Zion80 

 

Among the galaxy of musicians who play John Zorn's music, the band of guitarist Jon Madof Zion80 occupies a special place in our hearts. Listened to live, they fill the space with soul, energy and a cosmic sense of great music. We were surprised when a few years ago Madof and company decided to record an album outside of John Zorn’s Tzadik label. But the result was so interesting that we said to ourselves, let's see what musicians accustomed to Zorn's perfectionism will do, released by the "grip" of his genius.

The original album Warriors was released in 2017 on Chant Records. The music that Madof and company play is an incredibly warm mix of Jewish themes and Latin motifs - somewhere between traditional Jewish music, jazz, Latin rhythms, African music and the spirit of Ethiopia combined with the avant-garde - a rich environment for improvisation and partying. And this year the band decided to release a remixed version of the original Warriors album, which caught our attention again.

Let's say two words about the participants - besides Jon Madof himself on guitars, our favorites Shanir Blumenkrantz on bass, Brian Marsella on keyboards, Kenny Grohowski appears on the drums, and a number of "star" musicians have fun making different music. On the other hand, the main "weapon" of the group is the strong brass section, which creates its own stories in each play and is distributed as a last resort. We also add percussion to complete the sound. This leads us to a completely unique sound - dense, lively and playful. This is how it seems to us at first reading. But the more one immerses oneself in the band's music, the more one realizes how much work there is underneath.

You will hear a very strong afro-beat sound and original musician transitions in the few pieces that include both the original EP and the remix version. Optimism and positivism. Putting all the skills and knowledge in a warm, cozy, fun game that can only be played by master virtuosos. That's how it is. And we gladly enjoy the result and openly dance in the summer evenings in the whirlwind of this feast. The bottom line is that after a life dedicated to the pursuit of perfection, it somehow makes sense to create an easy-to-listen sound full of simplicity woven from small intricate steps.

This is the main reason why we have infinite respect and always, in case, try to follow musicians of such rank. Everyday work and deep diving into the matter on their part make everything seem somehow natural and make every listener fall in love with their music.

Enjoy listening to the Zion80 today in a few examples. Of course, you will find their music across all digital platforms.

Zion80 - Wandering Stone
Zion80 - Holy Brother
Zion80 - Pardes
Zion80 - Holy Brother RMX

August 2021

Photo © MA