John Zorn
Filmworks XIV: Hiding And Seeking

LA RECENSIONE

A real show-off John Zorn.

"The music was written in about two hours, recorded in one day and mixed the next".

While he was at it, he might as well have written that he composed it while whistling on the toilet, possibly reading the newspaper.

Needless to say the result is nothing short of astonishing, truly remarkable. Martin Denny and Exotica as inspiration. But not just that, also the Jewish tradition. The acoustic bass of Trevor Dunn, the wonderful percussion by Cyro Baptista. Ribot on classical guitar (nylon strings), which you might remember from "Masada Guitars". Unbridled touches of vibraphone (Kenny Wallesen).

Soundtrack of a documentary on faith and tolerance after the Holocaust, which with all due respect seems like a deadly bore, a Yiddish version of Battleship Potemkin. As a soundtrack simply wonderful, ethereal, light, suspended in mid-air. If it were a painting, it would be Pontormo's "Deposition".

The flight of a swan, or rather the song of a swan. On the occasion, Ganda Suthivarakom, vocalist of the group "Cibo Matto". The vocal tracks, by the way, do not even appear in the film's mix, as orthodox law prohibits a woman from singing in public. Luckily they are on the CD, and luckily there is Tzadik.

An easy-listening, light, and calm Zorn, practically a breeze. It works excellently even as a soundtrack for an aperitif.

"And it did work, because both film and music came straight from the heart".