IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS

John's first real solo album of year 2010 (first 2010 release of Zorn's associated projects was Masada's "Mycale"). This work is real answer for those missing jazz in Zorn's works of some last years. This album is jazz.

Nothing from avant-garde. Nothing from klezmer, hard-core or electronics experiments. Nothing at all! This album is very tasteful, melodic, melancholic contemporary jazz music for piano and vibraphone, supported by rhythm section ( acoustic, electric bass and drums). Music is mid tempo, very elegant, pleasant to listen ( with very light post-bop influence). Each composition itself is almost masterpiece (even if not very complex technically). Main problem for me was the album as whole product: in fact John just used small perfect idea, and developed it till full album.

If separately each composition is almost excellent, there is very difficult to find a difference between compositions. In fact all album sounds a bit as one long song ( or album of remixes of same composition with very small difference between versions). At that point ( and remembering that Zorn declared he will release 12 albums in 2010) I for a first time feel some danger he will use just very small even genial idea for each this year's album just to fulfil his program. Still hope I am wrong in this...

Very pleasant and tasteful contemporary jazz album, just don't expect nothing experimental or unusual. Music (jazz) to enjoy.

Three and half rounded till 4.

I'm slowly starting to understand how it works. For me as beginner in this Prog Jazz Rock Fusion something journey, it's important to start with more easy to listen albums and slowly work through to more difficult pieces, some of them even masterpieces.

This is xylophone journey that we are conducting because we want to find Miraculous. Where is this blasted guy ? What should we do when we find him ? Well, for me, Marty, this mysterious M. is peace. Yes, John Zorn is trying to tell us that we should find our inner calmness and enjoy it, whatever it means.

Songs are quite similar in tone, in how they sound, also repetitive a lot (this way of doing music with small step changes is used here). I hope I will meet J. Zorn's Avant Garde work in future, but for now, this is enjoyable little album in about same style as what I reviewed a hour ago, Pat Metheny's Orchestrion

4(-), too "same", not many variations here, but as I said, enjoyable.

This album opens with two great songs ("Prelude: From a Great Temple" [8/10] and "Sacred Dance {Invocation}" [9/10] before slipping ("Book of Shadows" [6/10]) into a pretty, easy listening, almost New Age feel. "Affirmation" [7/10] brings in a pleasant though 'nothing new' Vince Guaraldi feel (which seems appropriate, given the title and Vince's very life-affirming work with "Peanuts" and "Black Orpheus" soundtracks.) "Magus" [8/10] skips back into the realm of exciting, moving and very melodic jazz. "Hymn for a New Millenium" [8/10] reminds me a lot of some MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA structures and emotional tones. "Journey of the Magicians" [4/10] is pure elevator jazz--a pop song turned instrumental with a jazzified instruments and feel. "Mythic Etude" [7/10] is a pretty slow dance with some Chopin-feeling moments. "Postlude: Prayers and Enchantment" [6/10] is a kind of bland, unexceptional jazz piece-- a lot like some of PAT METHENY GROUP's slower, more soporific stuff. Over all, I like this album a bit more than the only other Zorn album I've ever heard, "The Goddess: Music for Ancient Days." Good enjoyable music. Recommended.

The fourth way according to John Zorn.

Very much in tune with its respective sources´detached sobriety, John Zorn approaches this highly complex, straight forward & unresolved crossword puzzle, sound wise speaking of course, by facing its mysteries up front with heartfelt sonic understandings, which stand close to to its roots´ unpublished recreations, but nevertheless, leaving his own reactions intact. And when it comes to music composition and an original approach, well Mr. Zorn´s In Search Of The Miraculous (2010) , can actually do the walk it takes to do the talk.

Expecting great audiences for such a clean, faithful & spirited performance of, otherwise, ignored knowledge, would be like counting from one to two until you die & realize there was a three.

Music wise, expect an unsuspected modern Jazz, 4 piece ensemble (no guitar) & latin influenced, almost masterpiece, which grows deeper, as far as you get the clue where it is really heading and eventually, if hooked, can balance the thrill of why it ends up meeting such strange stylistic encounters, which if anything, will make you kind of think of the world as an upside down possibility, how universal and surprisingly odd it will eventually turn out to be & like it or not will be.

Even I , (who almost by nature have an involuntary allergic reaction against artificial latin moods), am really thrilled, if anything, this material is as close as anyone outside this vibe can come around to turn into his own, and as told , the world as an upside down possibility, as a figure of speach of course (lol), (Don´t worry, this stuff has survived the worst and still speaks for some few,... but more than enough) is still around.

Forget the talk, just let it flow, if not well..........more for us.

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