SAFT – photo by Michael Didonna c. 2006

The first time I heard the name of Tzadik label, it’s strange name intrigued me a lot. Later I figured out that, it was a figment of John Zorn’s imagination, and from then on I listened to many Tzadik releases, and I am now confident that I like most of their releases (although some are non-listenable).

This lil song here is not inaccessible at all, a modern Jewish jazz version by Zorn that opens the second book of the Masada project. Played beautifully by Jamie Saft on Piano, Greg Cohen (Masada, Ornette Coleman) on bass and Ben Perowsky (Uri Caine, John Scofield) on drums, the Tzadik label has been giving Jewish music a revamp through the last few years.

I am hooked on these melancholic chords and cinematic melodies. This is avant jazz at its best, and most accessible.