''Masada Anniversary Edition Volume 3: The Unknown Masada'' is the third album in a series of five releases celebrating the 10th anniversary of

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 ...

Masada Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dea ...

songbook project.Tzadik catalogue
/ref>Masada World: The Unknown Masada
/ref> It features twelve previously unreleased Masada compositions performed by

Erik Friedlander Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City. A veteran of New York City's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with sax ...

's Quake (1), Rashanim (2), Dave Douglas (3),

Tatsuya Yoshida (born 9 January 1961 in Kitakami, Iwate) is a Japanese musician; drummer and composer who is the only consistent member of the renowned progressive rock duo Ruins, as well as of Koenji Hyakkei. He is also a member of the progressive rock trios ...

(4), Naftule's Dream (5),

Jamie Saft Jamie Saft is an American keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was born in New York City, and studied at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private mu ...

(6), Zahava Seewald (7),

Koby Israelite Koby Israelite is a multi-instrumentalist composer, Record producer, producer, songwriter and band leader. He released four albums through John Zorn's Tzadik Records label: ''Dance of the Idiots'' (2003), ''Mood Swings (Koby Israelite album), Moo ...

(8),

Julian Kytasty Julian Kytasty ( uk, Юліян Китастий) is an American composer, singer, kobzar, bandurist, flautist, and conductor of Ukrainian descent. He was born January 23, 1958, in Detroit, Michigan, in a family of refugees. Biography His firs ...

(9);

Fantômas Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914). One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...

(10),

Wadada Leo Smith Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (born December 18, 1941) is an American trumpeter and composer, working primarily in the fields of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation. He was one of three finalists for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music for ''Ten Free ...

and

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 ...

(11), and

Eyvind Kang Eyvindur Y. Kang (born 23 June 1971) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. His primary instrument is viola, but has also performed on violin, tuba, keyboards and others. In addition to his solo work, Kang has worked extensively with ...

(12).

Reception

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic Sean Westergaard wrote "... there is a tremendous amount of stylistic diversity here, from the very traditional sound of Julian Kytasty to the very untraditional sounds of Fantômas. In fact, listeners more familiar with ''

The Circle Maker ''The Circle Maker'' is a double album by John Zorn featuring Zorn's Masada compositions performed by the Masada String Trio (on Disc One: Issachar) and the Bar Kokhba Sextet (on Disc Two: Zevulun) which was released in 1998 on the Tzadik label. ...

'' or ''

Bar Kokhba Simon ben Koseba or Cosiba ( he, שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר כֹסֵבָא, translit= Šīmʾōn bar Ḵōsēḇaʾ‎ ; died 135 CE), commonly known as Bar Kokhba ( he, שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר כּוֹכְבָא‎, translit=Šīmʾōn bar ...

'' might not be prepared for some of the hard rock treatments of some of these tunes... The Zorn crowd tends to follow his every move and usually know what to expect; the uninitiated should probably approach this one with some caution." Dominique Leone was positive about the disc as a whole, writing: "...for the most part Zorn's music has yet again proved to withstand the test of time and interpretation. If Masada does indeed go down as his greatest moment, it will be in part because other musicians have run with his ideas and been able to make their own artistic marks with his music. In that sense, ''The Unknown Masada'' and the other anniversary series albums are as significant as any release in his canon."

Track listing

# "Kinyan" (arr. Erik Friedlander) – 4:50 # "Olamim" (arr. Rashanim) – 3:48 # "Vehuel" (arr. Dave Douglas) – 5:32 # "Shofetim" (arr. Yoshida Tatsuya) – 3:02 # "Partzuf" (arr. Michael McLaughlin) – 4:22 # "Zarach" (arr. Jamie Saft) – 6:57 # "Shagal" (arr. by Seewald, Grebil, Florizoone) – 6:46 # "Herem" (arr. Koby Israelite) – 5:06 # "Kadmut" (arr. by Julian Kytasty) – 4:44 # "Zemaraim" (arr. Trevor Dunn) – 3:34 # "Demai" (arr. by Smith, Mori) – 6:22 # "Belimah" (arr. Eyvind Kang) – 4:09

Personnel

(1) – cello, mandolin *

Andy Laster Andrew Jay Laster (born May 25, 1961 in Bethpage, New York) is an American jazz saxophonist. Laster studied early in his career with Joe Dixon and Dave Burns, both in the 1970s; he lived in Seattle in the early 1980s, where he attended Cornish ...

(1) – saxophone, clarinet * Satoshi Takeishi (1) – percussion *

Stomu Takeishi Stomu Takeishi (born 1964, in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture) is a Japanese experimental and jazz bassist. He is known for playing fretless five-string electric bass guitar and a Klein five-string acoustic bass guitar, often using extended techniques an ...

(1) – bass *

Jon Madof Jon Madof (born May 28, 1974) is an American guitarist, composer, and leader of the bands Rashanim and Zion80, who has performed extensively with other artists including John Zorn, Matisyahu, Marc Ribot, and Frank London. PopMatters' Sean Murphy ...

(2) – guitar *

Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (born 1975 in Brooklyn, NY) is an American bassist and oud player who has recorded and performed extensively with Cyro Baptista's Banquet of the Spirits, Daniel Zamir's Satlah, Rashanim, and Pharaoh's Daughter, and John Zo ...

(2) – bass *

Mathias Kunzli Mathias, a given name and a surname which is a variant of Matthew (name), may refer to: Places * Mathias, West Virginia * Mathias Township, Michigan People with the given name or surname ''Mathias'' In music * Mathias Eick, Norwegian Jazz Musici ...

(2) – drums, percussion * Dave Douglas (3) – trumpet, Fender Rhodes *

Greg Tardy Gregory Tardy is an American jazz saxophonist, who has released albums for the record labels SteepleChase Records, J Curve Records, and Impulse! Records.Allmusic discography/ref> As of May 2015 he is teaching at the University of Tennessee, Knoxv ...

(3) – tenor *

(3) – alto *

Greg Cohen Greg Cohen (born July 13, 1953) is an American jazz bassist who has been a member of John Zorn's Masada quartet and worked with numerous other noted musicians for over four decades. Career Cohen plays traditional jazz and other styles, includi ...

(3) – bass *

Ben Perowsky Ben Perowsky (born May 12, 1966) is an American drummer, percussionist, composer, and music producer. He is the drummer on stage in the 8 TONY award winning Broadway musical Hadestown. Perowsky leads the Ben Perowsky Trio, Moodswing Orchestra and ...

(3) – drums *

Yoshida Tatsuya (born 9 January 1961 in Kitakami, Iwate) is a Japanese musician; drummer and composer who is the only consistent member of the renowned progressive rock duo Ruins, as well as of Koenji Hyakkei. He is also a member of the progressive rock trios ...

(4) – all instruments, voice *Glenn Dickson (5) – clarinet * Gary Bohan (5) – trumpet * Brandon Seabrook (5) – guitar * Michael McLaughlin (5) – piano *Jim Gray (5) – tuba *Eric Rosenthal (5) – drums *

(6) – all instruments * Zahava Seewald (7) – vocals * Micjael Grebil (7) – oud, medieval fiddle, ceterina d'amore * Tuur Florizoone (7) – accordion *

Solomon ibn Gabirol Solomon ibn Gabirol or Solomon ben Judah ( he, ר׳ שְׁלֹמֹה בֶּן יְהוּדָה אִבְּן גָּבִּירוֹל, Shlomo Ben Yehuda ibn Gabirol, ; ar, أبو أيوب سليمان بن يحيى بن جبيرول, ’Abū ’Ayy ...

(7) – text *

(8) – drums, percussion, accordion, guitars, keys, clarinet, vocals * Yaron Stavi (8) – bass, guitar * Sid Gauld (8) – flugelhorn * John Telfer (8) – baritone saxophone *

(9) – bandura *

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techni ...

(10) – voice, electronics *

Buzz Osborne Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept. Biography Born in Morton, Was ...

(10) – guitar *

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 ...

(10) – bass *

Dave Lombardo David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer, best known as a co-founding member of American thrash metal band Slayer. He is currently playing drums with Testament, Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle ...

(10) – drums *

(11) – trumpet *

(11) – laptop electronics *

(12) – all instruments

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unknown Masada, The 2003 albums Albums produced by John Zorn Tzadik Records albums Masada Anniversary albums