JOHN ZORN NEW MASADA QUARTET
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
John Zorn New Masada Quartet is billed at Village Vanguard. The bill identifies the performance as a quartet, but the supplied event information names no individual performers and gives no further detail about the evening: no guest, release, tribute, residency, or other program is specified. It takes place in the Vanguard's triangular basement room, where the stage sits at the point of the room before an audience of 123; tables spread outward from it, and portraits of jazz legends line the walls.
No background material on John Zorn New Masada Quartet accompanies the listing, so this billing does not establish where the group comes from, its personnel, musical approach, collaborators, recordings, or critical reception. The available information supports only the name on the bill and its quartet format. Rather than attach unverified history or reviews to the group, the listing leaves the performance itself as the available introduction to this particular engagement at the Village Vanguard alone.
A narrow basement staircase leads to a triangular room with a red curtain and a stage at the point, where musicians play for a small audience of 123. Tables open like spokes from the stage, and the walls hold portraits of jazz legends. The acoustics are excellent, and the only sound before the music begins is the hum of the room. No food is served, only drinks at a bar. Shows start at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., with seating beginning at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively. The atmosphere is focused entirely on the music, with silence requested before the concert begins.