''Spillane'' is an album by American composer and saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist

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 ...

, composed of three "file-card pieces", as well as a work for voice,

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

and

turntables A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

. It is named after mystery writer

Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, whose stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer (character), Mike Hammer. More than 225 million c ...

, whose novels featuring detective

Mike Hammer Michael Hammer or Mike Hammer may refer to: *Michael Armand Hammer (1955–2022), American philanthropist and businessman *Michael Martin Hammer (1948–2008), engineer and author *Mike Hammer (character), a fictional hard boiled detective ** ''Mick ...

provided the basis for the album's title track. Zorn wrote ''Spillane'' on a series of

index card An index card (or record card in British English and system cards in Australian English) consists of card stock (heavy paper) cut to a standard size, used for recording and storing small amounts of discrete data. A collection of such cards e ...

s, each containing an outline or instruction for the musicians that was intended to evoke scenes from one of Spillane's novels. One card states: "Scene of the crime #1 -- high

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

harmonic A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', the ...

s, basses and trombone Drone (music), drone, guitar sonorities, sounds of water dripping and narration on top."John Bracket. Some notes on John Zorn's Cobra
American Music, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Spring 2010), pp. 44-75
/ref> Thus, the musicians are not given traditional sheet music, but a series of cues or outlines that encourage improvisation. Zorn later released the composition "Spillane" on the compilation album ''Godard/Spillane'' (1999).

Reception

The Allmusic review by Stephen Cook awarded the album 4½ stars stating "''Spillane'' is not only one of the highlights in Zorn's catalog, but also makes for a fine introduction to the composer's vast body of work".Cook, S. [ Allmusic Review] accessed March 13, 2009.

Track listing

Personnel

1 - "Spillane" (25:12)
Recorded (June/August 1986) and Mixed (August 1987) by Don Hünerberg at NBC Radio City Studios, New York City
Written and arranged by John Zorn in collaboration with: *Anthony Coleman - piano, electronic organ, organ, Celesta, celeste *Carol Emanuel -

*Bill Frisell - guitar *David Hofstra - Double bass, bass, tuba *Bob James (musician), Bob James - tapes, compact discs *Bobby Previte - Drum kit, drums, Percussion instrument, percussion *Jim Staley - trombone *David Weinstein (musician), David Weinstein - Sampling (music), sampling Electronic keyboard, keyboards *

- alto saxophone, clarinet *John Lurie - voice of

*Robert Quine - voice of Mike Hammer's conscience *Original texts by Arto Lindsay (and uncredited vocals) "Two-Lane Highway" (18:16)
2 - Preacher Man/White Line Fever/Nacogdoches Gumbo/East Texas Freezeout/San Angelo Release/Rollin' to Killeen/Blowout/Devil's Highway/Midnight Standoff/Marchin' for Abilene (13:30)
3 - Hico Killer/Long Mile to Houston (4:46)
Recorded (June 1987) and mixed (August 1987) by Don Hünerberg at NBC Radio City Studios, New York City
Conceived and arranged by John Zorn for Albert Collins in collaboration with: *Albert Collins - guitar, voice *Robert Quine - guitar *John Patton (musician), Big John Patton - Electronic organ, organ *Wayne Horvitz - piano, Electronic keyboard, keyboards *Melvin Gibbs - bass guitar, bass *Ronald Shannon Jackson - Drum kit, drums *Bobby Previte - Drum kit, drums, Percussion instrument, percussion 4 - "Forbidden Fruit" (Variations for Voice, String Quartet and Turntables) (10:20)
Recorded September 1987 at Russian Hill Recording, San Francisco, by Howard Johnston, and at Metal Box Studio, Tokyo by Ono Seigen. Mixed September 1987 by Ono Seigen at CBS Roppongi Studios, Tokyo.
Written and arranged by John Zorn in collaboration with: *Kronos Quartet **David Harrington (musician), David Harrington - violin **John Sherba - violin **Hank Dutt - viola **Joan Jeanrenaud - cello *Christian Marclay -

*Hiromi Ōta - voice *Original texts by Reck

Credits

*Produced by John Zorn *''Two-Lane Highway'' produced by John Zorn and David Breskin *Mastering: Bob Ludwig, Robert C. Ludwig *Art direction and design: Carin Goldberg *Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz *Thanks to David Breskin, Yale Evelev, Peter Clancy, Jennifer Keats, David Bither, Bruce Iglauer, Hilton Weinberg, Andy Haas, Kondo Toshinori, Azuma Eiichi, The Shifting Foundation *Albert Collins appears courtesy of Alligator Records *On the cover: Joe Shishido, Shishido Joe in ', courtesy of Nikkatsu *Visit Hip's Road in Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spillane (Album) 1987 albums Albums produced by John Zorn John Zorn albums Nonesuch Records albums