John Zorn Takes a Swing at Christmas
John Zorn’s
A Dreamers Christmas
tzadik.com
Jazz visionary John Zorn pushes the envelope yet again with a tremendous new release with his latest band, The Dreamers. And of all things, the composer best known for avant garde jazz compositions delivers a Christmas album which is both traditional and cutting edge.
The Dreamers are Marc Ribot, guitars; Jamie Saft, keyboards; Kenny Wolleson, vibes, chimes and glockenspiel; Trevor Dunn, basses; Joey Baron, drums; Cyro Baptista, percussion; and guest vocalist Mike Patton, formerly of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle in “The Christmas Song.”
“Magical Sleigh Ride” is a fun bit of musical work out where the soloists keep to the melody and one can picture a light dusting of snow as the players tell their stories. There’s a bittersweet reading of “Christmas Time Is Here” by Vince Guaraldi, from the classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” And the beautifully pensive “The Christmas Song,” with a surprisingly dusky baritone provided by Mike Patton.
The CD’s standout track, sure to ignite a fire in longtime Zorn fans is “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” in which pianist Jamie Saft, earns his keep with an amazing over the top solo and playful deconstruction of a holiday classic. John Zorn and The Dreamers have given us an album of seasonal standards along with two original compositions that we can all enjoy.
