Music Review

John Zorn’s Masada at the Vancouver
East Cultural Centre, October 15

That night Isaw music. On the stage
without amplification (Greg Cohen’s electric
bass was amplified but that was it.) John Zorn
on alto saxophone, Dave Douglas on trumpet,
and Joey Baron on drums made music that
was heavenly chaotic. Volcanically beautiful.
I thought that jazz was a dead form and I
thought low things about people who tried to
pass themselves off as being practitioners of
it. I thought they were stupid, like
anachronists, trying to relive a bygone time,
but not the time as it really was but how they
thought the time was. But music is music, par-
ticularly when it’s pure. Zorn’s basic idea for
this show was to impose the looser structure
of free form jazz on his heritage of Jewish
tunes. Melodies crept and wove themselves in
and out of the miasma and sound took shape.
The players wandered around the floor of the
Cultch, their voices like ghosts, fading and
then appearing. Zorn’s technique ranged
from sublime and controlled to spastic and
uncontained. He seemed to want to destroy
the melody in places, to degenerate it until it
was just barely recognizable and then to bring
it back. Occasionally covering the horn’s
mouth with his leg, he demonstrated the in-
stinct to fix his instrument, to screw it up until
it sounded like something else. Joey Baron’s

virtuosity is obvious so I won’t dwell on it too —

much since you’ve probably heard something
about it. Greg Cohen’s bass playing dwelled
like a rock against which waves crash, contain-
ing everything, allowing the others to show
off. Dave Douglas provided the warp to Zorn’s
weave, like the two guitars in Television. I
guess this work is sort of traditional if you’re
used to the idea of Zorn being some kind of
zany skronk-meister but it contained just that
right formula of balance and destruction as to
be unpretentious. Hopefully, we’ll see some
recorded manifestation of this particular
branch of Zorn’s work since it provides a
needed weight to counter his domestically
available reputation as a noise prankster.

Oh Sandra.

Well, I went off to the infa-
mous Sandra Bernhard show on Friday night to see
what this lady was all about. I feel that you can only
tell what a performer is like if you see them live, and
up ‘til Friday all I had ever seen Sandra in was films,
magazine interviews and fashion photographs. So
when she slowly sauntered on stage in her small silk
dress singing a slow blues tune, I was excited. So, yes I
would say that she is just as charismatic live as her
Boel celluloid personas.

As far as the performance
went, the show was fueled on her menstrual energy
which she was considerate enough to share with the
audience ten minutes into the show. That’s kind of hip
of her, you know, Cool, Sandra, thank you for talking
about your period for all the women in the audience
that need to feel that kind of freedom. Thanks for
breaking down those old boring social boundaries that
say we can't, as superstars, talk about our periods. |
Sat amazed as she turned her audience into a emo-
tional witness to her life stresses. She completely
turned the idea of, “I’m the performer entertaining
you the audience,” into,” I’m the celebrity and I’m
going to rant about what ever the fuck I want to, and
you paid 33-some-odd-dollars to let me do that.” I _
personally respect this woman for having the courage
to try and pull it off.

So, yes she sings through the
entire show, and frankly “Jannys Got a Gun” by
Arrowsmith never ment so much. Sandra has a flair
for taking well known songs and the ideas around
them and presenting them to you in a subversive
fashion. The Rolling Stones, Barbara Streisand, Jimmy
Hendrix, and Andrew Lloyd Webber are just a few
artists that she fucks with. And lets face it, these peo-
ple need some criticism. Thank god her singing has
gotten somewhat better though, because there was a
few moments that I felt I was being punished for
something I didn’t do.

Sandra also spoke on her
Hollywood experiences. Frankly she didn’t sound very
happy with the situation. All the roles were going to
dumb white trash actresses like Patrica Arquette and
Juliet Lewis and smart Jewish lesbians with big
mouths like her were struggling along. Poor hard-
working Sandra.

So, to sum up my evening
with Sandra I would say that this woman has mucho
courage, talent, and some crazy long legs. She is doing
stand up comedy and social commentary like nothing
you have ever seen and she fuckin’ wants your sup-
port! Cool baby.

Reviewed by Tristesse Seeliger

Music Review

John Zorn’s Masada at the Vancouver
East Cultural Centre, October 15

That night Isaw music. On the stage
without amplification (Greg Cohen’s electric
bass was amplified but that was it.) John Zorn
on alto saxophone, Dave Douglas on trumpet,
and Joey Baron on drums made music that
was heavenly chaotic. Volcanically beautiful.
I thought that jazz was a dead form and I
thought low things about people who tried to
pass themselves off as being practitioners of

. I thought they were stupid, like

anachronists, trying to relive a bygone time,
but not the time as it really was but how they
thought the time was. But music is music, par-
ticularly when it’s pure. Zorn’s basic idea for
this show was to impose the looser structure
of free form jazz on his heritage of Jewish
tunes. Melodies crept and wove themselves in
and out of the miasma and sound took shape.
The players wandered around the floor of the
Cultch, their voices like ghosts, fading and
then appearing. Zorn’s technique ranged
from sublime and controlled to spastic and
uncontained. He seemed to want to destroy
the melody in places, to degenerate it until it
was just barely recognizable and then to bring
it back. Occasionally covering the horn’s
mouth with his leg, he demonstrated the in-
stinct to fix his instrument, to screw it up until
it sounded like something else. Joey Baron’s
virtuosity is obvious so I won’t dwell on it too
much since you’ve probably heard something
about it. Greg Cohen’s bass playing dwelled
like a rock against which waves crash, contain-
ing everything, allowing the others to show
off. Dave Douglas provided the warp to Zorn’s
weave, like the two guitars in Television. I
guess this work is sort of traditional if you’re
used to the idea of Zorn being some kind of
zany skronk-meister but it contained just that
right formula of balance and destruction as to
be unpretentious. Hopefully, we’ll see some
recorded manifestation of this particular
branch of Zorn’s work since it provides a
needed weight to counter his domestically
available reputation as a noise prankster.

Oh Sandra

Well, I went off to the infa-
mous Sandra Bernhard show on Friday night to see
What this lady was all about. I feel that you can only
tell what a performer is like if you see them live, and
up ‘til Friday all I had ever seen Sandra in was films,
magazine interviews and fashion photographs. So
when she slowly sauntered on stage in her small silk
dress singing a slow blues tune, I was excited. So, yes I
would say that she is just as charismatic live as her
many celluloid personas.

As far as the performance
went, the show was fueled on her menstrual energy
which she was considerate enough to share with the
audience ten minutes into the show. That’s kind of hip
of her, you know, Cool, Sandra, thank you for talking
about your period for all the women in the audience
that need to feel that kind of freedom. Thanks for
breaking down those old boring social boundaries that
say we Can't, as superstars, talk about our periods. 1
sat amazed as she turned her audience into a emo-
tional witness to her life stresses. She completely
turned the idea of, “I'm the performer entertaining
you the audience,” into,” I'm the celebrity and I'm
going to rant about what ever the fuck I want to, and
you paid 33-some-odd-dollars to let me do that.” I
personally respect this woman for having the courage
to try and pull it off.

So, yes she sings through the
entire show, and frankly “Jannys Got a Gun” by
Arrowsmith never ment so much. Sandra has a flair
for taking well known songs and the ideas around
them and presenting them to you in a subversive
fashion. The Rolling Stones, Barbara Streisand, Jimmy
Hendrix, and Andrew Lloyd Webber are just a few
artists that she fucks with. And lets face it, these peo-
ple need some criticism. Thank god her singing has
gotten somewhat better though, because there was a
few moments that I felt I was being punished for
something I didn’t do.

Sandra also spoke on her
Hollywood experiences. Frankly she didn’t sound very
happy with the situation. All the roles were going to
dumb white trash actresses like Patrica Arquette and
Juliet Lewis and smart Jewish lesbians with big
mouths like her were struggling along. Poor hard-
working Sandra.

So, to sum up my evening
with Sandra I would say that this woman has mucho
courage, talent, and some crazy long legs. She is doing
stand up comedy and social commentary like nothing
you have ever seen and she fuckin’ wants your sup-
port! Cool baby.

Reviewed by Tristesse Seliger