The Dr. Jazz Podcast: John Zorn - Live Zorn (May 2019)

In this Episode, we at the Dr. Jazz Podcast are raising awareness for helping out Tzadik Records (John Zorn's independent record label). Last year, they put out the Book Beriah Boxset (Masada Book III) through PledgeMusic for distribution, and essentially got royally screwed - the musicians, studio mixers, recording engineers, etc. Like...$197,559! This is from the NPR article by Nate Chinen: The Book Beriah was a Tzadik release too, though its elaborate sprawl and high production costs led Zorn to involve an outside partner: PledgeMusic, a British-based, direct-to-fan crowdfunding service designed to help bring musical projects to fruition. "The only way we could have broken even was going on a platform like this," Zorn tells NPR Music. Now, after a calamitous turn for PledgeMusic — which announced last week that it is headed for bankruptcy — Zorn hopes to recoup a substantial loss: $197,559, all of it raised through the platform and still owed to Tzadik. After the truth emerged and Zorn processed his initial shock, he says, "I went into my let's-fix-it mode. I always have a Plan B. I try to find a way to solve the problem that's a creative way." To that end, Tzadik has just announced four limited-edition vinyl releases, handpicked by Zorn with input from Sugiyama. Among them is Masada — The Best of Sanhedrin, the first-ever vinyl release by the original Masada Quartet, which consisted of Zorn on alto saxophone, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Greg Cohen on bass and Joey Baron on drums. Alhambra Love Songs is an acoustic trio recording featuring Cohen, pianist Rob Burger and drummer Ben Perowsky. The two other releases underscore Zorn's breadth as a composer. Nove Cantici Per Francesco D'Assisi features a suite inspired by the life of St. Francis of Assisi, performed by an all-star guitar trio of Bill Frisell, Julian Lage and Gyan Riley. And The Last Judgment is the final recording by a heavy-gauge project called Moonchild, with vocal chameleon Mike Patton, organist John Medeski, bassist Trevor Dunn and Baron on drums. Please help support Zorn and Tzadik by going to Tzadik and ordering some vinyl for a good - no... great cause! -Dr. Jazz