“Insurrection” is an intense new instrumental project featuring guitar wizards Julian Lage and Matt Hollenberg with the incredible rhythm section of Trevor Dunn and Kenny Grohowski. Inspired by some of the greatest experimental novels of the 20th century the music is incredibly varied, combining rock, funk, blues, jazz, classical and more—often in the same song! Gnarly atonal melodies, bizarre harmonies, astonishing guitar fireworks and telepathic group interaction make this one of Zorn’s most scintillating and adventurous new projects. Everyone is playing at their best here, and you have never heard such sounds! As always Zorn pulls the very best out of the musicians and they play some of the most outrageous solos you have ever heard. Essential!

Incerto is the birth of an exciting new modern jazz ensemble featuring the remarkable trio from Suite for Piano (Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder, Ches Smith) joined by the brilliant guitarist Julian Lage. A quartet capable of anything, this is the perfect group to realize Zorn’s quirky compositional twists and turns.

The music is wildly varied—maddeningly complex, powerfully driving, heartbreakingly beautiful—and embraces complex meter changes, atonal melodies, unusual harmonies, and bizarre structural complexity. Inspired by Freud, Sartre, and the Uncertainty Principle, the music explores possibilities, probabilities, inevitabilities, and impossibilities.

This is the fifth CD of new music written expressly for the all-star guitar trio of Bill Frisell, Julian Lage and Gyan Riley. Here Zorn draws inspiration from the enigmatic short stories of Argentine philosopher/writer Jorge Luis Borges. Like a collection of short stories, each composition is a miniature world in itself and touches on philosophy and mysticism as well as music.

Blending folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass, world music and more, this is truly music of the 21st century—unclassifiable and unique. Filled with telepathic interplay and surprising compositional twists and turns, the music is achingly beautiful and intensely evocative.

Another gorgeous creation from downtown alchemist John Zorn and this incredible trio of musical masters!

Multiplicities: A Repository of Non-Existent Objects is book of twenty new Zorn compositions in the form of musical aphorisms. Inspired by the writings and thought of French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, the music is wildly imaginative and meticulously structured, filled with unexpected twists and turns jumping from rock, jazz, and classical, to funk, metal, and more.

This first volume presents the first ten aphorisms performed by Zorn’s dynamic new ensemble Chaos Magick. John Medeski, Brian Marsella, Matt Hollenberg, and Kenny Grohowski (four members of Zorn’s innermost circle) perform with an intense passion and painstaking attention to detail. Filled with fiery solos and bizarre juxtapositions, this is a multifaceted exploration of instrumental music at its wildest extremes.

Spinoza is Zorn’s latest creation for the searing jazz-metal trio Simulacrum—perhaps the most extreme organ trio ever. Inspired by the life and thought of one of the world’s greatest philosophers he has composed two extended concerti: one for guitar genius Bill Frisell, and another featuring himself on saxophone. The musical mosaic flows seamlessly from one world to another, touching upon heavy metal, jazz, minimalism, atonality, noise, ambient moods, funk, and so much more. A musical vision as radical as the philosophy of Spinoza himself, this is one of Zorn’s greatest recent works—an essential and exhilarating project as powerful as it is sensitive. Cinema for the ears!

Zorn’s virtuosic string music is legendary and this CD focuses on his compositions for violin. Two major new works for solo violin—Passagen (based on the legendary B-A-C-H motif) and Ceremonial Magic (which appeared on Rimbaud in a duo realization with drums but here is presented as a virtuoso solo piece); and an enigmatic suite of 12 miniatures for 2 violins entitled Apophthegms. Featuring three incredible young virtuosos: Pauline Kim, David Fulmer and Chris Otto, Lemma is a CD of wildly imaginative string music performed with passion and fiery intensity.

Personnel: David Fulmer: Violin Pauline Kim: Violin Chris Otto: Violin

Three powerful dramatic works from Zorn’s remarkable concert music catalog! Zorn’s unique cello concerto is a colorful virtuoso showpiece for cellist Fred Sherry and three instrumental trios.
Ceremonial Magic is a dynamic piece for solo violin presented here in a special duo realization featuring composer/performer David Fulmer and longtime Zorn associate Kenny Wollesen on drums.
Closing the program is Zorn’s ritualistic one-act opera inspired by the late drawings of Antonin Artaud La Machine de l’être. It is performed here by the incredible soprano Anu Komsi who originated the role at its stage pre- miere at the New York City Opera in 2011.

Personnel: Jennifer Choi: Violin Brad Lubman: Conductor Fred Sherry: Cello William Winant: Percussion Kenny Wollesen: Drums David Fulmer: Violin, Viola June Han: Harp Anu Komsi: Soprano Al Lipowski: Percussion Mike Nicolas: Cello Tara Helen O’connor: Flute Joe Pereira: Percussion Josh Rubin: Clarinet

Lahti Symphony Orchestra Sakari Oramo: Conductor