John Zorn is known for his envelop-pushing brand of music making, with such projects as experimental takes on jazz standards, exploring the textures of aleatory soundscapes and reinterpretations of traditional eastern European music. His more romantic, softer side is less known, but it is on full display in this set of wordless songs interpreted by a piano trio familiar with his work.

Romanticism comes in many different flavors. Here the music is intimate, in part due to the trio setting, but it is far from limp and lacy. This is vigorous romanticism, romanticism with earthy roots, down-to-earth dreaminess and seductive lyricism with wit and edge. The "love songs" of the title suggests music to relax and dream by, and this is certainly one of the uses of the soothing material. But this is John Zorn, so we expect something different and get it.

Adding to the interest is the fact that all of these wordless songs are inspired by and dedicated to the San Francisco Bay area and artists associated with it. All of the 11 pieces are inscribed with a dedication, from the playful "Mountain View" (dedicated to pianist Vince Guaraldi), to the vampy "Moraga" (dedicated to actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood), the fleeting "Miramar" (dedicated to minimalist composer Terry Riley) and closing with "Tiburon" (dedicated to filmmaker David Lynch). The associations the composer may have felt between the music and the artists are not always clear. What are clear is a recurring Semitic strain, and the presence of a Moorish element (the "Spanish Tinge" early jazz maker Jelly Roll Morton identified as an important ingredient of jazz). It sounds like Klezmer at times, like flamenco music, like Sufi incantations. The Alhambra of the title alludes to the underlying unifying motives that undergo beautiful permutations at the hands of pianist Bob Burger, bassist Greg Cohen, and drummer Ben Perowsky who play this music with lots of panache, respect and lyrical sensitivity.

Alhambra Love Songs reveals a side of John Zorn that we all harbor and that we can all benefit from accepting. It just needs the right touch to make it come alive in a meaningful way.