FilmWorks: 1986-1990

by John Zorn

Overview

Film Works 1986-1990 opens with John Zorn's first film score, White and Lazy. In just under ten minutes comes small capsules of instrumental punk, rockabilly, dark ambient, nightclub jazz, until "End Title," with vocals by Arto Lindsay, and soloing by Robert Quine (of Lou Reed's band), who Zorn regards as "a punk guitar genius." Next on the CD comes the music for The Golden Boat, a 1990 Raul Ruiz film. To parallel Ruiz' low budget, B-movie work, Zorn decided against timing out the music, and instead generated as much variety as possible -- from pastoral to pipe organ -- in a one day recording session. Zorn then chopped up the results, applying the discontinuous flow to the film. Certainly, the quirky eclecticism heard here is a telling precursor to later film works such as Film Works, Vol. 7. As a bonus, this volume also includes the 1987 short arrangement of Ennio Morricone's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," which was recorded after Zorn was solicited by an advertising agency who had commissioned a reggae band, a string quartet, and a jazz group with the same task. "Main Title" moves in a driving piano-bass ostinato often heard in Ennio Morricone's work; also, it is almost the exact progression as that later heard in Andy Prieboy's scathing "New York Debut of an L.A. Artist (Jazz Crowd)." Getting the full last half hour of this release, the music for She Must Be Seeing Things has more space to develop, resulting in the most impressive and fully realized score, found in this first volume of film works. Although certainly a younger effort, there is a lot of good music on this first film works compilation. It is interesting to hear where Zorn's scores began. And, for what it's worth, this and all of the film works include well laid-out, beautiful liner notes. ~ Joslyn Layne

Product Details

Release Date:	08/19/1997
Label:	Tzadik Records
UPC:	0702397731429
Rank:	216924

Tracks

1. White and Lazy, film score~Main Title
2. White and Lazy, film score~Homecoming
3. White and Lazy, film score~The Heist
4. White and Lazy, film score~Meat Dream
5. White and Lazy, film score~Phone Call
6. White and Lazy, film score~End Title
7. The Golden Boat, film score~Fanfare
8. The Golden Boat, film score~Theme
9. The Golden Boat, film score~Jazz 1
10. The Golden Boat, film score~Horror Organ
11. The Golden Boat, film score~Mexico
12. The Golden Boat, film score~Mood
13. The Golden Boat, film score~Rockabilly
14. The Golden Boat, film score~Slow
15. The Golden Boat, film score~Jazz Oboes
16. The Golden Boat, film score~The Golden Boat (Turntable Mix)
17. The Golden Boat, film score~End Titles
18. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo), film score~Theme
19. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Main Title
20. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Swirling Shot
21. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Homecoming
22. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Catalina Flash
23. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Seduction
24. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Sex Shop Boogaloo
25. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Catalina Escapes
26. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Worms
27. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Death Waltz Fantasy
28. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Following Sequence
29. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Movie Set
30. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Climax
31. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~Going to Dinner
32. She Must Be Seeing Things, film score~End Titles

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Zorn   Primary Artist,Sax (Alto)
Shelley Hirsch   Guest Artist,Vocals,Voices
Wayne Horvitz   Guest Artist,DX-7,Piano,Keyboards,Organ (Hammond)
Fred Frith   Guest Artist,Bass
Bill Frisell   Guest Artist,Guitar
Bobby Previte   Guest Artist,Drums,Vocals,Marimba,Timpani,Timbales,Percussion,Vibraphone,Orchestra Bells
Anthony Coleman   Guest Artist,Organ,Piano,Celeste,Keyboards,Harpsichord
Arto Lindsay   Guest Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Robert Quine   Guest Artist,Guitar
Marty Ehrlich   Clarinet,Sax (Tenor)
Ned Rothenberg   Clarinet (Bass)
Melvin Gibbs   Bass
Anton Fier   Drums
Tom Varner   French Horn
Cyro Baptista   Percussion
Marc Ribot   Guitar
David Weinstein   CZ-101,Keyboards
Vicki Bodner   Oboe
David Shea   Vocals,Turntables
Nana Vasconcelos   Percussion
Jim Staley   Trombone
Sheila McLaughlin   Director
Robert Previte   Drums,Vocals,Marimba,Timpani,Percussion,Vibraphone,Orchestra Bells
Melvin Lindsay   Bass
Rob Schwebber   Director
Vickie Bodner   Oboe
Mark Dresser   Bass
Dave Hofstra   Bass
Carol Emanuel   Harp
Raul Ruiz   Director

Technical Credits

John Zorn   Composer,Producer,Liner Notes,Executive Producer,Arranger
David Weinstein   Mirage
Ennio Morricone   Composer
Don Hunerberg   Mixing,Engineer,Recording
David Shea   Mixing
Kazunori Sugiyama   Associate Producer
Nana Vasconcelos   Producer
Anthony Lee   Design
Jerry Gottus   Mixing
Ricky Belt   Engineer,Recording
Tanaka Tomoyo   Design
Bob Ludwig   Mastering