Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday John Zorn

With the Jazzfest going on this weekend, let’s give a birthday shout out to a major figure in the world of avant-garde jazz. John Zorn has constantly pushed the boundaries in jazz, whether it involves going to the outer limits of free jazz and improvisation or exploring other genres, from hardcore punk to klezmer. In addition to his inventive approach, Zorn can kill with his saxophone and he has done his part as a producer and band leader to foster other creative minds. In honor of Mr. Zorn, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.

1. Rockfour — Rain (For Fans Only!): This Israeli psychedelic band was one of the best live bands I ever saw during the first 10 years of this century. A muscular rhythm section, a guitarist who commanded a dizzying array of effects, and a charismatic lead singer made for a great time at any Rockfour show (not to mention the stellar songs). This is from a compilation of various outtakes, b-sides, alternate versions and live performances. This is a cover of The Beatles’ classic. The band slows down the song a bit and makes it a monolithic wall of sound. This was often an encore for the band and it’s extremely powerful.
2. Kathy Greenholdt — My Choice (Lowly Violet): Greenholdt is a local singer-songwriter who has progressed with each release. On her most recent disc, she worked with Liam Davis of Frisbie, who provided some outstanding musical settings for Greenholdt’s strong melodies and economical, direct lyrics. This song has melds a country music foundation with a bit of a floating ambience, and shows off how much Greenholdt has improved as vocalist, as she sings with a little bit of a cry in her voice and her phrasing is wonderful. A terrific tune.
3. The Walkmen — Victory (Lisbon): I tend to associate the most recent album with The National’s High Violet, as they are both sterling examples of intelligent adult rock tunesmithing. Both bands create inviting music settings, with solid melodies and passionate playing, all in service of compelling frontmen. Whereas The National’s Matt Berninger is all about simmering, Walkmen lead singer Hamilton Leithauser is extremely emotional, helping even mid-tempo songs reaching thrilling peaks. This song rides a ringing guitar with a loping rhythm with Leithauser singing in an arresting manner.
4. Camera Obscura — You Told A Lie (My Maudlin Career): This Scottish band manages to remain winsome, whether extolling joys, contemplating possibilities or lamenting heartbreak. The band plays music with certain aspects that fans of Belle and Sebastain and The Delgados would like, but adds sweeping girl group inspired melodies to create a distinctive and resonant blend. This is a awe inspiring song.
5. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band — The Host, The Ghost The Most Holy-O (Ice Cream For Crow): A nice slab of blues based weirdness from the good Captain’s final album. By this point, Beefheart was not innovating, merely refining. I think he perfected this dissonant package of off-beat rhythms and spiky guitars, with his colorful poetry on top.
6. The Go-Go’s — Vacation (Vacation): While the second Go-Go’s album is probably the weakest of their four studio sets, it certainly has some fine songs, and this song was deservedly a big hit. Everything about the song, from the sprightly melody, to the sharp lyrics about using a vacation to try to get over a broken heart, to the fun video, completely works. Moreover, this single proved that their success wasn’t a fluke — they could write some great stuff.
7. China Crisis — Papua (Working With Fire And Steel): The second China Crisis album might be the best album to spring from the early ’80s British synth pop explosion. Keyboards were the foundation of the band’s music, but they weren’t afraid to augment their songs with strings, horns, vibes or anything else to flesh out their sound. Thus, their tracks had a synth pop bounce, but other layers and textures that gave their music a strong emotional pull. This is a deep cut from the album, and it’s simply splendid, as this album is a hidden classic.
8. Margo Guryan — The Hum (25 Demos): Guryan is a goddess to the cult that worships soft pop. She’s best known for her song “Sunday Morning”, which was a hit for Spanky and Our Gang. Her own recordings showcase a sweet voice and a nifty pop sense which often has jazz undertones. This demos collection is a mix of previously released and unreleased songs. This is one of my favorites, as Margo goes into politics, taking on Nixon during the Watergate era, with the chorus focusing on the infamous tapes. Never has anger sounded so cuddly and bouncy.
9. Bobbie Gentry — Fancy (American Quilt 1967-1974): Gentry’s second best known song, next to “Ode To Billy Joe”. Gentry was a remarkable talent, as she infused her country with pop and R & B aspects. This outstanding recording is like a country “Son Of A Preacher Man”, with Gentry showing off her fantastic storytelling abilities. She was a total original, so her career was all too brief, but Gentry left a great legacy.
10. The Swingin’ Neckbreakers — Rip It Up, Rip It Up (Kick Your Ass): One of the reasons I love the Neckbreakers is that their garage rock reaches to the same ’50s roots that many of the great bands of the ’60s. You can trace a direct line from Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard to Paul Revere and the Raiders and The Sonics to Didjits to the Neckbreakers. Typically intense tune, lots of fun.