John Zorn
Femina

THE REVIEW

And so it was that the good Zorn, being the true gentleman and romantic that he is, decided to publicly honor the fair sex. The planet Venus and everything that orbits around it are therefore the main themes of the album, right from the meticulously curated artwork (once again, as is Zorn's habit, he does everything to satisfy us physical media enthusiasts and make sure we don’t regret the money spent too much) and the little masterpiece that is the 52-page booklet. Inside it, we find photos, symbols, and images by artist Kiki Smith that immerse us directly in the chiaroscuro, feminine, and ethereal atmospheres of the album.

Thus, the lineup could only be entirely female (apart from Zorn, who limits himself to conducting and doesn't play directly) and so we find some of the most esteemed artists of the New York Downtown scene: Carol Emanuel on the harp (a quintessentially feminine instrument), Jenniver Choi on the violin, Okkyung Lee on cello, Shyna Dunkelman on percussion, Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, and Ikue Mori on electronics. These are instruments not entirely conventional, at least by rock standards, which already present an auditory stimulus, but naturally, the underlying musical offering is equally compelling. It is a sort of neo-classical minimalism, at times jazzy and with experimental nuances, alternating, in Zorn's usual manner, melodic moments (still predominant) with more experimental/ cacophonic ones (just to remind us that women, as sweet as they are, are also capable of scratching?).

Everything flows pleasantly and without a hitch, given the album's not too long duration (around 30 minutes), which results in being well-focused and not at all dispersive, so much so that one often has the urge to immediately follow it with a second listen. Naturally, not among Zorn's essentials/must-haves, this album remains highly recommended to everyone; it is enjoyable and sophisticated. In particular, enthusiasts will have no complaints, but probably for them, the artist's name alone will suffice as a guarantee.