John Zorn

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Composer/performer/producer John Zorn may be most often associated with avant-garde jazz and improvised music, but his work also spans a number of other genres including klezmer, punk, and classical music. Nonesuch has released three recordings by John Zorn that highlight his musical diversity: Naked City, the debut of his “punk-jazz” band; Spy vs. Spy, Zorn’s unique take on pieces by Ornette Coleman; and Spillane, which showcases Zorn as a composer.

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Composer/performer/producer John Zorn may be most often associated with avant-garde jazz and improvised music, but his work also spans a number of other genres including klezmer, punk, and classical music. He has released well over one 100 recordings, under his own name and with groups like Masada and Naked City. His work has been recognized through many prestigious awards including the Jewish Cultural Award in the Performing Arts, the William Schuman Award from Columbia University, and, most notably, a MacArthur Fellowship.

Nonesuch has released three recordings by John Zorn that highlight his musical diversity: Naked City, the debut of his “punk-jazz” band; Spy vs. Spy, Zorn’s unique take on pieces by Ornette Coleman; and Spillane, which showcases Zorn as a composer.

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Latest Release

  • February 16, 1990

    The first album from Zorn’s trailblazing collective, the self-titled Naked City features a rollicking synthesis of jazz, free-jazz, punk, hardcore, and collage techniques, often jumping between multiple styles at a rapid pace within one song. Rolling Stone suggests that listeners of this postmodern whirlwind think of Zorn as a “rapid-fire radio scanner,” and anticipate “hanging on for dear life whenever he hits the button.”

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About John Zorn

  • Composer/performer/producer John Zorn may be most often associated with avant-garde jazz and improvised music, but his work also spans a number of other genres including klezmer, punk, and classical music. He has released well over one 100 recordings, under his own name and with groups like Masada and Naked City. His work has been recognized through many prestigious awards including the Jewish Cultural Award in the Performing Arts, the William Schuman Award from Columbia University, and, most notably, a MacArthur Fellowship.

    Nonesuch has released three recordings by John Zorn that highlight his musical diversity: Naked City, the debut of his “punk-jazz” band; Spy vs. Spy, Zorn’s unique take on pieces by Ornette Coleman; and Spillane, which showcases Zorn as a composer.