When I first heard Zorn, about five years ago, I also thought he was a "fake".
There I feel better. I remember during spring break my friends and I left our
small Wyoming cowtown destined for Denver to go on a record buying binge.
One bought Torture Garden because of the cover art and when we listened to
it all I remeber thinking was - this is interesting but nothing more than a novelty.
Needless to say my opinions and musical tastes have changed, mostly because
of Zorn's music.
When I moved to Denver to study music I was surprised to learn that the director
of jazz studies once played with Zorn when they both attended the University
of Oregon in Eugene. But he didn't seem to like the music Zorn was putting out
at the time (Naked City), which was turning my world around. He did have a
Zorn composition framed and hanging on his office wall. I believe it was written
for three soprano saxes playing in unison. I was also surprised to find out my
saxophone instructor had never heard of Zorn and when I played some of
Zorn's music for him he was very unimpressed. The words "Zorn needs to get
a life" return to my memory. After that moment I lost respect for this teacher, and
soon left that school. I wonder if the opinions have changed recently among
the faculty in our higher learning institutions. Any thoughts, or experiences?
If opinions have changed I would like to know, 'cause I'd like to go back to school, but I need instrutors who love the music of Dolphy, Coltrane, Ornette,
and Zorn to name a few. I remember the jazz improvisation class I took we had
to learn a solo every week (transcribe it by ear) and memorize it and play it in class along with the recording. One week I learned Ornette's solo on Ramblin'
and played it for the class. My instructor afterwards told me in so many words
that Ornette solos would be frowned upon - for what ever reason. I also began
to transcribe Zorn's composition The Conqueror Worm (from Heretic) with the
idea of playing it for my recital but after presenting my advisor with the idea he
