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Drawing on his experience in a variety of genres including jazz,
rock, hardcore punk, classical, klezmer, film, cartoon, popular and improvised
music, John Zorn has created an influential body of work that defies academic
categories. A native of New York City, he has been a central figure in
the downtown scene since 1975, incorporating a wide range of musicians
in various compositional formats. He learned alchemical synthesis from
Harry Smith, structural ontology with Richard Foreman, how to make art
out of garbage with Jack Smith, cathartic expression at Sluggs and hermetic
intuition from Joseph Cornell. Early inspirations include American innovators
Ives, Varese, Cage, Carter and Partch, the European tradition of Berg,
Stravinsky, Boulez and Kagel, soundtrack composers Herrmann, Morricone
and Stalling as well as avant-garde theater, film, art and literature. |