''On Leaves of Grass'' is an album composed by

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

inspired by the works of

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...

and performed by the Nova Quartet,

John Medeski Anthony John Medeski (born June 28, 1965) is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano ...

Kenny Wollesen Kenny Wollesen (born 1966) is an American drummer and percussionist. Wollesen has recorded and toured with Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, John Lurie, Myra Melford, Steven Bernstein, and John Zorn. He is a foun ...

Trevor Dunn Trevor Roy Dunn (born January 30, 1968) is an American composer, bass guitarist, and double bassist. He came to prominence in the 1990s with the experimental band Mr. Bungle. While performing with Mr. Bungle, Dunn would dress similar to the ...

, and

Joey Baron Bernard Joseph Baron (born June 26, 1955 in Richmond, Virginia) is an American avant-garde jazz drummer who plays frequently with Bill Frisell and John Zorn. Music career Baron was born on June 26, 1955, in Richmond Virginia. When he was nine, ...

, which was recorded in New York City in March 2014 and released on the

Tzadik Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...

label.Tzadik Catalog
accessed April 1, 2016 The album is the fourth by the quartet following 2011's ''

Nova Express ''Nova Express'' is a 1964 novel by American author William S. Burroughs. It was written using the 'fold-in' method, a version of the cut-up method, developed by Burroughs with Brion Gysin, of enfolding snippets of different texts into the novel ...

'' and ''

At the Gates of Paradise ''At the Gates of Paradise'' is an album by John Zorn released on Zorn's own label, Tzadik Records, in 2011 and featuring music inspired by William Blake and the Gnostic texts from the Nag Hammadi library.Dreamachines ''Dreamachines'' is an album by John Zorn recorded in New York City in April 2013 and released on the Tzadik Records, Tzadik label in July 2013.The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quiet ...

, Sean Kitching wrote "For anyone unaware of the gentler side of Zorn's music, as best represented by the album '' The Gift'', or the four albums by his Dreamers project, the restraint and strength of melody showcased on this recording may come of something of a shock. The stellar level of musicianship displayed across Zorn's often genre-defying works, however, is always a given constant, and there are some breathtakingly beautiful moments here... Taken on its own merits, this is an accessible release that reveals surprising depths beneath its surface subtlety with repeated listening. Seen within the greater context of Zorn's overall canon, it further reinforces his position as one of the most diverse and prolific composers working today".Kitching, S
The Quietus Review
August 26, 2014

Track listing

''All compositions by John Zorn'' # "Whispers of Heavenly Death" - 5:35 # "Song at Sunset" - 3:22 # "Halcyon Days" - 4:26 # "Portals" - 4:03 # "Sea Drift" - 5:09 # "Song of the Open Road" - 3:47 # "The Body Electric" - 2:55 # "Mystic Cyphers" - 4:30 # "America" - 14:23

Personnel

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Ikue Mori (born 17 December 1953), also known as Ikue Ile, is a drummer, electronic musician, composer, and graphic designer. Mori was awarded a "Genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation in 2022. Biography Ikue Mori was born and raised in Japan. She sa ...

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

(track 8)

Production

*Marc Urselli - engineer, audio mixer *John Zorn and Kazunori Sugiyama – producers

References

{{Authority control 2014 albums John Zorn albums Albums produced by John Zorn Tzadik Records albums Musical settings of poems by Walt Whitman