This disc is a wonderfully schizophrenic music box, a swinging lullaby promptly followed by fuzzed out analog pedals and wah pedal effects, and later followed up by tuning sounds and riffing one might overhear in any given guitar shop. The Book of Heads is classic Zorn musical virtuosity, humor, and sonic exploration, expertly performed here by the virtuosic guitarist Christoph Funabashi.

The album consists of 35 etudes that range in duration from 21 seconds to just over 4 minutes. During the 55 minute journey of the album, one can hear a seemingly 360 degree perspective of what the guitar is capable in terms of timbre and extended techniques. Calling upon objects such as styrofoam, music boxes, and violin bows as well as the voice to resonate with or on the guitar, The Book of Heads demands an acrobatic set of skills and creativity to perform. Funabashi is well equipped for the challenge.

Utilizing multiple instruments and extended playing techniques, Funabashi's playing demonstrates Zorn's trademarked sound which showcases at one moment blues, metal, and classical sounds - even exploring the landscape of the instrument itself with multi-finger tapping across the surface of the instrument and playing of the strings behind the nut and bridge. Seems there's not one centimeter of the guitar that wasn't used for musical vibration here, and when teamed with Christoph's razor sharp musical execution we get a very clear interpretation of this genre-resistant work from 1977 (!). Like much of Zorn's work, you simply must hear it to understand this music - words are no where near capable of doing it justice.

Despite all the fireworks and string gymnastics (which are of course an impressive feat in their own right) I have to mention that I enjoyed this recording from a holistically musical standpoint as well. Tempted as one could be to write this off as perfunctory or at other times pedantic, the true musicianship and creativity of Funabashi shines in each work as he treats each Etude with ease and prowess. One fun aspect of listening to this is trying to determine exactly how the performer executed it live. It's a feat to have produced this album, let alone the recording or the performance itself. Kudos to schraum for taking this artistic leap on what most labels would consider perhaps too esoteric.

Amazing in execution as well as composition, Funabashi's version of The Book of Heads demonstrates some of Zorn's earliest experiments and allusions to what would later become one of his long standing sonic trademarks. Etude #33 alone could be transcribed for the next Naked City album. This being only the second published version of the suite following Ribot's 1995 release on Tzadik, Funabashi lays down a finely crafted and creatively virtuosic interpretation of one of Zorn's most demanding works. Recommended.

A statement not often heard in regards to Tzadik releases: this is one of the most wholesome musical experiences audible on the label. Even if you aren't a Burroughs devotee but enjoy Zorn, you'll enjoy this one.
The album actually covers a huge array of aesthetic directions, drawing from a portion of the Masada band but also delving into some unprecedented sonic art territories. As to be expected, it's all virtuosic all the time, but one thing to note is how organic and naturally flowing the entire album is. In a seamless way, it crosses the borders of free jazz, ambient, sound design and Zorn's trademark genre "..?" in a single pass.

Featured personnel: Zorn (sax), Medeski (keys), Ribot (guitar), Dunn (basses), Baptista (percussion), Mori (electronics), Wollese (the rest). Stellar performances. And huge friggin props to Chippy for another speechlessly inspiring graphic design package. This alone validates picking up the disc over the mp3s. Words cannot do her work any justice.

A thing to note about reviewing this album. It can't really be captured accurately in less than a 10 minute verbal diatribe at the very least- do yourself a favor and pull up some excerpts online if at all curious. This is a very real journey that is very welcome in this age of single track experiences.

In the meantime, there are three Interzones, each serving a different purpose upon arrival and all of which are musical journeys unto themselves. Tzadik continues to climb the mountain of ingenuity, and I cannot recommend this highly enough.

O'o brings us closer to Zorn's lighter side of jazz, accompanied by Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft (piano), Kenny Wollesen (vibes), Trevor Dunn (bass), Joe Baron (drums) and Cyro Battista on percussion. That personnel aside, its pure Zorn in terms of harmonies and melodic material.

Those who caught this group's other outings such as The Gift and The Dreamers will rejoice, as this is a nice compliment to the other albums. O'o has each musicians tasteful backing but supported by overall flawless musicianship, production and bird sounds. Its just solid and must be heard to be described for the effect. My choice tunes include Magdalena and Kakawahie.

Also worthy of note is the amazing graphic design by Chippy. A booklet of what must be 60 pages is included featuring hand sketched birds, each one looking like it was done by hand right in the booklet. A world class release from head to toe.

First off, I'm going to avoid the good/bad or thumbs up/down review format here. After spinning even the first few minutes of this disc, I immediately sense the departed sound that Zorn is working towards. This is not Naked City or yet another sax freakout. But by way of hypnotic rhythms, dramatic and sublime harmonies and lovely jazz textures, Zorn pulls a beautiful white dove out of a hat here. Or maybe it's a blue flamingo.

'In Search of the Miraculous' falls somewhere inside the realm of jazz and minimalist contemporary classical music. Performed by the Alhambra Trio with special guests Kenny Wolleen on vibes and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on bass, Zorn takes credit for composing, arranging, and conducting. The tunes are memorable and nigh catchy at times, not unlike a Vince Guaraldi tune, but with Reich inspired rhythms (!). Hymn for a New Millenium sounds optimistic and the melodies in Postlude: Prayers and Enchantment are almost hummable. Zorn, hummable? Why not?

One thing is for certain about Zorn and I think this is relevant to understanding this release. Zorn is an artist who can't be easily pegged because (as it would seem) even he doesn't know what his next few moves will be. Its like he wants to undermine even himself. So, to bring your Zorn-brand luggage to this musical occasion may not actually be beneficial as approaching it without any expectations.

And with such unpredictability, even Zorn's biggest fans have albums they deplore. While this may seem like an artistic shortcoming to some folks, i see this as a sign of artistic awareness - perhaps moreso on the part of the composer than with the listeners. After so many years on the downtown music circuit, he's done it all. So it's great to see an artist who continues to break his own mold time and again. That said, this is one album to just throw on, kick back and enjoy the musicianship.

I hear it often that Zorn is becoming more listener friendly, perhaps appealing to a larger crowd, albeit unintentionally. I can imagine folks - the diehard Zorn heads - are not going to find this one up their alley. Especially considering that at the end of the day and away from the program notes here, the music on 'In Search of the Miraculous' is far from mysterious as the label tagline states. But that said, it's as bright and promising as the horizon Zorn is dawning for new music as a whole. Recommended to the more daring and openminded Zorn listeners out there as well as any newcomers who are interested in joining the party.

For those who missed it -like myself- another fine Tzadik release worth noting, showcasing evocative sounds by an all woman band sewing concoctions of quintessential downtown musical textures. Describing itself as a 'colorful' tribute to women in the Arts, Femina surely contains some of Zorn's most beautiful and compelling music...among many other raucous things.

Having been a fan of Zorn's music for at least a decade, I always find his liminal albums to be the most interesting. Aporias, IAO, Music for Children vol 1, to name a few that I've enjoyed. This one has moments that fall into that realm, like new voice- even-for- Zorn category (although as prolific as the composer is, everything he does sounds consistent). But every artist of this intense and prolific nature has tricks up his sleeve, and I think Zorn is at his best when he's exploring music along its most dynamic pathways...especially when its quiet.

What makes Femina stellar in this regard is that each of the performer's voices is present in the recording - these are not hired guns reading scores. Lineup on this album: Jennifer Choi (vln), Okkyung Lee (vlc), Carol Emmanuel (harp), Sylvie Courvoisier (pn) Shayna Dunkelman (perc), Ikue Mori (electronics), and the lovely Laurie Anderson on the opening narration. Reading off of file (aka cue) cards, these players receive direction from the composer on how to proceed - be it going full bore, shouting, supporting a electronic noise swirl, or stopping a fortissimo gesture on a dime. They cover an incredible amount of territory here, and compared to some of the Naked City stuff for example, this chaos feels highly controlled. On the other end of the spectrum, the melodic material is just gorgeous. From the Renaissance to Celtic to Ravel, and everything in between - its here and its genuine.

The disc comes complete with a foldout digipak, a 52 page photo booklet designed by Kiki Smith, as well as liner materials. The recording itself is fine and crystal clear. My only complaint here is just how short the album is, clocking in at a mere 35 minutes. The rest of the packaging is impeccable as well, with a transparent sleeve housing the entire album, all done to the nines. Pure quality and definitely going the extra mile to represent this disc beyond the actual recording. Hats off to Tzadik for keeping the concept of packaging alive and well.

In short, a fantastic release. Most fitting for the Zorn collectors out there as well as those looking to delve into Zorn's catalog, but without going straight for the crack-inspired, over the top noise releases. Femina has those moments - at times a barrage of sound collisions and at others a breathtaking gasp of wordless emotions, this is one I'll be coming back to.