ifcopod's video: John Zorn Tirzah Cracow Klezmer Band plays Zorn

Zorns ~ head on ~ "sounds centric" world dismisses words for visceral phonemes .His music may be described but unlike truckloads of erstwhile avant garde is not in hock to elaborate explanation.Tracking the hyper active composer ~ here light jazzy bass fringes folk and classically inclined legato vocals . Elsewhere his music skirts thrash metal ~ par for the course with Zorn . His modus operandi ~things move apace rarely outstaying their welcome. His Morricone album ~ the 1980s imaginative revamping of the traditional orchestra ~ A plethora of albums including frenetic Spillane threw up a smorgasbord of crazed sounds for most part hanging together but music on the move ~ at speed.~.making friends whilst confirming prejudices . Like Woody Allen the "disposish" of Zorn aficionados is probably not dining out ~ a touch nervous jumpy at imagined noises ? The big arc of Tirzah moving from dark grungy chords to shafts of liquescent vocals is the most emotionally satisfying if not wide ranging on the album ~seamless follow through ~ solo voice to bayan ~ accordion. ~ .. David Bowie The Smiths darlings of rock ~fill in your own favourite dearest darlings ~ leave respectable space for Bonnie Raitt KD Lang (on a good day ) .Joni Mitchell Kate Bush that for starters. Some rock confreres run a mile~ Oh the shame ~ at the sound of Zorn ~ however others were rightly poleaxed by the New Yorker . In the 1980s the classical avant garde was still in the ascendant~ missing the street nous spontaneity of Zorn and a clutch of notables. Such is topsy turvy music ~ compared to stern yesteryear ~ todays music is a doddle ~ As Spike Milligan put it ~I'm walking backwards. for Christmas ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~When late Leonard Bernstein was doing Tv version of West Side Story the performance almost busted open Jose Carreras garbed in a rhythmic straight jacket so stiffly at odds the with the American way light rhythms absent~ a recommendable antidote for Carreras perhaps a months uninterrupted listening to master of balmy sounds late Perry Como . Christmas 17 Dec 2016 a cursory check on how the Sleigh Ride competition is doing.. the runners include an undernourished orchestral take which doesnt merit comment John Williams and Arthur Fiedler do better. Im surprised but extremely glad I missed a version by Three Tenors Jose Carreras Pavarotti and Placido Domingo . Singing in English was never their forte Though the other tenors run him close Jose Carreras comes with emblazoned warning ~ Dont let this singer anywhere near near Leroy Andersons classic. or the song risks untimely demise ~ over articulated ~ ripe broken English delivered stentorian sergeant major fashion . Doesnt even qualify as parody~ sadly doesnt do adequate justice to a much loved singers other endeavours. probably part reason why some consider classical music naff and why my favourite vocal register is bass Despite valiant Carreras endeavours to the contrary youll be pleased Leroy Andersons classic still my Cheesy?favourite Christmas song.provided Carreras is on imposed sabbatical Elsewhere I lined up favourite Christmas songs ~ Christmas Waltz by Karen Carpenter but decided to give Ifcopod (myself) an impossible choice Karen Carpenter or jazz singer Nancy Wilson. Leave that with me ill see you in the new year still agonising ~ Michael Buble~ latest in roll call of Christmas balladeers as Voice beautiful he makes the grade but down the years singers from Bing Crosby to Sinatra put their imprimatur on Christmas songs . The 1950s and 60s probably the great era for Television shows before rockers started nodding at classic songs worse adding their own tuppence for a bit of the action . Not just the the ugly sentiments at odds with Christmas spirit but the song Fairytales of New York is as big and unpleasant a mystery as Madonnas success ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mentioning Sleigh Ride can Leroy Andersons Belle of the Ball be omitted ? Though not heard so often nowadays ( more to do with music planners than music lovers) Like Christmas Sleigh Ride Belle is impervious to becoming dated~ an irrestiblly swinging melody Not Festive perhaps but for some the epitome of Light orchestral music rivalling Sleigh Ride. Generally versions are up to par well represented on U Tube Danny Kaye Doris Day somewhat forgotten but I remember 1960s Kaye singing on TV a Fellow needs a Girl by most melodic songwriter Richard Rodgers.