John Zorn at The Barbican, London
 

John Zorn plays two nights at The Barbican on 17th and 18th June. I'm undecided about whether to go, but Zorn seems to love playing at The Barbican (I've seen him there four times, I think) and always puts on a good show there, so I'm very tempted.


John Zorn - A Tribute to Derek Bailey
Featuring Bill Laswell, Milford Graves & Gavin Bryars.
17 June 2006 / 19:30
Tickets: £15 £20 £25

Derek Bailey and John Zorn shared a close friendship following their first meeting over 25 years ago. The fruits of their collaboration were born out in CDs such as Yankees, Harras, Mirakle, Saisoro and Ballads.

Tonight, Zorn brings together a group of creative spirits from the USA and the UK, including Bill Laswell, Milford Graves, Gavin Bryars and Zorn himself – all of them closely associated with Bailey, and all of them massively influential in the evolution of contemporary improvised music.

Together they pay tribute to Derek Bailey, a master improviser and one of the most important musical brains of the twentieth century, whose recent death in no way diminishes his continuing influence on today’s music.


John Zorn - Crowley At The Crossroads
Featuring Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron & London Sinfonietta
18 June 2006 / 19:30
Tickets: £10 £15 £17.50

Aleister Crowley's reputation as an outsider, poet and magician is infamous. Tonight Zorn invokes the spirit of Crowley in two startling and very different world premieres for voice and ensemble.

Evocation of a Neophyte and How the Black Arts were Revealed unto Her by the Demon Baphomet brings the mystery of Enochian Ritual into the Barbican through a beautiful new work for soprano soloist, mixed choir, harp, contrabassoon and percussion, performed by musicians from the London Sinfonietta, conducted by Brad Lubman.

Moonchild, Zorn's most recent work, is a hardcore song cycle scored for voice, bass and drums. Featuring vocalist Mike Patton (Faith No More, Fantomaf) singing in preverbal language accompanied by two longtime Zorn alumni, Trevor Dunn and Joey Baron, and conducted by Zorn himself, this is an intense new compositional direction for Zorn, and takes rock to some startling new places.

Also featured in the evening is a new film of Crowley paintings and drawings by the legendary Kenneth Anger.

hmmm... i doubt i can afford it but both nights look fun (although i could do without bill laswell)

I'm gonna try and be at the Crowley one on the 18th.