The Squid's Ear Magazine


Zorn, John / John Medeski Trio: The Bagatelles Vol. 8 (Tzadik)

A fierce interpretation of John Zorn's Bagatelles by the organ trio of John Medeski with guitarist David Fiuczynski and drummer Grant Calvin Weston, this release channels funk, jazz, and psychedelic rock into explosive, high-energy performances, transforming Zorn's concise compositions into a dynamic, groove-driven and sonically adventurous set.
 

Price: $19.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 3.00 units

Sample The Album:





Product Information:

Personnel:



John Zorn-composer

John Medeski-organ

David Fiuczynski-guitar

Grant Calvin Weston-drums

Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.



UPC: 702397522423

Label: Tzadik
Catalog ID: CD-TZA-5224
Squidco Product Code: 37300

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2026
Country: USA
Packaging: Digipack - 3 panel
Recorded at Applehead Studios, in Woodstock, New York, on November 14th and 15th, 2020, by Chris Bittner.
Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

Artist Biographies

"John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, arranger, producer, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist with hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, and producer across a variety of genres including jazz, rock, hardcore, classical, surf, metal, klezmer, soundtrack, ambient, and improvised music. He incorporates diverse styles in his compositions which he identifies as avant-garde or experimental. Zorn was described by Down Beat as "one of our most important composers".

Zorn established himself within the New York City downtown music movement in the mid-1970s performing with musicians across the sonic spectrum and developing experimental methods of composing new music. After releasing albums on several independent US and European labels, Zorn signed with Elektra Nonesuch and received wide acclaim with the release of The Big Gundown, an album reworking the compositions of Ennio Morricone. He attracted further attention worldwide with the release of Spillane in 1987, and Naked City in 1989. After spending almost a decade travelling between Japan and the US he made New York his permanent base and established his own record label, Tzadik, in the mid-1990s.

Tzadik enabled Zorn to maintain independence from the mainstream music industry and ensured the continued availability of his growing catalog of recordings, allowing him to prolifically record and release new material, issuing several new albums each year, as well as promoting the work of many other musicians. Zorn has led the hardcore bands Naked City and Painkiller, the klezmer/free jazz-influenced quartet Masada, composed over 600 pieces as part of the Masada Songbooks that have been performed by an array of groups, composed concert music for classical ensembles and orchestras, and produced music for opera, sound installations, film and documentary. Zorn has undertaken many tours of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, often performing at festivals with many other musicians and ensembles that perform his diverse output.

Zorn's compositions cross many genres and he has stated "All the various styles are organically connected to one another. I'm an additive person-the entire storehouse of my knowledge informs everything I do. People are so obsessed with the surface that they can't see the connections, but they are there." For Zorn "Composing is more than just imagining music-it's knowing how to communicate it to musicians. And you don't give an improviser music that's completely written out, or ask a classical musician to improvise. I'm interested in speaking to musicians in their own languages, on their own terms, and in bringing out the best in what they do. To challenge them and excite them." "

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zorn)
4/20/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Anthony John Medeski (born June 28, 1965) is an American jazz keyboards player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano and an eclectic array of keyboards, including the Hammond B3 organ, melodica, mellotron, clavinet, ARP String Ensemble, Wurlitzer electric piano, Moog Voyager Synthesizer, Wurlitzer 7300 Combo Organ, Vox Continental Baroque organ, and Yamaha CS-1 Synthesizer (a "kids' toy"), among others. When playing acoustic piano, Medeski usually plays the Steinway piano and is listed as a Steinway Artist.

Medeski was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and grew up in Florida. After studying piano as a child (starting when he was five years old), he began as a teenager to perform with musicians such as Mark Murphy and Jaco Pastorius. He attended Pine Crest School. In 1983, after graduating from high school, he began studying piano at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he performed as a sideman with Dewey Redman, Billy Higgins, Bob Mintzer, Alan Dawson and Mr. Jellybelly. Medeski attributes his early interest in playing improvised music and jazz to listening to Oscar Peterson."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Medeski)
4/20/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"David "Fuze" Fiuczynski is an iconoclastic innovator and a rebel with a guitar. Fluent in funk, rock, fusion, wicked fretless blues slides, Eastern melodicism, Western microtonalism and everything in-between, his remarkably open-minded and versatile approach to his instrument and music in general has made him a "first call" player, and lead to tours and recording projects with a remarkably diverse cast of characters, including Stewart Copeland (The Police), Jack DeJohnette (Miles Davis, John Coltrane), John Zorn, Hiromi, JoJo Mayer, Marc Guiliana (David Bowie), Bernie Worrell (P-Funk), Dennis Chambers, Me'shell NdegeOcello, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Marcus Miller, Billy Hart, John Medeski, Cuong Vu, Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society and countless others. He has played on nearly 100 recordings as a session musician, band leader or band member, won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011 and is a professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Best known as the leader of the Screaming Headless Torsos, KiF and as a member of Hasidic New Wave, Fuze launched Planet MicroJam, an institute that explores the use of microtones in groove, jazz, ethnic, folk and other contexts, in 2012. With this impressive resume under his belt, the mad-scientist guitar hero is now seeking to bring his music to new audiences."

-David Fiuczynski Website (https://www.davidfiuczynski.com/bio)
4/20/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"G Calvin Weston was born June 6, 1959 in Philadelphia, PA. He became interested in drums at the age of 6, when he (and his neighbors) discovered his talent for rhythm as he beat on every car on the block. He lived in North Philadelphia where he saw musicians like Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five and James Brown at the Uptown Theatre. Seeing his attention focused on the drummers, his Father bought him a small set. In high school Calvin learned to read music and played second snare in the drum ensemble. He co-founded the group Bad Influence which played in cabarets and clubs around Philadelphia.

At 17, Calvin joined Ornette Colemans Prime Time Band,with bass player jamalaadean tacuma.his close friend from philly, which toured extensively in North America and Europe.

Grant Calvin Weston has blazed a harmolodic, funkadelic trail through modern jazz. This record is a culmination of recordings made on the West Coast and his hometown of Philadelphia. Weston puts his Midas touch on electronics and acoustic instruments that blow the socks off any jazz-rock poser out there. Listen to the man who funked-up Ornette Coleman in the 1970s."

-LInkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/g-calvin-weston-65b06a15/)
4/20/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:
Related Categories of Interest:

April 2026
Tzadik
Improvised Music
Jazz
Jazz & Improvisation Based on Compositions
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Trio Recordings
Zorn. John
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Improvised Music
Recent Releases and Best Sellers

Search for other titles on the label:
Tzadik.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Zorn, John
The Song of Songs [CD + CD BOOK]
(Tzadik)
A rich all-vocal rendering of the Bible's sensual Song of Solomon, featuring five distinguished female voices with narration by Barbara Hannigan and Mathieu Amalric, and guided by Jeremy Fogel's new translation, this lush limited-edition CD book highlights one of Zorn's most evocative and beautifully realized creations in a single extended work.
Zorn, John (JACK Quartet w/Yura Lee / Michael Nicolas)
Prolegomena
(Tzadik)
Composed in 2020 during the first months of the pandemic and recorded at Oktaven by Ryan Streber, this striking work for strings expands the JACK Quartet with violist Yura Lee and cellist Michael Nicolas, delivering two masterful pieces of dramatic tension, mercurial movement, and virtuosic beauty that stand among Zorn's most compelling contributions to modern chamber music.
Zorn, John / Dave Lombardo
Memories, Dreams, And Reflections
(Tzadik)
A fierce and unrestrained duo of pure improvisation from longtime collaborators John Zorn on alto sax and Dave Lombardo on drums, merging seemingly telepathic interplay, raw intensity, and deep mutual respect in a freewheeling session that channels decades of creative friendship into a powerfully assertive and unpredictable musical dialog
Zorn, John (Hashimoto / Gosling / Smith / Roeder / Mori)
Fantasma (Illusions From A Surrealist Mirror)
(Tzadik)
An endlessly imaginative and intricately scored set of chamber works from John Zorn, performed by a virtuosic quartet of Hashimoto, Gosling, Smith, and Roeder, with electronics from Ikue Mori on one track, blending classical precision and improvisational fire in a dynamic and mischievous exploration of surrealist sound worlds.
Zorn, John / JACK Quartet
The Complete String Quartets [2 CDs]
(Tzadik)
The JACK Quartet presents definitive interpretations of John Zorn's eight string quartets, composed between 1988-2017, in a two-disc album presenting Zorn's evolution through avant-garde techniques and deep musical traditions, with virtuosic performances of intricate works like "Cat O'Nine Tails", "Memento Mori", or "Necronomicon"; includes a 36-page booklet of notes, scores, and insights.
Zorn, John (Roeder / Wollesen / Zorn / Lage)
New Masada Quartet, Volume Three
(Tzadik)
The third volume in John Zorn's New Masada Quartet — Zorn on alto sax, Jorge Roeder on bass, Kenny Wollesen on drums, and Julian Lage on guitar — captures a packed 2024 concert at Roulette in Brooklyn, where fervent interplay and exceptional soloing bring six Zorn compositions to life in a single, seamlessly indexed track before an enthusiastic audience.
Zorn, John
The Hermetic Organ Volume 13 - Biennale Musica Venezia
(Tzadik)
Performing at the 17th century Palazzo Pisano during the 2023 Venice Biennale, John Zorn improvises on two small antique organ at Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello, taking full advantage of the rich reeds, flutes, and horns of these two outstanding instruments as he moved between the two organs, bringing out unusual tonalities and intersections between both instruments.
Zorn, John (Marsella / Roeder / Smith)
Ballades
(Tzadik)
Ten numbered Ballads from the pen of John Zorn, writing for the trio of Brian Marsella on piano, Jorge Roeder on bass and Ches Smith on drums, his third album with this same Downtown New York piano trio and by far the most lyrical and lovely collection to date, as the trio settles into Zorn's inventive structures with improvisational passion and adroit interaction.
Zorn, John (Riley / Lage)
Her Melodious Lay
(Tzadik)
Featuring some of composer John Zorn's most lyrical work, the duo of guitarists Gyan Riley and Julian Lage continue their collaboration in the series that started in 2015 with The Bagatelles and continues through Midsummer Moons (2017), Book Beri'ah (2019), and Quatrain (2023), as they render Zorn's beautiful merging of eclectic forms inspired by William Shakespeare.
Zorn, John
The Hermetic Organ Volume 11 - For Terry Riley
(Tzadik)
Performing on the 7,466 pipe Æolian-Skinner organ at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, one of the first American classic-style organs and among the largest church organs in the West, John Zorn continues his solo organ series with this tribute to Terry Riley in two extended improvisations, part of his 70th birthday celebration as part of Fred Barnes's concert series.
Zorn, John Incerto (Marsella / Lage / Roeder / Smith)
Homenaje A Remedios Varo
(Tzadik)
Continuing his work with the Incerto quartet of Julian Lage on guitar, Brian Marsella on piano, Jorge Roeder on bass and Ches Smith on drums, the fourth album for the group from John Zorn's compositional pen explores the artwork of Spanish surrealist/irrealist painter María de los Remedios Alicia Rodriga Varo, whose life was influenced by Paris enlightenment and the terrors of war.
Zorn, John / Eugene Chadbourne
John Zorn's Olympiad Vol. 3 - Pops Plays Pops - Eugene Chadbourne Plays The Book Of Heads
(Tzadik)
The third volume in John Zorn's "Olympiad" series is this solo performance in 2007 at the Kompo Cultural Center in Gyungee, Korea by Zorn associate and eccentrically eminent improviser Eugene Chadbourne, performing on electric and acoustic guitars as he interprets 15 compositions for improvisers from John Zorn's seminal 1976 series: The Book of Heads.
Weston, G. Calvin
The Phoenix Orchestra - Dust and Ash [VINYL]
(577 Records)
An excellent example of modern fusion as drummer G. Calvin Weston (Ornette Coleman, James Blood Ulmer), also on pocket trumpet, joins the Phoenix Orchestra, a Philadelphia-based string & electric octet, for a funk driven album of spectacular playing with melodic force and compelling rhythm, showing shades of Cobham or Mahavishnu but with its feet fully in the present.
Various Artists (Zorn / Johansson / Johnson / de Vroe / Schleirmacher)
Enfants Terribles
(Hat [now] ART)
Zorn, John (w/ Marsella / Roeder / Smith / Hashimoto)
Alea Iacta Est
(Tzadik)
With a title translating to The Die is Cast, this formidable piano concerto from composer John Zorn unfolds through abrupt shifts in mood, tempo, and texture, as Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder, and Ches Smith navigate its exacting, volatile structures with precision and intensity, joined by Sae Hashimoto on vibraphone, adding a resonant counterpoint to this complex, dynamically shifting work.
Zorn, John / Brian Marsella
The Bagatelles Vol. 7
(Tzadik)
Performing thirteen selections from John Zorn's 2015 Bagatelles collection, pianist Brian Marsella delivers a dynamic solo recital that navigates angular, atonal forms and moments of striking lyricism, blending classical precision with jazz spontaneity to create an intimate, virtuosic, and emotionally resonant interpretation of Zorn's expansive compositional language.
Zorn, John / The Gnostic Trio (w/ Frisell / Wollesen / Emanuel)
Sing Me Now Asleep
(Tzadik)
Reuniting Bill Frisell, Kenny Wollesen, and Carol Emanuel as The Gnostic Trio, John Zorn presents a refined set of compositions that blend chamber minimalism, early music influences, and ambient textures, where delicate interplay, spacious forms, and a touch of electronics from Ikue Mori yield a serene, introspective, and subtly cinematic exploration of tone and atmosphere.
Neselovskyi, Vadim
Perseverantia
(Tzadik)
A powerful chamber work from Ukrainian pianist and composer Vadim Neselovskyi, this release blends classical composition and improvisation, as piano and string trio merge structured writing with spontaneous expression, aligning his lyrical, introspective voice with modular, improvisation-driven aesthetics shaped by the tensions and resilience of his homeland.
Zorn, John (Davis / Halvorson / Gress / Wollsen)
The Bagatelles Vol. 5 - Kris Davis Quartet
(Tzadik)
Interpreting selections from John Zorn's expansive Bagatelles cycle, this quartet led by pianist Kris Davis brings together guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Kenny Wollesen in a fluid, richly expressive reading of Zorn�s compositions, balancing intricate written forms with lyrical improvisation while weaving delicate ensemble interplay and adventurous harmonic motion.
Zorn, John (Marsella / Roeder / Smith)
Impromptus
(Tzadik)
The third release from John Zorn�s jazz piano trio with Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder, and Ches Smith — following Ballades, Homenaje A Remedios Varo, The Fourth Way, and Suite for Piano — presents nine free-flowing works of boundless imagination, blending classical form and jazz interplay through telepathic communication, daring improvisation, and an ever-deepening creative rapport.
Painkiller (Harris / Laswell / Zorn)
The Great God Plan
(Tzadik)
The legendary Painkiller trio of John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Mick Harris reunites to deliver two expansive tracks that blend heavy metal intensity with ambient textures and brooding lyricism, a significant evolution in the trio's sonic journey as they create two haunting tapestries inspired by Arthur Machen's gothic novella The Great God Pan.
Zorn, John (Edgcomb / Greene / Hanes)
The Bagatelles Vol. 3 Trigger
(Tzadik)
The third volume in John Zorn's Bagatelles series features the explosive trio Trigger — Aaron Edgcomb on drums, Will Greene on guitar, and Simon Hanes on bass — tearing through Zorn's intricate compositions with fierce precision and raw energy, delivering a searing and radical interpretation of these works drawn from Zorn's expansive 2015 collection of 300 pieces.
Zorn, John (Medeski / Marsella / Hollenberg / Grohowski)
Through The Looking Glass
(Tzadik)
The sixth chapter in the Downtown NY quartet of Matt Hollenberg (guitar), Brian Marsella (piano), John Medeski (organ), and Kenny Grohowski (drums), performing John Zorn's compositions inspired by Chaos Magick — an individualistic practice that values personal experience over tradition — expressed through intricate, soulful, and powerfully imagined works.
Painkiller
The Equinox
(Tzadik)
Following their acclaimed 2024 album Samsara, Painkiller returns with Mick Harris (beats, electronics), Bill Laswell (bass), and John Zorn (alto saxophone) delivering six intense and genre-blurring tracks that fuse jazz, grindcore, metal, noise, and techno into an exhilarating, multilayered sonic journey inspired by the magickal practices of Aleister Crowley.
Zorn, John / Erik Friedlander / Michael Nicolas
The Bagatelles Vol. 2
(Tzadik)
An intimate exploration of John Zorn's Bagatelles, featuring the seemingly telepathic cello duo of Erik Friedlander and Michael Nicolas in deeply expressive and intricately woven performances that reveal the emotional depth, sensitivity, and Zorn's adventurous compositional spirit, bridging composed forms with spontaneous improvisation for a nuanced and exciting chamber setting.
Zorn, John / Mary Halvorson Quartet
The Bagatelles Vol. 1
(Tzadik)
Originally part of the Bagatelles 4-CD box set, this standalone release presents John Zorn's tightly constructed compositions interpreted by the Mary Halvorson Quartet, where Halvorson's microtonal guitar meets Miles Okazaki's rhythmic fluidity, propelled by bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tomas Fujiwara in an explosive and intricately woven set of high-energy, avant-garde jazz explorations.




The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC