Second meeting with John Zorn – this time in Sarajevo 

The premiere of an entirely new project (5 hour long, of course). We’re already traveling with companions. We make a pit stop in Belgrade for a dose of the local spirit and we continue to Sarajevo. The Sarajevo jazz festival is probably the best one in our corner of Europe. Led by one person, completely dedicated to the music in its purest form. A person, that isn’t afraid to invite anyone, doesn’t pick light projects for his audience and delivers the most recent projects. 
Sarajevo greets us with snow, but we instantly feel that this is a warm place. A short walk shows us that the town is not only full of multicultural history, but also with foreigners. The first person we stop to ask for directions to the concert hall, a German lady, working in Sarajevo, stops what she’s doing and takes us by the hand to our destination. 
Already prepared, we’re anticipating what the evening has in store for us. The crowd in front of the hall already speaks for the quality of the event. Much to my delight, there is a small shop set up with the production of Tzadik, where we manage to buy a couple of great Zorn albums. It’s full of people, for whom this will be the first meeting with this new world. Despite seeing him in San Sebastian in 2013, we are also overcome with emotion and adrenaline takes over. The tickets have no assigned seating. First come – first served. It’s full of people, that have just purchased 20 Tzadik records each, and that makes me happy. 
The doors open. All over the walls there’s messages from John Zorn: “This is a concert happening only for those, who bought tickets. Please keep your cameras away, respect both yourselves and us”. No one is recording anything.
Zorn again offers a lot of diverse material – everything from the classic Masada quartet with Dave Douglas, Greg Cohen, Joey Baron, himself included, amazing experimental new works, to the virtuousо Nova quartet with John Medeski, Kenny Wollesen, Joey Baron and Trevor Dunn. Julian Lage, a first for this part of the world – the new virtuoso guitarist. There will be a separate text about Erik Friedlander’s cello, I’ll just say he always manages to send you into space. 
I think to myself that there’s no way I’ll feel the five hours pass so easily, but I’m wrong. At midnight the concert comes to an end and we head to the afterparty – the Monument club. The environment is eclectic there. So sincere, so lively and real. Somewhere around two in the morning, the director of the festival, Edin Zubcevic arrives in the company of people from the kitchen, happily carrying Joey Baron’s drumsticks wrapped in paper – a gift from this unforgettable night. Since this year (2018) Zorn’s music will take centre stage in Sarajevo, I can’t wait to see what more is to come. 
December 2016 – June 2018 
Image ©МА