John Zorn Music Review AKA my first review ever…

John Zorn, plays live at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days 1999 in Poland. John Zorn plays with Masada on the alto sax with exuberant confidence and determination to make the dissonant sounds come together in perfect harmony. The piece has unusual rhythm and beats, yet, is still very catchy. I can’t help but tap my feet. Listening it to it a second and third time through, I closed my eyes and that’s when I could feel the rhythm of his alto saxophone. Joey Baron rocks out on the drums and keeps the beat steady. The bass cello helps with the soft rumble behind his frantic sax. My first impression to the performance is that Zorn seems to have planned each note in advance, but then listening, not watching, the second round I think he just feels what he is going to play at that moment. The band’s collaboration of sound disagreement ironically makes a wonderful and engaging jazz performance that really you never want to end. I ended up searching and listening to many more of his performances. I also found many of the pieces one in which were experimental compositions including other musicians using unconventional instruments like a hammer and nails or wood blocks. All I have to say is my discovery of his music is a blessing to my music career!

link to this performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWYWEaDpUNc 

How SHOULD I really write a music album review (londonzoo)

Londonzoo’s direction, or attempt at directing, to writing an album review were helpful and not. Of course someone completely in the dark would find this ehow step-by-step article very useful. But there is so much mumbo-jumbo inbetween the vagueness of the steps that it mostly confused me. I noted important parts such as making special notes of tracks and why I noted them, noting similar-sounding bands, and to pick a general  opinion and stick to it. But step 6 says to “be honest, but be objective” which to me seems contradictory, especially if writing for a specific audience or magazine… I guess we’ll see this semester how honest I can be while learning to write review from an extremely amateur level.