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Zorn List Digest         Monday, June 14 1999         Volume 02 : Number 675



In this issue:
-
       Re: music zorn likes
       Re: Clarinetist w/ Masada
       Updates sale/exchange list
       Re: music zorn likes
       Re: music zorn likes
       Re: It's Not Just Size But what You Do With It
       The Boredoms rock DC
       Re: It's Not Just Size...   +  Art
       Re: It's Not Just Size But what You Do With It
       Re: It's Not Just Size But what You Do With It
       Re: It's Not Just Size But what You Do With It
       Re: music zorn likes/New Yorker article
       Re: music zorn likes/New Yorker article
       $4.95 CD site--thanks and gripe

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 01:01:25 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: music zorn likes

> > 2. This may be an unfashionable question, but aside from the fact that he
>  > stole a bunch of records as a kid, how does Zorn have the cash to be
> owning
>  > 32,000 records?  Is he that popular?  I mean, isn't it expensive just to
>  > _exist_ in NYC?

This may be an unfashionable answer.  He is extremely popular and very
successful.  I'd guess that the money he gets from the four or five gigs he
does a month in NYC more than pays for his living expenses.  And his cost of
living isnt that high.... the story I heard (from close to the horses mouth)
is that back in the early 80's he, Elliott Sharp and whoever else was living
in his building at the time, bought the building from the city in a tax
default.  And they were (are) all paying a ridiculously low amount of $ each
month...

- -

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 12:59:55 +0200
From: Tal Goldman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Clarinetist w/ Masada

> I saw Masada at the Knitting factory in about June 1994. I think I
> remember that there was a clarinet player with a crewcut. Kenny
> Wollensen drummed that night, and John Zorn was very appreciative of his
> playing. Who was the clarinettist?

Probably Chris Speed, who sometimes sports a crewcut and appears
on the Masada String disks(as well as on his own, with Dave Douglas,
Tim Berne, and Myra Melford).



- -

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 17:24:25 +0100
From: "Scott" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Updates sale/exchange list

For anyone who's interestes my exchange sale list has just been updated.
Featuring new additions inc Jad Fair, Albert Ayler, Henry Kaiser, Ornette
Coleman, Matthew Shipp and, of special interest to Zorn listers, a copy of
Intergalactic Maiden Ballet.

Check it out at
http://www.burntweeny.freeserve.co.uk/list.html

White Noise
For experimental events in Scotland
http://www.burntweeny.freeserve.co.uk

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 00:38:09 -0500
From: Nils <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: music zorn likes

[e-mail] wrote:
> [e-mail] writes:
>
> >
> >  He's big in Japan.
>
> Yea, but they'll buy anything.

Flip comment I know, but what's the deal with the Japanese music
consumer?  A lot of American jazz was issued first in Japan, or
exclusively in Japan.  I don't think the prices are cheaper there.  Is
the listening public more adventurous, or more fixated upon
improvisation, or simply more interested in music?  Just wondering, and
thought maybe someone could shed some insight on this.

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 01:58:50 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: music zorn likes

In a message dated 6/14/99 12:33:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[e-mail] writes:

> [e-mail] wrote:
>  > [e-mail] writes:
>  >
>  > >
>  > >  He's big in Japan.
>  >
>  > Yea, but they'll buy anything.
>
>  Flip comment I know, but what's the deal with the Japanese music
>  consumer?  A lot of American jazz was issued first in Japan, or
>  exclusively in Japan.  I don't think the prices are cheaper there.  Is
>  the listening public more adventurous, or more fixated upon
>  improvisation, or simply more interested in music?  Just wondering, and
>  thought maybe someone could shed some insight on this.

Ive been to Japan, and in the  big music stores (HMV, Tower) It looks alot
like the big stores over here, bins filled with American artists.  Then
theres a much smaller section devoted to music from Japan. (And lots of other
sub-sections).  They love anything from America.  I havent seen any stats,
but its my guess that they buy more CDs per capita than any other country.
- -Jody

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 13:05:25 GMT0BST
From: DR S WILKIE <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: It's Not Just Size But what You Do With It

FWIW,

In (late) 1989, while touring the UK with Naked City, Zorn claimed to
have 15,000 records.  I remember this quite vividly, because of its
proximity to his "the money thing's a pain in the ass" comment, and
my interest in whether or not the two were in conflict.

Looks like he's been acquiring 'em at an average rate of 4.7 a day
since then.  Whew!


- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 10:21:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jeni Dahmus <[e-mail]>
Subject: The Boredoms rock DC

The Boredoms slayed me again last night!  They sounded better at the
9:30 Club than at the Bell Atlantic Jazz Fest.  The sets were similar but
the DC show was less ambient.  There was even a long encore, and for a
moment I thought there might be a second encore too.  I was pleased to see
an enthusiastic crowd in DC; certainly there were a few doing the DC
"stand still" but overall people seemed into it.

Jeni



- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 14:33:25 GMT
From: Scott Handley <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: It's Not Just Size...   +  Art

Sean Wilkie wrote:
>In (late) 1989, while touring the UK with Naked City, Zorn claimed to
>have 15,000 records.  I remember this quite vividly, because of its
>proximity to his "the money thing's a pain in the ass" comment, and
>my interest in whether or not the two were in conflict.
>
>Looks like he's been acquiring 'em at an average rate of 4.7 a day
>since then.  Whew!

Whew indeed.  I suppose I could've broken 2000 by now if I didn't have book
and film habits, but still be broke either way.  This is a wanker's
question, but I know many of you ladies and gents have been collecting
avidly (for content, of course!) for many, many years: would anyone care to
mention how many pieces are in their audio collection?  Excluding tapes, I
have perhaps just over a thousand LPs and CDs.  Pretty small, huh?  Seems
almost unmanagemable to me.

I'm reading Delillo's UNDERWORLD, finally, and I am reminded of the brief
rash of book reviews on this list at one point last year.  I enjoy that
occasionally, but was wondering if anyone cares to comment on art that has
moved and/or stimulated him/her?  We've touched on this, and I feel that it
could be very Zorn-pertinent.  For example, in passing I saw a photo of a
Christian Marclay (sick turntablist, for the uninitiated) sculpture the
other day, what appeared to be a huge mobius strip composed of sheets of
assembled cassette tapes.  I don't a hell of a lot about art, but I'm
learning.  I know I like Ceindy SHerman, for now.  What's happening in art,
now?  What are the issues?

- -----s, semi-topically



_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 16:56:51 +0100
From: "Scott" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: It's Not Just Size But what You Do With It

I find this whole thread distinctly unwholesome. My first reaction to the
initial question of how can Zorn afford to have 32,000 albums was what the
fuck's it got to do with you? I mean how the guy spends his money and
whether or not he should or shouldn't be able to afford a collection like
this is nobody's business but his!

On a less strident note, I bet there are plenty people on this list with
many thousands of albums. I have spent more than 15 years building up a
collection which I regard as subtantial (and I'm not going to get into
saying how many) and it took (and still takes) a lot of work. How often did
you get criticised for following your interests?

If JZ wants to spend all his time and money collecting records so what? It's
what he does! It has inforkmed his whole view about playing and composing.
It seems weird to me to suggest that his manic collecting is anything other
than absolutely predictable!

As for collecting at the rate of 4.7 discs a day, I've had plenty days where
I've acquired 8 or 10. I assume JZ is in the lucky position of having access
to areas we can't get to and can afford to pick up whole collections at a
time. Something I'll bet any of us would die for.

I think this thread is born out of jealousy.

Scott Russell


White Noise
For experimental events in Scotland
http://www.burntweeny.freeserve.co.uk

Weird music for sale/exchange
http://www.burntweeny.freeserve.co.uk/list.html

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 11:14:08 -0500 (CDT)
From: Paul Audino <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: It's Not Just Size But what You Do With It

On Mon, 14 Jun 1999, Scott wrote:

> I think this thread is born out of jealousy.

I have to disagree.  I think that this thread is born out the fact that
many of us have quite substantial collections of our own and are wondering
how Zorn has managed to collect a staggering amount of records and still
pay rent, utilities, etc.

I have noticed that among people who are "collectors," speaking about and
comparing collections is quite common.  I don't think that this makes us
any different than a group of collectors of anything (baseball cards, rare
books, etc.).

I am not jealous of Zorn, in fact I admire him.  To accumulate such an
incredible library must have taken years of work.  I'm part of the way
there.  Perhaps I'll never reach Zorn-status, but who cares?

Regards,

Paul
[e-mail]


- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 17:16:50 GMT
From: Scott Handley <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: It's Not Just Size But what You Do With It

>From: "Scott" <[e-mail]>
>I find this whole thread distinctly unwholesome. My first reaction to the
>initial question of how can Zorn afford to have 32,000 albums was what the
>fuck's it got to do with you? I mean how the guy spends his money and
>whether or not he should or shouldn't be able to afford a collection like
>this is nobody's business but his!

First: why throw a tantrum on this list?  Second: I don't gauge life in
terms of "business".  No question I ask you or anyone else is "my business".
  You are not required to answer, and Zorn is not required to know that any
of us exist to discuss him in first place (apparently he didn't, until
recently).  I once asked Evan Parker about his kids.  _That_ might've been
stupid.  But for a list of individuals---designed to discuss Zorn's
goings-on---to discuss a super-prominent aspect of his mythos, personality,
creative process, and theory...is _that_ the product of "jealousy"?  Or
admiration?  Or innocent curiosity?  Do you realize how often Zorn talks
about his records in interviews, apparently without being asked?  He is
almost as famous for his fabled record collection as he is for his work.

>On a less strident note, I bet there are plenty people on this list with
>many thousands of albums....How often did
>you get criticised for following your interests?

I laughably thought myself a bit of fanboy for asking the collection-size
question, but fact is: we are some record-collecting motherfuckers.  I found
it interesting and a little funny.  It isn't a criticism, and what if it is?
  Hit delete.  Silence is a deafening cure for idiocy, online.  No one
should be made to feel afraid to ASK anything, god damn it.  Especially
here.  This isn't a graduate seminar.

>It has inforkmed his whole view about playing and composing.
>It seems weird to me to suggest that his manic collecting is anything other
>than absolutely predictable!

Wilkie and I neither wrote anything that could be reasonably interpreted as
such.

>I assume JZ is in the lucky position of having access
>to areas we can't get to and can afford to pick up whole collections at a
>time. Something I'll bet any of us would die for.
>
>I think this thread is born out of jealousy.

You are not feeling well, apparently.  Our inquiry---our VERY PRESENCE on
this list---is one part starfucking, two parts serious interest in the pure
transcendent and/or utterly abject bliss that is listening.  Emphasis on
listening.  I don't mind going TEEN BEAT once in a while and discussing
crazy things like "how does he afford it?"  I'm a damn materialist, so I'm
going to wonder.  The very idea of being bitter towards a celebrity I don't
know strikes me as being _psycho_, something I am clearly not.  DELETE
DELETE DELETE.  SO freakin easy.

Have you met the Man?  I have, and I had nothing to say, and it was
hilarious and embarrassing.  And he was exhausted, but he was more gracious
and less condescending than you're being right now.

Cheers,

s


_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 14:03:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jeni Dahmus <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: music zorn likes/New Yorker article

On Fri, 11 Jun 1999, Eric Saidel wrote:

> the more in-depth article that might appeal to us may have significantly
> less appeal for Zorn, after all, he does have reasons (presumably) for
> being media shy.

Zorn seems to shy away from scholarly articles and publicity in general
because he wants the music to speak for itself. Plus, publishing an
in-depth paper can be very difficult since there is so much competition to
get into periodicals like the Journal of the American Musicological
Society, for instance.

Overall I think the Kaplan article is a nice piece.  It is quite
appropriate for the New Yorker's audience. I really like Kaplan's use of
quotations by Harrington and am anxiously waiting for the string quartets
to be released!  It was odd that Kaplan did not specifically mention
Zorn's most recent classical pieces like Le Momo and Amour Fou. I would
like to expand on Kaplan's statement: "These days, he [Zorn] tends to
write straight through, from start to finish."  It is not that simple. In
some program notes I wrote back in March, Zorn describes his new
compositional process. He was reluctant to talk about it at first, but I
was persistent. Here's an excerpt from the notes:

(Sorry for the duplication if you have seen this already.  The diacritics
and italics did not come through--Momo has a circumflex over the first
"o.")

Le Momo

Composed from October 1998 to January 1999, Le Momo was commissioned by
the Library of Congress with support from the McKim Fund and is John
Zorn's first composition for violin and piano.  The piece is inspired by the
work of Antonin Artaud (1896-1948), a French poet, dramatist, actor, and
theoretician of the Surrealist movement who founded the "Theatre of
Cruelty."  Le Momo is named after Artaud's poem of the same title, in
which the word momo, a slang term from the Marseilles region where Artaud
was born, can be translated as "brat," "village idiot," or "simpleton";
the poem celebrates the return of Artaud, "the village idiot from
Marseilles," to the outside world after his nine-year incarceration in
insane asylums.  Le Momo is one of Zorn's new compositions in a series
based on Surrealist artists.  The series includes a piano trio entitled
Amour Fou ("Mad Love") inspired by the poet and critic Andre Breton
(1896-1966), as well as a solo violoncello piece influenced by Joseph
Cornell (1903-1972), an American artist known for his enigmatic shadowbox
constructions.

In composing Le Momo, Zorn ascribed a series of pitches to nonsense,
chantlike texts of Artaud; letters of the alphabet received different pitches,
resulting in over two hundred sets of pitches that could serve as melodies
or harmonies, if stacked.  Throughout the piece, a pitch set is repeated
and recontextualized in each instance.  Le Momo is a sort of rapid
perpetuum mobile, but with periods of tension and release.  Zorn used this
compositional technique--one quite different from his prior methods--to
yield a hypnotic, ritualistic feeling which he found important in Artaud's
work.  Describing his process, Zorn says, "I wanted to create a hypnotic
effect in my own brain when I was writing it.  Sometimes I thought I had
to hypnotize myself before I could begin working on the piece.  I would
often just stare at the page for an hour or two, kind of getting back into
where the piece is, to find out where it could be going."  Zorn likens his
current compositional process to going on a trip or exhibition: full of
surprises and unexpected twists and turns, staying on the predetermined
map, yet allowing for spontaneous detours along the way.  As he puts it,

"What I like to do is just begin and through composing, work my way
through to the end of the piece.  Each day I work a little bit on it and
find a solution to the problem that is in front of me.  It's kind of like
going on a trip.  You are not quite sure, you could make a turn here or
take a detour there or go straight ahead.  Each day I make decisions on
where I am going with the piece and I let it grow.  There is a basic
framework that I like a piece to have, and there are things that belong in
the frame and things that don't belong in the frame.  Obviously the frame
is what gives the piece its structure, sense of unity, and form.  I like
to keep it a very intuitive thing.  In that sense the piece is
constantly--as I make decisions--stretching the frame; things are trying
to climb out of the frame, and it is my job to make sure that everything
stays in the frame."

As Zorn's musical language has evolved, his method of composition has
changed from notating musical fragments on file cards or sketching game
pieces on a blackboard, to creating a work much like a sculptor chips away
at a block of marble--carefully, patiently, and constantly attuned to the
varying shapes that emerge with every stroke.

Jeni



- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 11:13:14 -0700
From: "Patrice L. Roussel" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: music zorn likes/New Yorker article

Talking about articles on John Zorn, JAZZIZ has one planned in the August
issue.

    Patrice.

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 14:06:49 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: $4.95 CD site--thanks and gripe

Thanks to all who answered my question about navigating between my shopping
cart and search-results lists. The back-up arrow on other sites usually ends
up with an emptied cart, but not on this site-go figure.

I have 15 CDs ordered, but I think I'd be ordering more if it weren't for one
very large drawback--their minimal info regarding classical recordings. For
most of their classical recordings, there's no way to get any info besides
the works recorded--no artists, or even the label. This is frustrating as
hell. Unless I know a disc I'm interested in has an unusual program (Brahm's
violin concerto coupled with the third violin sonata virtually guarentees it
is Vengerov's recording), or a specific title of some kind ("Tribute to
Solti"), you can't figure out what recording it is. One very weird example is
a listing of Beethoven string quartets "1-15" for 4.95. Beethoven wrote 16
quartets, and I doubt that they are selling an almost complete set of his
quartets for $5, and I have no idea who the performers are anyway.

Can't really complain too much at this price, and it is probably a good thing
that they are so stingy with info on classical CDs, because I'd probably be
ordering 50 more discs otherwise.

Dave Royko

- -

------------------------------

End of Zorn List Digest V2 #675
*******************************


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