Speed and Medeski duet "Abidan") and explosive (Coleman/Dresser/Wolleson piano trio "Nefesh"), patient (bubbling solo guitar piece "Mochin") and schizophrenic (Cecil Taylorish Medeski solo piano piece "Hath-Arob"), the music never ceases to engage the listener fully.
Still, as wonderful as this recording is, it's not the kind of thing everyone's going to "get" It's still a Zorn piece, and for every easily digestable piece ("Mashav"), there's one that's not so easy to deal with ("Paran"). Both of these are duets between Krakauer and Coleman, but while the former features melancholy clarinet over delicate piano, the latter features swirling, avant-garde organ and dug-in bass clarinet. But it's really this duality that makes the album so successful.
One more note-- the production on this is fairly unique-- it's almost as though Zorn wanted a human feeling to this-- clicking clarinet keys, fingers muting strings, and breathing all are readily apparent, and this serves only to enhance the recording. All in all, an essential entry in Zorn's catalog. Try a straight Masada piece first if you're new to the music (I'd recommend "50th Birthday Celebration Volume 7", a recent live recording for an introduction), but this may be a good second place to look. Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: i am a beas.t are yuo
Comment: This is quite a set. _Bar Kokhba_ is two hours of small chamber-jazz ensembles playing pieces from John Zorn's Masada songbook. The music stems from traditional Jewish melodies, which are addictive and lovely, but Zorn revisions them as very jazzy and deviously contrapuntal. The instruments used are violin, cello, bass, drums, clarinet, trumpet, piano, organ, and guitar. Certain combinations appear more frequently than others, for instance the Feldman-Friedlander-Cohen string trio and piano trios led by Anthony Coleman or John Medeski. There are also a few piano solo pieces, with one in particular, "Hath-Arob", where Medeski attacks with a 'free' atonal clatter, while still sounding kinda Jewish. Marc Ribot is notably impressive on guitar. No matter what he plays, on this disc or anything else, it is always so compelling. His 13-minute solo piece, "Mochin", is probably the high point of disc 2. This is simply excellent music that will impress many. It would be wise to purchase it.
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