Grand Guignol

Orpheus Listening Challenge 2025: #25 A post-1977 jazz album (22nd Album)

John Zorn and his brand of "jazz" (if you can call it jazz) has always been intimidating from the outside looking in, and listening to this has justified some of the sentiment. The opener is the grand spectacle of it all, with shades of jazz, chamber music and some post-rock all sprinkled in. It sounds like a broken blender in the best way possible: you turn it on but nothing happens, then ten seconds later all hell breaks loose, only for you to turn it off again.

The rest of the first half is like a noir exploration of a decrepit, old, stone theater lost to time. It's both relaxing and uneasy, like a slow river of anxiety sloshing away.

But after the 8th track, the album goes from soothing to a full on teeth pulling exercise. It's perfectly encapsulated in the name of the 17th track. Jazz Snob Eat Shit indeed. It could've probably been turned into a longer free forming suite instead of a 20 something track mental buzz saw lobotomy of screams and drum fills, but who cares. It's still a great and integral part of it that wouldn't hit the same if it was differently done.

Anything else being said would spoil your experience. It's a fresh take on jazz to this day.

Thank you, [~SpeedKills] for the recommendation!