When we once again asked an array of artists, writers, and musicians to share their reflections and birthday wishes on the occasion of John Zorn’s 70th birthday, a myriad of responses came flooding in that used various approaches to capture the essence of this vanguard music-maker. A celebrated improviser, experimenter, and genre-jumping producer, he’s become an icon of the New York downtown jazz and new music scenes, both for his own music and for the culture he’s helped foster through his label Tzadik, his venue, the Stone, and his Arcana series of music books. But as a mentor and friend, he’s welcomed new voices into his musical and spiritual communities, both in the US and overseas. To celebrate Zorn’s seventh decade, we present a three-part series in which we collect unfiltered well-wishes from over 70 collaborators, colleagues, and friends—from Osvaldo Golijov and Mary Halvorson to artist/designer Heung-Heung Chin—who weigh in on the many facets of this versatile artist’s life and work.
Osvaldo Golijov
Osvaldo Golijov is an Argentine composer of classical music
Kenny Grohowski
To John and all those who will read these words:
For the past 11 years, I have been fortunate enough to share in the creative universe that you have cultivated and established, a place where your artistic curiosities and inklings and the talents and voices of the musicians and artists you chose to surround yourself with could flourish and find their community, their people, and their homes, artistically. It is something so precious and special to be a part of, and to celebrate this milestone is the proverbial icing on the cake. Happiest of Birthdays, John, and thank you for sharing it with all of us! Here’s to what’s to come next!
Kenny Grohowski is a musician and composer
Petra Haden
I am truly privileged to have the opportunity to collaborate with John Zorn. In 2016 I did an album with Jesse Harris called “Seemed Like a Good Idea, Petra Haden Sings: Jesse Harris.” We recorded a song by John Zorn called “It Was Innocent.” The next thing I know, I'm working with him and Jesse on an album of songs written for me to sing. Not only do I love his sense of humor and kindness, but I’m so impressed with his ability to bring together musicians with different talents and styles to create beautiful music that is intricate and complex. That’s my favorite kind of music! Happy 70th Birthday, John! You add much-needed creativity and beauty to the world.
Petra Haden is a singer, composer, and violinist
Mary Halvorson
John Zorn at 70, wow. I’ve been a huge fan of his music since I first discovered it in college, and I can still remember participating in John’s 50 birthday celebration at the much-missed and long defunct Tonic in NYC: he gave me one of my first gigs in New York. His music has inspired so many generations of musicians, and has brought together entire communities of artists — through his Tzadik label, through both iterations of his club The Stone, through his famed improv nights, and through his insanely prolific body of work (he is a person I’d love to follow around for a day just to see how he manages to do everything he does… sometimes I suspect a stunt double). John is an encyclopedia of all types of music and art. His own music is impossible to pin down— a kaleidoscope of influences, yet always distinctly his. He has a deep knowledge of and passion for visual art, plus an insatiable love of food— John never fails to point me to all the best restaurants I’ve never heard of. He is one of my most cherished advice givers, and has that rare gift of saying just one sentence (always blunt, of course) that can transform the way you think about something. Happy 70, John. Here’s to many more!
Mary Halvorson is a guitarist, composer, and improviser
Hilary Hahn
John, you are my up-at-3-am-genius-rebel-cheerleader-wisdom-keeper-truth-teller-untethered-music-art-soul-inventor-inviter-connector-joy-bringer-emotion-catcher-all-seeing-emoji-painting friend, and I am so very grateful to share this era of history with you. Happy Birthday! ❤️✨👑🥳🧁❤️
Hilary Hahn is a violinist and community builder
Simon Hanes
John is a living reminder to everyone around him to question everything, and to always keep working, thinking and laboring to improve oneself. Every time we meet in the park to sit and discuss the important things in life (read: music & food) we end up discussing concepts which I didn't even know I could comprehend, and which stay with me for months afterward. Also - amazing movie recommendations from that guy, just out of this world.
Simon Hanes is a composer and bandleader living in NYC
Barbara Hannigan
John, you have changed my life for the better. Since we met back in 2015, you created a new path in my brain, heart, voice and body. Your music is in the BEYOND, and brings transcendence to your musicians and to our audiences. And, inseparable from your music is YOU, the inspiring leader. Your generosity of soul and spirit, your inspiring authenticity, your presence and support when we need you are just a few of the aspects which make you the lodestar for so many musicians and artists. I love you and I thank you, and I celebrate your life and this special day.
Barbara Hannigan is a singer and conductor
Jesse Harris
Dear Zorn, Happy 70th! A celebration of eternal youth! Thanks for all the great hangs, collaborations, music, and support. Here's to many more! Lots of love, Jesse
Jesse Harris is a songwriter, producer, guitarist and singer
Matt Hollenberg
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with John Zorn. It has been a true honor and a blessing in my life. Whenever I seek advice, I can always rely on him to provide genuine words of wisdom. His friendship, care, understanding, and empathy shine through in everything he does. Whether it’s his studio recordings, live performances, or compositions, his remarkable character and ethical qualities are evident. In a world that can often feel isolated, cold, and harsh, Zorn’s community has fostered a sense of true camaraderie among musicians. Together, they strive to offer their very best in service of art, music, and existence.
Matt Hollenberg is a composer, guitarist and bandleader
Lou Holtzman
John Zorn has been a wonderful friend and client for over 30 years. He has always been a total supporter of Eastside Sound Recording Studio. He is so talented and has always brought the most wonderful world musicians to my studio. During all those times of my 50 years with my Studio, John has been there supporting the studio and myself. I always would get a call. How am I doing? How’s the studio? What do you need? All I can say is he is a true artist who fills the room by his presence. The mold was broken the day he was born.
Lou Holtzman is the Founder of Eastside Sound, NYC
Heung-Heung Chin
Happy 70th Birthday, John. John Zorn is a very special person. There is much to say about him that will not all be described here. The very least one can say is that he is a true genius and friend who elevates each person’s life with his wisdom, companionship, and generosity. He really does seem to bring the best out of those he works with. This is because he was always true to himself and was never about impressing people. He listens, thinks and responds.
At a recent birthday lunch for a friend of his, he talked about authenticity and attachment. Which path does one choose? A combination? Happiness is a goal. It is freedom. How does one get and stay there? A supportive community/team can be one way to get there. He has surrounded himself with a fierce team of exceptional creatives.
I’ve always jokingly referred to him as the “Renaissance Man” because he writes and performs genius lifetimes of music, creates exceptional visual artwork, speaks many languages, knows much about film and literature, and more.
On graphic design: He is a great art director due to his keen eye for details, understanding of various aspects of the print world, and creative ideas/vision. When there is an issue, he has a solution. It has been thrilling, challenging and easy to work with him on all his projects since he is able to respond immediately with understanding.
One does not really have to explain how things will look, what a certain print process is, or why digital software issues exist since he has experience and knows there will always be change. When he looks at my messy comps, there is a trust that it will eventually look good. 222. This is crucial to our working relationship. He does not leave one hanging waiting days, weeks, months for a simple answer. He crafts his succinct messages with such erudition and proper timing. So professional, I love it! There is an expectation of high quality we all strive to achieve in design and manufacturing. This requires a very serious, knowledgeable and dedicated team who cares.
Some other aspects that will command your attention:
a) intelligent sense of humor
b) outstanding cooking skills
c) excellent choices in art/design/style
d) stories
e) appreciation of nature
f) word play
g) ability to be there to visit/help if need be
h) belief that every day is to be cherished and thought of as a gift
i) comics
j) daily messages of good morning, good afternoon, good night, hello, goodbye, haha, hehe, hmm…
Those are only some things trying to describe the iridescence of John Zorn. He is on a level with the angels. The twelfth of never.
Heung-Heung Chin is an artist/designer
Jon Irabagon
John Zorn has become a cherished friend and incredible mentor to me in the years since he asked me to play many of the Bagatelles back in 2015. We have laughed and literally cried in discussion of life, music, and personal growth. John is compassionate but always tells it like it is. He is a composer with an improviser’s mind. And he is both a wellspring of learned information and a spontaneous hang. John is a major inspiration to me and my art, with his enduring searches for perfection, loyalty, warmth, and self-challenge permeating throughout my life as a musician, father, and citizen. Thank you for everything, John! Happy birthday and here’s to 70 more.
Jon Irabagon is a saxophonist, composer, and bandleader
Pierre Joris
HOMAGE TO JOHN ZORN
I rarely, if ever, write about music or musicians, as I fear my abysmal ignorance and very unsteady ear doesn’t allow me deep or just accurate insights into that art form. And yet, and yet — asked to speak of/to John Zorn, I can’t say no. And my excuse is not only my profound admiration of and friendship with John, but primarily that Zorn is, yes, a musician, not only a major composer and an excellent alto-sax player, but so much more: for me he is the incarnation of the complete artist, ranging over most classical, jazz, ethnic, rock, punk, electronic etc. forms, as well as someone deeply read and appreciative of poetry and literature, from the Kabbalistic mysticism of his own Jewish tradition to the most advanced literary and composition theories of today. As an anthologist myself, I am of course in awe of his massive compilation, the 10-volume Arcana: Musicians on Music.
Though I had listened to Zorn’s music for some years already, we first met in the context of a celebratory event for the poet Paul Celan’s 100th birthday at the Jewish Museum here in New York City — and the music Zorn had composed for Celan and his poetry amazed and floored me through a rich complexity that indeed is close to my own understanding of those very features in Celan’s work. It was a major honor (and an immense pleasure) to be asked to perform some of my Celan translations in response to his compositions.
And it was slightly later, on the morning after we had been at a premiere of new works by Zorn, that my wife, Nicole Peyrafitte — pluridisciplinary artist and birder — said to me: “Funny I came across the lyrebird this morning. It resonates with what I felt about John Zorn’s composition yesterday. I guess JZ has something in common with the lyre bird!” She pointed me to a video of Richard Attenborough asking rhetorically what bird has the most elaborate, the most complex, the most beautiful song in the world? And he suggested that if there are a range of such birds, the lyrebird of South Australia is certainly one of them, commenting that he “sings the most complex song he can manage,” improving/extending his own song “by copying the songs of all the other birds around him,” while incorporating other sounds he hears in the forest, such as “a camera shutter, and now a camera with a motor drive… and that’s a car alarm… and now the sounds of foresters and their chain saws working nearby.” That collagist’s openness to other, foreign sounds coupled with the ability to join all those different sounds & genres of musical/noise elements into fresh and original compositions, is indeed a core trait of Zorn’s music.
I would like to propose the following thought as my best sense of Zorn’s greatness: If any one has successfully brought Wagner’s limited 19th century idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, it is Zorn. Except that he has updated that 19C vision, defusing the so dangerous idea of the one single masterwork or “Kunstwerk” supposed to encompass everything, the single “best” and perfect work and all the cultural and political dangers such a vision embraces and fosters, to move instead toward a stance of “Always the Many, Never the One,” if I may quote the title of a recent book of mine. This incredible richness comes through at a number of levels. First at that of the sheer quantity of individual works. Thus the first two of his Masada Books — his “project… to create something positive in the Jewish tradition, something that maybe takes the idea of Jewish music into the 21st century the way jazz developed from the teens and 1920s into the '40s, the '50s, the '60s and on” — consist of some 200+300=500 compositions! And second, at the level of the diverse, multiple genres his works approach, traverse, re-imagine, appropriate, combine (add whichever verb you choose). All of which makes Zorn’s work into one of the most brilliant showcases of what the final decades of the 20C and the first decades of this, our, century have to offer.
“Purity is the root of all evil,” has been a mantra of mine and years of listening to Zorn has only affirmed this insight. All culture is at any number of levels a matter of appropriation. All languages — and that includes music — are always already translations. Zorn’s cross-pollination of classical Euro-lingos with jazz, punk rock, electronics and every other possible (or impossible) manner of making sounds (not excluding the human voice saying/singing) is a vast, exhilarating, breathtaking exploration of all our givens to create new, open works exploring and mirroring the complexities and multiplicities of our worlds. Not only, however, mind-bending and breathtaking: I have never seen a band, from trio to big band, that simply had as much fun and showed as much pleasure to each other and to their audiences while playing than Zorn’s various ensembles. A pleasure that is contagious — just watch the joy of the audience as they smile and laugh happily when applauding at the end of a Zorn concert.
When I get to my desk early in the morning, my first decision is usually which music to start playing to enter the day. Break of day is core — and for a long time I would pick between two composers: Bach and Monk. For some years now that duo has morphed into a trio, as Zorn has shouldered his way in. What a treat to know that my day opens with either or all of these superb magicians.
Pierre Joris, Brooklyn, 23 July 2023
Pierre Joris is a poet, essayist, translator, and anthologist
Leila Josefowicz
Dearest John, wishing you the happiest of birthdays. You’ve given us, your loved ones and admirers, as well as the music world, the inspirational spark not only of a lifetime, but many lifetimes! May you continue to be the strongest voice of creativity and imagination for generations of composers and instrumentalists to come. What I love about you is that you care immensely about all of the right things- and not at all about the wrong things... I know you understand. You follow your own heartbeat and integrity of your own world only. You show us how to be true to oneself, and follow our own paths... it’s in our hands to courageously follow in your example! Love and light! - Leila
Leila Josefowicz is a violinist
Eyvind Kang
One time we walked up to Strand bookstore together. After some chatting and browsing, we went our own ways.
“I’ll be in philosophy,” I said.
“I’ll be in military.”
We had a good laugh at that time.
HBD Zorn! Xo Eyvind
Eyvind Kang is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist
KRAMER
John, you picked me up when I was down (more than just once), and you right'd my ship when it went off course. But most vitally, you blessed me with an uninterrupted friendship that has lasted 45 years. That’s right, old Friend. You first brought me into your merry band of madmen in 1978, and I wouldn't be the human being I am today without your guidance and selfless camaraderie. I love you, Pops, and I look forward to writing notes like this one when you turn 80, 90, and 100. See you at Cafe Mogador! I'll be at the tiniest table in the corner by the back wall, as always.
KRAMER is a musician/composer/filmmaker and record producer, and the founder of Shimmy-Disc (the NYC record label that released the very first Naked City recordings, Torture Garden)
Daniel Kuehnel
My meaningful pal in New York
To a great degree and extent, we are all being defined by those who are our friends. And romantic me always wanted to have a pal in New York.
New Masada’s first concert in Germany was presented by the Lausitz Festival in autumn 2021, and I went to see them, together with legendary classical pianist Martha Argerich, who had decided to stay around after her concert for the occasion.
John, Julian, Jorge and Kenny came out and immediately, with absolutely no pleasantries or other warnings, started to play, as if they had never stopped since their last performance. I remember Martha sitting next to me, shaking her head in disbelief, whispering a mesmerized “no bullshit, huh!” three minutes into the show; we were all tied to our seats wishing they would go on forever.
We went out for dinner after the performance, before the quartet flew back home (yes, John did get his Schnitzel…), and the conversation we had stayed with me, and will probably do so for the rest of my life. That evening I understood: John is the most exact, meticulous and intelligent listener anyone would ever meet. He hears you. He hears you most precisely! It can be scary at times. For many musicians it must be, I suppose. But to me, the conversation that evening was a gift to cherish for life.
Three days later, it was Yom Kippur, and John had returned home. He took time to write to me, thanking me and wishing me a meaningful fast. And he signed the message with the words “your pal in New York.”
First time in many years, I did fast.
First time ever, it was meaningful.
And romantic me had it in writing, too…
Happy Birthday, my dear, dear and so meaningful pal in New York! May I prove worthy of your trust.
Daniel Kuehnel is CEO of the Hamburg Symphony and Founder and artistic director of the Lausitz Festival
Marc Levin
John Zorn is my dear friend. He is also the most “fiercely independent” artist I know. We share that zeal but he has blazed much more of an original trail than I. John and I have discussed the source of his fierce independence many times over our biannual breakfast at Veselka. He says he read somewhere that it’s trauma that produces that drive to be fiercely independent. He says he can pinpoint that moment in his life. He was 6 years old and his family was driving back to their home. He fell asleep in the back seat and woke up alone in the car. Abandoned. He got out and knocked on the front door. His mother answered and laughed, and called for her husband to come see who was at the door. He was traumatized.
John has played jazz, new age, fusion, world, rock, classical, experimental - but he is a total original. He is the essential uncompromising true artist in age of faux art and fake masters. John is the real thing, a brilliant musician, composer, conductor, entrepreneur, and most important human being. He has resisted all labels, transcended all categories and defined his own genre and movement. If anyone can lay claim to the lyric, “I did it my way” it’s John.
He has been a dear friend, a fantastic collaborator and an inspiration. It's easy to lose one’s way trying to be an artist living an honest honorable creative life. John has shown the way and proved it's possible even in this new brave world of digital decay, social media, virtual reality, fake news and artificial intelligence.
His spiritual journey has led him from the Zen of the east to the mysticism of Kabballah. I told him about a recent interview I filmed with Elaine Pagels author of Gnostic Gospel and he emailed me his recent “Gnosis: The Inner Light.” His music can go from wonderfully sublime to shrieking and chaotic. But it is all connected by his indomitable creative drive to remain fiercely independent.
It’s hard to believe John is 70 because his indefatigable creativity and undiminished curiosity exude the joy and wonder of eternal youth. Seven decades is not enough to contain his oeuvre. In genesis on the 7th day God rested. But I have a feeling that as John's 7th decade dawns there will be no rest. He is relentless and determined to make more music, break new barriers, explore new terrain. His fierce independence has at times rubbed some the wrong way. For in the grand Jewish tradition John is both a mensch and a meshugganah at times.
For me he remains a dear comrade in the eternal struggle to keep it real, find meaning in the madness, all while trying to make the world a better place. He is also my lodestar, the living truth of uncompromising authenticity and art.
Happy Birthday brother John, welcome to the Seventies - my mantra “maintain the plane.”
Sending much love, baruch ha shem
Marc Levin is an independent filmmaker
Dave Lombardo
Happy 70th Birthday to my friend, mentor and inspiration. The musician that by example helped me overcome all musical fears and hurdles. After first meeting Zorn, and in doing a deep dive into his discography, my personal artistry and direction were firmly put into perspective. I realized I had not done nearly enough to truly contribute to the world of music. He brought out my ability to improvise and put it at the forefront. He taught me how to embrace and nurture that gift.
Collaborating with Zorn is like taking a vitamin for creativity, every moment a musical cleanse. His devotion to his art is one to live by. A small example… Immediately after our performance at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC, I asked him what his plans were for the rest of the evening. John said, “I’m going home to write.” While the rest of us scattered to social gatherings or home to relax after a successful night, he felt inspired by the evening and wanted to capture that. So simple, but for me a perfect example of his passion.
I recently discovered the great talent of Laurie Anderson by stumbling across some of her videos late one night. To my surprise, in one in one of the videos, there was John chatting with Laurie and Lou Reed. I was a bit caught off guard, but as I’ve learned throughout the years and told him in that moment, “All roads lead to Zorn” It’s an honor to know you and celebrate you, my friend. Happy Birthday!!!
David Lombardo is a Cuban-American drummer
Koichi Makigami
I am a musician and a poet, but I used to be a stage actor.
I first became acquainted with John Zorn in 1987 at Tsukiji Hongwanji in the performance of the chamber opera Ka /Fu /Ka.
I was an actor and John played sax.
At that time, John lived in Tokyo and New York half and half .
I went to New York in 1974 and performed at the La Mama Theater for a performance by a Japanese theater company, and suffered many setbacks. After that, I was too scared to go to New York.
Someday I knew that John was familiar with Japanese popular songs, so I asked him to produce my album project which we recorded in a studio in Manhattan.
I went down to Manhattan for the first time in 18 years to record the album “Koroshino Blues,” in which I sing covers of Japanese popular songs.
I met a total of 60 musicians there and learned about John’s sincere approach to music.
I saw Richard Foreman’s play “Mind King” when there was no recording, and was so impressed that he took him to Richard Foreman’s house the next day.
I saw Harry Smith movies and went to the site of Jack Smith’s estate collection.
He was able to get to know the realities and ideas of the deep culture rooted in New York.
Since then, I have been going to New York every year for 30 years.
At John’s suggestion, he released a solo voice album on Tzadik, which gave me access to various music festivals.
He is a genius among geniuses who is involved in the lives of many musicians with his amazing decisiveness.
John’s influence on the Japanese music scene is immeasurable. Of course, in the world music scene too.
I am grateful to be living in the same era as him.
Happy 70th birthday to his dearest friend John Zorn.
Koichi Makigami is a Japanese musician, poet, and former stage actor
Brian Marsella
I have known John for about 15 years. And 15 years in John’s world are more like 50 years for most people! John has become a dear friend and my heart is full of gratitude and love for him. He lives life with full integrity, heart, passion, and dedication. That extends to everything he does from cooking, conversing, hanging, composing, improvising, writing and drawing. He is a rare and beautiful soul. A true blessing in my life and all those whose lives he’s touched. And he’s touched an entire community- one that he has cultivated and nurtured- and the world at large. We have made so much music together, and every moment has moved me closer to being me. Such transcendent, exciting, soulful and magical music. Thanks John for all the risks you’ve encouraged me to take. Thanks for introducing me to my future wife. Happiest 70th to you! I wish you abundance, prosperity, peace, and love always.
Brian Marsella is a pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator
Christian McBride
It has been a thrill and an honor to be a part of John Zorn’s world. I first discovered him in the 80's. I don’t even remember exactly how, but I quickly learned that this man was a New York legend. I’m sure I read something about him in either Down Beat or Jazz Times, which was a newspaper back then. The year I graduated from high school and moved to New York City (1989), I had two distinct John Zorn moments - seeing him on David Sanborn’s late night show, Night Music and hearing his Spy vs. Spy album. I knew it was only a matter of time before I got to see and experience this man up close.
Once I finally got to New York and tried to engulf myself into as much music as I possibly could, I became part of a scene known as The Young Lions. By some critics and musicians assessments, we were known as some sort of young, neo-classicist, MAGA musicians. Skilled, but not very creative. We were supposedly anti-anything that wasn’t “swinging.” Maybe a few of us felt that way, but I never subscribed to that in a fraternity sort of way. I simply wanted to be a part of as many “scenes” as possible. I like learning from anyone and everyone. But, as omnipresent as John was around New York, we didn't officially cross paths until 2012. Sick to think that it took 23 years from the time I moved to NYC for us to finally make some music together.
I was asked by Patricia and William Parker to participate in a benefit concert for their foundation, Arts for Art. The band would be Henry Grimes, Roy Campbell and John Zorn. I was beyond excited to improvise with these legends. After the performance, I went to John and told him what a thrill it was to meet him and play with him and expressed my honest excitement about playing with him again. He seemed pleasantly surprised. I totally understood why. I was part of the Young Lions. I was a Ray Brown protege. Wynton Marsalis was a mentor and big brother. There was NO way I’d be interested in playing with John Zorn, right? I probably shouldn’t have even known about his music. But it was an honest sentiment about wanting to play with him. Almost immediately, I was granted entry into the Zorn World. There have been numerous projects of his that I’ve been honored to be a part of. Here we are 11 years after we first collaborated, and I’m still looking forward to digging deeper into his hyper-creative, hyper-active brain. There’s so much about this amazing cat I still have yet to discover.
All I can say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY MAN!! You are one special person and thank you for granting me entry into your amazing world!
Christian McBride is a bassist, composer, and John Zorn fan
John McVicker
John and I met at college, where we became dear friends, friends whose heart connection has stretched across continents and decades. Over 50 years, aerogrammes and letters have morphed into emails and texts (better for multimedia, I guess). However, our heart connection has remained steady and nourishing in spite of our lack of more frequent meetings in the concrete world.
I totally love the way our communication goes deep so very quickly when we have the chance. In those depths, I find myself thanks to John enriched, strengthened, and able to find all sorts of cool new ways of listening, looking, and of course thinking about all sorts of stuff. And there’s always a bit of magic to it. Back in the day, for example, I wanted to find out how, in a student performance of his music, he’d gotten a classmate, a musician without much interest in jazz, to play in a way that approximated the sound of some of John Coltrane’s work. I remember him grinning and breaking down for me, in layman’s terms, what he’d asked the guy to do to get the sound he wanted. Magic!
A more recent example... This year, 2023 CE, my wife Wendy and I were able to drive to Tennessee and attend a series of musical events, pieces introduced by John and featuring many members of his circle of musicians. The event filled a theater for two-plus days of his music. Fabulous. Transcendent. Exhausting for the man, I’m sure. Yet somehow John managed to carve our an hour to sit down and talk with Wendy and me.
And what a talk it was! After hugs all around and a minute of ‘How was your trip,’ sort of stuff, things got deep. We talked about childhoods that had shaped our visions as artists (I make pictures & Wendy’s a poet). We talked about how one best serves one’s muse. We talked about how artists need to tap into their personal resources of honesty, bravery, and imagination, and how these resources need to be honed/nurtured/served by craft. Then we said our goodbyes, hugged again, and John rushed off to a rehearsal.
We spent a surprising part of our trip back to Ohio talking about that conversation, trying to sort out what the implications of these ideas might be for our own practice. Our time talking with John had been fun. It had been stimulating. It had been downright inspirational! It had been, in short, a typical visit with John, filled with ideas and leaving me bubbling.
We got home from our trip to discover disaster - my computer had died. ‘Kernel Panic’ was the term the technicians used, but after some work they managed to restore a lot of the files on the machine…but the last two and a half years of my digital artwork was now lost - definitely a bummer, as in the last few years, I’d set aside most of my painting projects as I discovered the layered world of digital editing.
So (after a week or so of pouting), I went out to the room where I paint, looked at an abandoned canvas on my easel, and was able to channel some of that conversation that John, Wendy, and I had shared a few weeks before. Thanks in large part to John’s vision of how things work, that canvas is now back on track, as are a couple of its siblings. (see illustration)
In these circumstances, a happy dose of John’s music heard at the fest and still resonating, together with the energy of his imagination, clear thinking, love, and positivity are things that have kept me on the trail of my muse. As usual. Thanks, John.
John McVicker is a visual artist
John Medeski
Zorn!
Damn glad you were born!
Endless gratitude for being part of your musical universe and even more for your friendship. One of the true blessings of my life.
Your artistic integrity and dedication to the community are infinitely inspiring. Can’t wait for everything still to come.
Love always, John
John Medeski is a keyboardist and a founder of Medeski Martin & Wood
Join John Zorn in person on September 9, 2023 at the Walker for a 70th birthday celebration with a 12-hour immersive festival featuring 20 key musical collaborators. Taking place across multiple venues—ranging from the Walker galleries, McGuire Theater, and the Basilica of Saint Mary—this one-of-a-kind marathon brings together Zorn and major figures such as guitarists Bill Frisell and Julian Lage, keyboardist John Medeski, the Jack String Quartet, as well as percussionists Ches Smith, Kenny Wollesen, and Sae Hashimoto.
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