Composer: John Zorn.

Personnel: Marc Ribot, Tim Sparks, Bill Frisell (guitar).

Arrangers: Bill Frisell; Marc Ribot; Tim Sparks.

John Zorn has long maintained that Masada is more a collection of songs than a band, and he's asked a bunch of friends for their interpretations as part of Masada's tenth anniversary, the first release being Masada Guitars. Those expecting an electric romp through the Masada songbook might be disappointed; Masada Guitars consists entirely of solo, mostly acoustic performances. Preconceptions aside, this is a beautiful album. Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell, and Tim Sparks each bring their own voice to these tunes: Sparks with his rich fingerpicking, Ribot coming from his classical guitar background, and Bill Frisell with his unmistakable ethereal tone. The performances are closer to the Circle Maker or Bar Khokba recordings than the "Masada Band" proper -- beautiful readings, generally without the pyrotechnics the band can produce even on a slower tune. Somewhat surprisingly, it's Frisell who turns in the only remotely "out" material, bringing out his delay to color his tunes and getting into some demented skronk and fun on both "Katzatz" and "Kochot." Sparks' renditions on steel string acoustic sound very similar to his previous Tzadik album, Neshamah. Marc Ribot's playing on what sounds like a nylon-string classical guitar might surprise some folks who are unaware of his classical background (he studied with Frantz Casseus), yet you can still hear elements of his playing style come through.

Just as Circle Maker and Bar Khokba showed a different side to these melodies, so it is with Masada Guitars. With literally dozens of songs in the Masada book and almost as many talented friends, Zorn could be mining these tunes for years to come. ~ Sean Westergaard

It is not overstatement to say that any project associated with John Zorn's Masada ensemble, an acoustic jazz quartet that marries Klezmer themes to free-jazz adventurousness, is worth hearing, and will most likely be excellent. This is certainly the case with this album of solo guitar performances of Zorn's Masada compositions. The pieces showcase the virtuoso skills of three of modern music's most individual six-string talents: Bill Frisell, Tim Sparks, and Marc Ribot, each of whom take turns offering meticulous, passionate readings of Zorn's charts.

Interestingly, there are few of the "outside" tendencies that characterize both the Masada quartet and the trademark styles of the guitarists. Ribot's jagged skronk and Frisell's familiar shower of guitar effects, for example, are few and far between (Frisell's fragmented electronics romp on "Katzatz" is an exception). Instead, the presentation is largely acoustic and remarkably straightforward, with each performance approximating the precision and studied grace of a classical recital. Nearly every track is superb, with Sparks's dizzying metrics on "Ravayah" and Frisell's exquisitely delicate "Elilah" among the highlights. Apart from the stunning musicianship, one has to marvel at the force and sophistication of Zorn's writing. This unique and gorgeous music should appeal to a wide range of listeners.