Tzadik

' qui avec Gabriel is a young accordion player steeped in French Romanticism and moody exotica. With the innocence and charm of Erik Satie, her debut recording depicts the soulis journey from night until dawn... Accompanied at times by violin, clarinet...

“Blending a punk rock sensibility with Sephardic tribalism via a taste of North African Gnawa magic, Abraxas is one of the most primal and rocking ensembles in the Masada family. After extensive touring with music from the Book of Angels, they stormed into Bill Laswell’s studio to record an even more intense CD of Masada Book Three. Upheld by the pulsating sound of Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz’s gimbri and the dynamic drumming of Kenny Grohowski, Aram Bajakian and Eyal Maoz push their guitars to the limits...

A remarkable young composer out of the Lou Harrison mold and a virtuoso on the khaen mouth organ, Christopher Adler splits his time between California and Thailand where he collaborates with many of the country's greatest classical musicians. For his f...

Another exciting unit out of the infamous Osaka underground rock scene. Close friends with the Boredoms and Acid Mothers Temple, Afrirampo is a bizarre duo of two twenty year old girls who sing and play guitar and drums like no one else. Scantily clad ...

Melt Banana is one of Japan's most powerful and popular punk bands and at the center of it is the stinging guitar of Agata. Here he steps out on a rare solo outing created especially for Tzadik. Showing an amazing range of interests, a prodigious techn...

''Klezmer, East European folk music, contemporary classical and Tuvan throat singing all came together in this astonishing music of Ahva Raba, one of the most original and distinctive Jewish groups based in contemporary Germany. With a repertory rangin...

Ahleuchatistas are one of the greatest live bands working today. The insane and intense interplay between the 3 musicians on the stripped down line up of guitar/bass/drums is very unique and almost hard to believe unless you've actually seen them do it...

The below was obviously written by me a long time ago, when this album was first released and before our association with the group and also before the original, small label edition went out of print and Tzadik picked it up for reissue (in the "Full Force Composer Series" - yes, sir!) which includes bonus material. If you don't already own it, you've got no excuse now! But it does convey some of the amazement, excitement and stylistic confusion that this band gave to me upon stumbling across them with...

A native of the underground Seattle scene who moved to New York in 1993, Aaron Alexander has performed with many of the greatest groups in the new Jewish Renaissance, from the Klezmatics to Hasidic New Wave, Klezmer Madness, Klezmerfest, Babkas, Klez-J...

''One of electronic music's truly legendary mavericks. Working mostly in large spaces & installations for the past 20 years, this diverse collection of electronic soundscapes & ''ear dances'' was chosen by the composer...spectacular acoustical effects ...

"One of contemporary music’s greatest and most elusive mavericks returns to Tzadik with yet another CD of ear bending electronic sounds. A student of Stockhausen and close collaborator of John Cage and David Behrman, Amacher has been creating acoustic...

“Hailing from Tennessee and now residing in New York, Zoh Amba is a 21 year-old tenor saxophonist who performs with a deep sense of spirituality and emotional power. Growing up in the mountains she practiced and played in the forest before continuing her studies in San Francisco and Boston. For her first CD she has chosen a fabulous quartet featuring her close friend, rising NYC star Micah Thomas on piano, and the formidable rhythm section of Thomas Morgan and Joey Baron. Hypnotic phrases, beautiful...

''One of the most extreme, passionate and fascinating recordings we've yet released. Formerly orthodox Hasidic students of Talmud and Tanya, thee two members of the Australian punk unit Phlegm have brought together influences from Boredoms and the Japa...

"Oren Ambarchi is a composer and multi-instrumentalist experimenting in the dark trance-inducing worlds of ambient, industrial and electronic music. His newest collaborative project features the legendary percussionist/composer and mystic Z’EV in a...

A former student of Brian Ferneyhough, Mark Applebaum straddles the two worlds of modern classical complexity and improvisational insanity. As one would expect, this first CD devoted to his work is an eclectic compendium of homemade electro-percussion,...

This is a tribute to the prolific Israeli composer Sasha Argov and it features both the usual Tzadik suspects, as well as some surprises. The contributors include Danny Zamir, Cyro Baptista, Charming Hostess, Pharoah's Daughter, Tin Hat Trio, Roberto ...

"Featuring four young musicians of diverse artistic backgrounds, the Artichaut Orkestra is a fabulous new ensemble out of Toulouse, France. Led by a colleague of the great modern klezmer David Krakauer, they brilliantly mix jazz, klezmer and classical...

"A wild klezmer/rock fusion by this crazed band of Paris-born punk rockers. Led by the extraordinary young guitarist David Konopnicki, Autoryno hits with a hardedged sound and an exciting musical imagination. Full of youthful energy, massive guitar and ce

"A driving and rocking Jewish masterpiece from this out of control maniac based in Paris. A killer CD of New Jewish Rock with plenty of shredding, tight arrangements and a touch of Klezmer Madness, with special guests David Krakauer and Gary Lucas...

"After 12 years and 28 CDs, the “Book of Angels” project is drawing towards completion! For one of the last installments, Zorn turns to AutorYno, a wild power trio of three Paris punk rockers and one of the most powerful bands in the French rock scene. Their third CD for Tzadik presents tunes from the classic “Book of Angels” in a heavy rock context. Metal, Punk, Thrash, Dub and Surf come together in this trance-inducing sledge-hammer reading of some of the strongest and strangest pieces out of the...

Somehow I don't think Ayuo was thinking of Ameri"The creator of two of the most fascinating releases on the New Japan series (Izutsu and Red Moon) now turns his hand to one of the most curious of all Japanese musical forms, the Noh play. Mixing the....

''Ayuo (whose name translates as Fish-Light) is one of the most enigmatic figures in Japan, as unique a figure as Moondog, Sun Ra or Haino Keiji, with whom he occasionally collaborates. Ayuo's music is a delicate balance of world music traditions, new ...

Ayuo is one of Japans great originals, having walked his own unusual path for over twenty years. His second CD for Tzadik is a charming and hypnotic collaboration with one of Japans most beautiful vocalists, pop star Ohta Hiromi. Touching upon various ...

Tzadik is proud to present three world premiere recordings and a critically acclaimed classic by one of the worlds greatest living composers. For almost six decades Milton Babbitt has been pushing the boundaries of contemporary composition creating a u...

Yes, this is for real. Experimental guitar wizzard Derek Bailey performs a program of his favorite standards in his own inimitable and energetic style. Inspired and energized by a very special vintage acoustic arch-top guitar, this intriguing solo reco...

Quite literally one of the most original and influential guitarists on the planet, Derek Bailey has completely revolutionized the language of guitar music in the twentieth century. His work has been championed by almost every cutting edge guitarist: Pa...

"In early 2002 Derek Bailey astounded the free music community with his gorgeous album Ballads, a radical and steely interpretation of the standard repertoire. It became an instant classic, hit a dozen best-ten lists and remains his best selling cd of...

Derek's terse, spidery guitarlines lines combine in an improvised session with the avant/artrock/metal/punk of Japan's Ruins. [Tzadik]

''Harmolodic noise funk for the 21st century. The godfather of improvisation in a free-wheeling trio with the legendary Philly rhythm section of Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Calvin Weston, friends for over 30 years and veterans of Ornette Coleman's Prime Tim...

"Tzadiks’s newest Spotlight series focuses on exemplary young bands with great dedication, passion, talent and imagination. This third release features the debut recording of Brooklyn-based Aram Bajakian’s newest unit Kef, named for the Armenian dance...

"Banquet of the Spirits is the tight touring band of Cyro Baptista, one of the world's most creative percussionists and one of Zorn's oldest friends and closest collaborators. The veteran of dozens of Zorn film scores, game pieces, bands, tours and...

“Working together since 1982, Cyro Baptista is one of Zorn's closest friends and collaborators. Banquet of the Spirits is his tight touring quartet of young lions and features Brian Marsella, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz and Tim Keiper on keyboards, bass and drums. Here they follow up their acclaimed CD of the Book of Angels Caym with a Latin Jazz-tinged interpretation featuring the rising star Brian Marsella on piano and keyboards. Breathtakingly beautiful, this is one of the most seductive installments of...

"Banquet of the Spirits features the tight new quartet led by maestro Cyro Baptista— the fabulous percussionist who has performed with everyone from Herbie Hancock and Yo-Yo Ma to Laurie Anderson, Paul Simon and Medeski, Martin and Wood. Cyro’s endless...

Madman virtuoso Cyro Baptista has played with an incredible range of musicians, from Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson and Herbie Hancock to Medeski, Martin and Wood, Phish and Sting. A distinctive composer and vocalist in his own right, Be...

"A veteran of groups led by Herbie Hancock, Yo-Yo Ma, Laurie Anderson, Paul Simon, Phish, Sting and many more, Cyro Baptista continues to bring life, love and madness to every ensemble he works with. His own bands Banquet of the Spirits and Beat the Donkey tour the world to great acclaim and his CDs continue to be Tzadik best-sellers. Cyro’s latest project is a pop-infused psychedelic trip featuring Cyro with a huge lineup of all-star musicians. Three years in the making, this is groovy lyrical...

"One of the greatest Brazilian percussionists working today, Cyro Baptista has worked closely with many of the world's most acclaimed musicians including Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, Nana Vasconcelos, Medeski Martin & Wood, Wynton Marsalis, Yo-Yo Ma...

One of the most charismatic and versatile percussionists around, Cyro Baptista has worked with everyone from Herbie Hancock, Sting and Paul Simon to Phish, Laurie Anderson and John Zorn. Following up on his brilliant first CD for Tzadik Beat the Donkey...

"Lucifer is the first studio recording in over ten years by the most popular and best selling Masada ensemble ever. Here they play better and tighter than ever, blending Sephardic and Ashkenazi sonorities with latin, surf, world music and more in an...

"Drawing upon ancient Roman Jewish melodies and incorporating Resistance poems by Pasolini and Alfonso Gatto, Dan Kaufman has put together a powerful and touching homage to the Italian Resistance during the period of Nazi occupation after the fall of...

"Utah-born composer Matthew Barnson has studied at Eastman, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale, and now resides in New York City. His work is expressive and dramatic, and touches on both the European and American traditions. This CD presents three...

Mick is the guitarist of Crom-Tech and Orthrelm. "One of the most extreme and virtuosic guitar players today creates compositions of repetitive and non-repetitive modular structures with speed, intensity and a profound inner logic. Included here are...

''Improvisor, composer, arranger, producer, vocal stylist and bon vivant, Steve Beresford is one of Europe's most charming and versatile musical minds. These varied and and delightful cues originally composed for British film and television are perform...

More charming gems from the remarkable mind of world traveller/vocal stylist/composer/arranger/pianist Steve Beresford. A veteran of countless bands from the Slits to the Melody Four, Steve has been a central figure in the British improvising scene for...

"One of the most versatile and active proponents of creative music, Karl Berger is a living legend who has been expanding the Jazz language since the mid-’60s. A pianist, vibraphonist, composer, arranger, conductor and educator of astounding energy and...

"Founder of the Creative Music Studio and a close collaborator of Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, Gato Barbieri, Anthony Braxton and so many more, Karl Berger is a master musician and one of the pioneers of creative music. The third and final CD in his trilogy for Tzadik features fourteen tracks spanning a wide variety of moods. Karl’s gorgeous string arrangements are highlighted here in this beautiful and soulful suite of music for piano and strings."
Karl Berger: Piano
Ken Filiano: Bass...

"Composer, arranger, pianist, vibraphonist, conductor and educator, Karl Berger steps out on his own here for a brilliant solo piano recital. Structured as a series of variations and etudes, these moody and spiritually charged compositions showcase...

"The long awaited follow-up to Borah Bergman’s critically acclaimed solo recording Meditations for Piano takes his lyrical cross hands contrapuntal technique into the dynamic context of the classic piano trio. Rich and soulful, this is Borah at his most..

A solo piano recital by one of the most elusive mavericks in new music. Born in Brooklyn and a legend in the downtown music community since the late 60s, Borah Bergman is a master musician and an iconoclastic pianist who has worked with all the majo...

In this, the third installment in Steven Bernstein's Diaspora series, one of the most active and imaginative musicians in the downtown scene explores compositions from the Jewish tradition through the rose colored lens of West Coast Jazz. Actually reco...

''An endlessly inventive musical magician delving deep into his Jewish roots and coming up with sounds you've never imagined possible. Steve Bernstein has worked as musical director for the likes of Hal Wilner, John Lurie's Lounge Lizards and his own m...