Search - Ferrera: Masada Live at Tonic 1999 on DVD

This is it!!

Ryan Hall | Reno, NV USA | 11/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is it! A brilliant visual account of John Zorn's Masada, one of the most dynamic and groundbreaking quartets of the last quarter century. This no frills DVD puts you right in the middle of the action. There's no tricky camera work, no special effects, no mics on the instruments, no soundboard audio representation of the band, so it's Masada at it's truly acoustic best. The pure sound and sight of four masters creating magic.
There's nine tunes with two "bonus tracks".
The band itself is a marvel of dazzling telepathic brilliance. They blast their way through the set, playing in a jazz setting, but playing music that has elements of hardcore thrash, Arabic, Jewish, cartoon music, free jazz, classical, and other genres (one bonus track, "Katzatz", is a great example of the cartoon music element).
Dave Douglas has become one of the top trumpeters in modern music, and here, you can see and hear why. He just seems to know exactly how to make the most out of these beautiful tunes by improvising counter-melodies, playing amazing solos, and just knowing this music inside and out and really knowing how to listen. Greg Cohen turns in a moving solo on "Kedushah" and remains solid, swinging, and inventive throughout the set. Joey Baron is simply the most exciting drummer in jazz today. The man can do it all, and Zorn's music, whether it be Masada or Naked City, always pulls out some of Baron's most revolutionary work. He's really fun to watch here on this DVD, having a great time and laughing whilst spontaneously re-writing the book on drumming. And of course, there's composer Zorn's saxophone playing. He's always had one of the most beautiful and distinct tones on alto sax, and it really comes through, particularly on "Shechem", where he turns in a gorgeously swinging jazz alto sax solo. He's mostly known more for his trademark and groundbreaking honks, squeals, and screams, which are here in all their virtuosic glory, but the man can swing his ass off as well. His conduction on one of the bonus tracks, "Shamor", (mistakenly named "Ashnah" on the sleeve. Only a true Masada geek would know this, but I'm proud to be one) shows the man as a true master of musical imagination. It features Zorn himself blowing his mouthpiece into a glass of water, all the while giving hand signals to the band, resulting in a stunning piece of musical invention. An absolutely restless musical mind and a true genius in every sense.
If you like concert videos at all, this one is a must. A great piece of work by director/producer Antonio Ferrara, finally bringing us a visual document of one of the greatest working bands of this generation."

Good to see if you've never seen Masada

Anthony Cooper | Louisville, KY United States | 01/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is like a show souvenir more than a concert film. Basically, there were two cameras set up in Tonic, and the show was recorded. OK, so Masada doesn't have the budget or following of Woodstock, but it seems relevant to note. Visually, you see Zorn, Douglas, Cohen, and Baron doing their thing on a small stage. Musically, the sound the pretty good. It's not studio-quality, but certainly acceptable for a live recording. The playing is rather inspired, and the main reason to get the DVD. The main soloists Zorn and Douglas play with fire and wit, and the audience doesn't talk over Cohen's solo (that's praise -- Scott LaFaro's solos on "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" got talked over)!"