50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION VOLUME 5: FRED FRITH / JOHN ZORN

Sounds like crazy Zorn strangling his horn with atmospheric Fred sodomizing an electric guitar (thanks to Dali for inspiring the Frith comment). I didn't have any Zorn in collection, that I know of, but have long been a term Frith fan. I've read some good things about Zorn, so I thought "this could be interesting" and ordered it without hearing it first. Yikes! Well, now that I've heard it, I guess my opinion is now "this could be interesting".

Actually, the more melodic parts, and there are a few, sort of remind me of some of Mel Collins era King Crimson. And speaking of Crimson, this is a more enjoyable listen than Thrakattak, which probably isn't saying much. It's a live show of the duo doing improvisations and some of the track titles are particularly apt for the music contained within: Off Topic, Cruel Abstraction, and let's not even mention Cord Trouble And Tuning.

Well, the audience certainly seemed to enjoy the show and judging from the applause I hear after each track, I don't think too many of them ran away in terror. Either they knew what they were getting into or were very brave souls indeed. This music is not for the faint of heart. Might be useful in keeping you up if you're driving late at night if doesn't cause you to run off the road.

This one, John Zorn and ex- Henry Cow, Massacre guitarist and Naked City bassist Fred Frith duo is free form avant jazz. Pure improvisational music without structure, fixed form and rhythm section at all. Just crazy Zorn's screaming sax and strange aerial, sometimes fast Frith guitars. Nothing else. As you understand yet no melodies for sure.

Free music in free space. How many people could enjoy such music? 0,00001% of Earth population? I think possibly 0,00001% of music fans. Is this music so bad? Don't think so. How many people can enjoy Malevich paintings? Far not everyone. But he's a great painter, isn't it?

This album could be interesting for free jazz fans. Not like it's a free jazz masterpiece, but it's interesting to listen two really great musicians in their live free form improvs.

Music lovers believing that right music should have structure, orchestral arrangements and melody should avoid this album even as free gift. Newcomers to free avant jazz should start in other place as well just to avoid first unpleasant experience.

My rating is 2,5 rounded to 3.