Madness is beautiful.
Be it as it may, John has musical-genre outputs like a blackjack dealer has cards. His artistic footprints evidence his jewish roots and a curious taste for the occult, like all good film-music making arbitraries, this guy’s endeavour is huge.
Formed as a multi instrumentalist, he’s musical journey begins after learning piano, guitar and flute. He started out in a surf band as a bass player and went through his teens listening to classical music, film music, and The Doors. These influences have held key nurtures in his unique approach to the current musical mainstream where he excels. Zorn picked up a saxophone while studying composition at Webster College, he dropped out and in 1975 founded a performance art project called «Theater of Musical Optics» which then became a publishing company of his compositions.
His projects are vast as to list them for documentary purposes. What strikes as genius is his personal style as a director. He works with musicians having what looks like a headline, or a main idea, and then he works above and beyond it. The choosing of the musicians is very important to Zorn, because he works with the creative output of each individual having then an array of possibilities laid out, live on the spot, for shaping the outcome. Dark and improvisational.
This leads me to the conclusion. A composer, arranger, jazz interpreter and producer, has spawned a life’s work with a particular affinity to darkness and chaos that, to my humble opinion, it can be understood as simple through its complexity. The point is the passion. The passion for avant-garde, free jazz and hardcore. It can give you a headache if you’re not in the mood for it. But one thing’s for sure, music in general may make you feel divine. But this guy is human.
Text: Bruno Arce
