Summary
The Big Gundown is the third studio album by American composer and saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist John Zorn. It comprises radically reworked covers of tracks by the Italian film composer Ennio Morricone.
| The Big Gundown | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by John Zorn | ||||
| Released | 1986 (2000 - 15th Anniversary Edition) | |||
| Recorded | 1984-1985 | |||
| Genre | Avant-garde jazz[1] | |||
| Length | 49:27 (74:54 - 15th Anniversary Edition) | |||
| Label | Nonesuch/Icon, Tzadik | |||
| Producer | Yale Evelev | |||
| John Zorn chronology | ||||
| ||||
| 15th Anniversary Special Edition | ||||
 | ||||
The album is named after a 1966 Spaghetti Western of the same name, directed by Sergio Sollima, starring Lee Van Cleef, and scored by Morricone. The album was first released in 1985 on the Nonesuch/Icon label. In 2000 a remastered 15th Anniversary Edition with additional tracks was released on CD on Zorn's Tzadik Records label.[2]
In 1985 Zorn had been working in New York City's experimental music scene for almost a decade (the album was originally to be called "Once Upon a Time in the Lower East Side"), but The Big Gundown launched him to wider prominence. In the notes for the 2000 reissued CD, Zorn describes The Big Gundown as representing a creative breakthrough as well for being the first time he worked extensively with multi-track recording, overdubbing and ornate orchestration. Though his main instrument is alto sax, Zorn did not play on most tracks, adding only a few touches of piano, game calls, harpsichord or musical saw.
Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Penguin Guide to Jazz | 👑 [4] |
| Spin | (favorable)[5] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10[6] |
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 41⁄2 stars stating "There are certainly no dull moments on this often-riotous program".[7]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its suggested "Core Collection" and awarded it a "crown", calling it "utterly remarkable in every way and one of the essential records of the '80s".[1]
The Rolling Stone review by Steve Futterman was less enthusiastic, and Futterman stated, "Despite high-spirited contributions from a first rate cast, Zorn's tentative and analytical remakes tend to bleed Morricone's high drama and joyous kitschiness dry".[8]
Track listing edit
- "The Big Gundown" - 7:26
- "Peur sur la Ville" - 4:16
- "Poverty (Once Upon a Time in America)" - 3:49
- "Milano Odea" - 3:02
- "Erotico (The Burglars)" - 4:27
- "Battle of Algiers" - 3:50
- "Giu la Testa (Duck You Sucker!)" - 6:06
- "Metamorfosi (La Classe Operaia Va In Paradiso)" - 4:37
- "Tre nel 5000" - 4:37
- "Once Upon a Time in the West" - 8:44
- The album was re-released and remastered in 2000, with six newly recorded tracks:
- 11. "The Sicilian Clan" - 3:20
- 12. "Macchie Solari" - 3:29
- 13. "The Ballad of Hank McCain" - 5:27
- 14. "Svegliatti & Uccidi" 3:03
- 15. "Chi Mai" - 3:06
- 16. "The Ballad of Hank McCain (instrumental)" - 5:28
- All compositions by Ennio Morricone except "Tre nel 5000" by John Zorn
Personnel edit
- Orvin Aquart – harmonica
- Cyro Baptista – cuíca
- Joey Baron - drums
- Tim Berne – alto saxophone
- Laura Biscotto – sexy Italian vocals
- Vicki Bodner – oboe, English horn
- Polly Bradfield – violin
- Anthony Coleman – piano, harpsichord, organ, vocals
- Trevor Dunn - bass guitar
- Carol Emanuel – harp
- Reinaldo Fernandes – repinique
- Anton Fier – drums
- Duduka Da Fonseca – caixa
- Bill Frisell – electric guitar
- Fred Frith – electric guitar, bass guitar
- Diamanda Galás – vocals
- Melvin Gibbs – electric bass guitar
- Jody Harris – electric guitar
- Shelley Hirsch – vocals
- Wayne Horvitz – piano, celeste, electronic keyboards
- Bob James – tapes
- Guy Klucevsek – accordion
- Arto Lindsay – batucada contractor, electric guitar, vocals
- Christian Marclay – turntables
- Mark Miller – drums, timpani
- Big John Patton – organ
- Mike Patton - vocals
- Bobby Previte – drums, percussion, timpani, vocals
- Robert Quine – electric guitar
- Vernon Reid – electric guitar
- Ned Rothenberg – shakuhachi, ocarina, jaw harp
- Michihiro Sato – tsugaru shamisen
- Luli Shioi – vocals
- Claudio Silva – pandeiro
- Jorge Silva – surdo
- Jim Staley – trombone, bass trombone
- Toots Thielemans – whistling, harmonica
- David Weinstein – Mirage, microcomputer
- John Zorn – alto saxophone, saw, vocals, harpsichord, game calls, piano
- Martin Bisi - extra recording/engineering
References edit
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006) [1992]. "John Zorn". The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th. ed.). New York: Penguin. pp. 1410. ISBN 0-14-102327-9.
- ^ Tzadik catalogue
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Overview:The Big Gundown". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
- ^ "Penguin Guide to Jazz: 4-Star Records in 8th Edition". Tom Hull. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ "Spin-offs". Spin. 2 (12): 33. March 1987. ISSN 0886-3032.
- ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 450.
- ^ Yanow, S. [ AllMusic Review] accessed July 22, 2011
- ^ Futterman, S., "Records: The Big Gundown", Rolling Stone, Issue 498, April 23, 1987, pp 152