John Zorn discography explained
John Zorn appears on over 400 recordings as a composer or performer. This is a selection of recordings released under his name, bands he was/is part of, collaborations with other musicians, and significant albums to which he has contributed. The year indicates when the album was first released and any subsequent years if the following release included additional material.
John Zorn
The Parachute Years
See also: The Parachute Years.
Recordings originally recorded or released between 1977 and 1981. Grouped in 1997 box set and then issued separately in 2000.
The Classic Guide to Strategy
Cobra performances & other game pieces
With Naked City
With Painkiller
Filmworks series
With Masada
Composer Series and 21st Century Concert Music
Masada String Trio
See also: Masada (band) and Masada.
Bar Kokhba Sextet
See also: Masada (band).
Music Romance series
With Hemophiliac
See also: Hemophiliac (band).
Masada Anniversary series
50th Birthday Celebration series
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 1 (by Masada String Trio, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 2 (by Milford Graves/John Zorn, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 3 (by Locus Solus, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 4 (by Electric Masada, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 5 (by Fred Frith/John Zorn, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 6 (by Hemophiliac, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 7 (by Masada, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 8 (by Wadada Leo Smith/Susie Ibarra/John Zorn, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 9: The Classic Guide to Strategy Volume Three (by John Zorn, 2004)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 10 (by Yamataka Eye/John Zorn, 2005)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 11 (by Bar Kokhba Sextet, 2005) 3 CD
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 12 (by Painkiller, 2005)
With Electric Masada
See also: Masada (band).
Masada Book Two - The Book of Angels
- (by Jamie Saft Trio, 2005)
- (by Masada String Trio, 2005)
- (by Mark Feldman & Sylvie Courvoisier, 2006)
- (by Koby Israelite, 2006)
- (by The Cracow Klezmer Band, 2006)
- (by Uri Caine, 2006)
- (by Marc Ribot, 2007)
- (by Erik Friedlander, 2007)
- (by Secret Chiefs 3, 2008)
- (by Bar Kokhba Sextet, 2008)
- (by Medeski, Martin and Wood, 2008)
- (by Masada Quintet featuring Joe Lovano, 2009)
- (by Mycale, 2010)
- (by The Dreamers, 2010)
- (by Ben Goldberg Quartet, 2010)
- (by Masada String Trio, 2010)
- (by Banquet of the Spirits, 2011)
- (by David Krakauer, 2012)
- (by Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, 2012)
- (by Pat Metheny, 2013)
- (by Eyvind Kang, 2014)
- (by Zion80, 2014)
- Aguares: Book of Angels Volume 23 (by Roberto Juan Rodríguez, 2014)
- Amon: Book of Angels Volume 24 (by Klezmerson, 2015)
- Gomory: Book of Angels Volume 25 (by Mycale, 2015)
- Cerberus: Book of Angels Volume 26 (by The Spike Orchestra, 2015)
- (by Flaga, 2016)
- Andras: Book of Angels Volume 28 (by Nova Express Quintet, 2016)
- Flauros: Book of Angels Volume 29 (by AutorYno, 2016)
- Leonard: Book of Angels Volume 30 (by Garth Knox and The Saltarello Trio, 2017)
- Buer: Book of Angels Volume 31 (by The Brian Marsella Trio, 2017)
- Paimon: Book of Angels Volume 32 (by Mary Halvorson Quartet, 2017)
- CD1 - Keter (by Sofia Rei & JC Maillard)
- CD2 - Chokhma (by Cleric)
- CD3 - Binah (by The Spike Orchestra)
- CD4 - Chesed (by Julian Lage & Gyan Riley)
- CD5 - Gevurah (by Abraxas)
- CD6 - Tiferet (by Klezmerson)
- CD7 - Netzach (by The Gnostic Trio)
- CD8 - Hod (by Zion80)
- CD9 - Yesod (by Banquet of the Spirits)
- CD10 - Malkhut (by Secret Chiefs 3)
- CD11 - Da'at (by Craig Taborn & Vadim Neselovskyi)
New Masada Quartet
- New Masada Quartet (2021)
- New Masada Quartet, Volume Two (2023)
- New Masada Quartet, Volume Three (2024)
Moonchild
The Dreamers
Nova Express
The Gnostic Trio
Alhambra
The Hermetic Organ
- The Hermetic Organ (2012)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 2 - St. Paul's Chapel (2014)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 3 - St. Paul's Hall, Huddersfield (2015)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 4 - St. Bart's (2016)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 5 - Philharmonie De Paris (2017)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 6 - For Edgar Allan Poe (2019)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 7 - St. John the Divine (2019)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 8 - For Antonin Artaud (2019)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 9 - Liber VII (2022)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 10 - Bozar, Brussels (2022)
- The Hermetic Organ Vol. 11 - For Terry Riley (2024)
- The Hermetic Organ vol. 12 - The Bosch Requiem (2024)
- The Hermetic Organ vol. 13 - Biennale Musica Venezia (2024)
Abraxas
See also: Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz.
- (2012)
- Psychomagia (2014)
- Masada Book Three - The Book Beri'ah - Gevurah: Severity (2018)
Enigmata
Simulacrum
- Simulacrum (2015)
- The True Discoveries of Witches and Demons (feat. Trevor Dunn & Marc Ribot, 2015)
- Inferno (2015)
- The Painted Bird (feat. Ches Smith & Kenny Wollesen, 2016)
- 49 Acts Of Unspeakable Depravity In The Abominable Life And Times Of Gilles De Rais (2016)
- The Garden Of Earthly Delights (feat. Trevor Dunn, 2017)
- Beyond Good And Evil—Simulacrum Live (2020)
- Baphomet (2020)
- Nostradamus: The Death Of Satan (2021)
- Spinoza (feat. Bill Frisell & John Zorn, 2022)
Insurrection
- Insurrection (2018)
- Salem, 1692 (2018)
Chaos Magick
- Chaos Magick (Nothing Is True — Everything Is Permitted) (2021)
- The Ninth Circle (Orpheus In The Underworld) (2021)
- Multiplicities: A Repository Of Non-Existent Objects (2022)
- 444 (2023)
- Parrhesiastes (2023)
- Through The Looking Glass (2025)
- Midsummer Moons (2017)
- Masada Book Three - The Book Beri'ah - Chesed: Loving Kindness (2018)
- John Zorn's Bagatelles Vol. 10 (2022)
- Quatrain (2023)
- Her Melodious Lay (2024)
Julian Lage / Gyan Riley / Bill Frisell
- Nove Cantici Per Francesco D'Assisi (2019)
- Virtue (2020)
- Teresa De Avila (2021)
- Parables (2021)
- A Garden of Forking Paths (2022)
- Nothing Is As Real As Nothing (2023)
- Lamentations (2024)
Brian Marsella Trio
- Buer: Book of Angels Volume 31 (2017)
- The Hierophant (2019)
- Calculus (2020)
- Meditations on the Tarot (2021)
- John Zorn's Bagatelles Vol. 6 (2022)
Brian Marsella / Jorge Roeder / Ches Smith
- Suite for Piano (2022)
- The Fourth Way (2023)
- Ballades (2024)
- Ou Phrontis (2024)
Incerto
- Incerto (2022)
- Multiplicities II: A Repository Of Non-Existent Objects (2023)
- Full Fathom Five (2023)
- Homenaje A Remedios Varo (2023)
John Zorn's Bagatelles
Set One (2021)
- Vol 1 (by Mary Halvorson Quartet)
- Vol 2 (by Erik Friedlander and Michael Nicolas)
- Vol 3 (by Trigger)
- Vol 4 (by Ikue Mori)
Set Two (2021)
- Vol 5 (by Kris Davis Quartet)
- Vol 6 (by Brian Marsella Trio)
- Vol 7 (by Brian Marsella)
- Vol 8 (by John Medeski Trio)
Set Three (2022)
- Vol 9 (by Asmodeus)
- Vol 10 (by Julian Lage & Gyan Riley)
- Vol 11 (by Jim Black Quartet)
- Vol 12 (by Cleric)
Set Four (2023)
- Vol 13 (by Speed-Irabagon Quartet with John Zorn)
- Vol 14 (by Peter Evans)
- Vol 15 (by Ben Goldberg 4)
- Vol 16 (by Sam Eastmond)
John Zorn's Olympiad
- Dither Plays Zorn – Volume 1 (by Dither, 2015)
- Fencing 1978 – Volume 2 (2022)
- Pops Plays Pops-Eugene Chadbourne Plays The Book Of Heads – Volume 3 (2022)
Album collaborations
- School (by Eugene Chadbourne & John Zorn, 1978)
- In Memory of Nikki Arane (by Eugene Chadbourne & John Zorn, 1980)
- Yankees (by John Zorn, Derek Bailey, & George E. Lewis, 1983)
- Deadly Weapons (by Steve Beresford, John Zorn, Tonie Marshall & David Toop, 1986)
- Voodoo (by the Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet - Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Bobby Previte and Ray Drummond, 1986)
- News for Lulu (by John Zorn, Bill Frisell & George E. Lewis, 1988)
- More News for Lulu (by John Zorn, Bill Frisell & George E. Lewis, 1992)
- Improvised Music New York 1981 (by Bill Laswell, Sonny Sharrock, Fred Frith, Derek Bailey, Charles K. Noyes & John Zorn, 1992)
- The Art of Memory (by John Zorn & Fred Frith, 1994 - reissued in 1999)
- Zohar (by The Mystic Fugu Orchestra (John Zorn & Yamataka Eye), 1995)
- Nani Nani (by John Zorn & Yamataka Eye, 1995)
- Harras (by Derek Bailey, John Zorn, & William Parker 1996)
- Euclid's Nightmare (by John Zorn & Bobby Previte 1997)
- Weird Little Boy (by Weird Little Boy - John Zorn, Trey Spruance, William Winant, Mike Patton and Chris Cochrane, 1998)
- Downtown Lullaby (by John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Elliott Sharp, & Bobby Previte, 1998)
- 1977 1981 (by Eugene Chadbourne & John Zorn, 1998)
- Prelapse (by Prelapse, 1999)
- Ars Longa Dens Brevis (by Fred Frith, Onnyk & Toyozumi Yoshisaburo & John Zorn, 2000, recorded live in 1985 & 1987)
- Buck Jam Tonic (by Tatsuya Nakamura, Bill Laswell, & John Zorn, 2003)
- Naninani II (by John Zorn & Yamataka Eye, 2004)
- (by John Zorn, Dave Douglas, Mike Patton, Bill Laswell, Rob Burger, & Ben Perowsky, 2006)
- (by John Zorn, Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson, 2008)
- The Art of Memory II (by John Zorn & Fred Frith, 2008)
- Late Works (by John Zorn & Fred Frith, 2010)
- The Receiving Surfaces (by John Zorn and Rova Saxophone Quartet, 2011)
- "@" (by John Zorn and Thurston Moore, 2013)
- The Dream Membrane (by David Smith, Bill Laswell and John Zorn, 2014)
- Sonic Rivers (by George E. Lewis, Wadada Leo Smith and John Zorn, 2014)
- Blink (by Yoko Ono & John Zorn, single-sided 10-inch, 2015)
- Songs for Petra (John Zorn / Jesse Harris, 2020)
- Shinjuku Pit Inn (by Soup with John Zorn)
- The Cleansing (John Zorn & Bill Laswell, 2022)
- Memoria (John Zorn & Bill Laswell, 2023)
- Love Songs Live (John Zorn / Jesse Harris, 2024)
Albums featured
- Lowe & Behold (by The Frank Lowe Orchestra featuring Joseph Bowie, Butch Morris, Arthur Williams, Billy Bang, Polly Bradfield, Eugene Chadbourne, John Lindberg, Phillip Wilson, John Zorn, Peter Kuhn, 1977)
- Environment for Sextet (by Andrea Centazzo with Eugene Chadbourne, Tom Cora, Toshinori Kondo, Polly Bradfield & John Zorn, 1979)
- The Golden Palominos (by The Golden Palominos - Anton Fier/Fred Frith/Bill Laswell/Arto Lindsay/John Zorn, 1983)
- OTB (by Jim Staley with John Zorn, 1984)
- Hallowed Ground (by The Violent Femmes, 1984)
- Berlin Djungle (by Peter Brötzmann Clarinet Project, 1984)
- That's the Way I Feel Now: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk (tribute album, 1984 - featuring John Zorn performing "Shuffle Boil" - excluded from CD reissue)
- (tribute album, 1985 - Zorn performs "Der kleine Leutnant des lieben Gottes" (The Little Lieutenant of the Loving God) from Happy End)
- Experimental Performance With John Zorn (by Jojo Takayanagi with John Zorn, 1986)
- The Godard Fans: Godard ça vous chante? (tribute album featuring 'Godard', 1986)
- Points Blank - (Meltable Snaps It, 1986 – Zorn conducts "Rugby")
- The Technology of Tears (by Fred Frith, 1988)
- Replicant Walk (by Friction, 1988)
- Comme des Garçons Vol. 1 (by Seigen Ono, 1988)
- Comme des Garçons Vol. 2 (by Seigen Ono, 1989)
- Purged Specimen (by Blind Idiot God, 1989)
- Square Dance (by The Intergalactic Maiden Ballet, 1990)
- NekonoTopia NekonoMania (by Seigen Ono, 1990) - Zorn plays sax on 6 tracks
- Live at the Knitting Factory Volume 3 (various artists, 1990) - Zorn plays alto sax on 2 tracks with Slan
- Winter Was Hard (by Kronos Quartet, 1990)
- Ignorance (by Morrie, 1990) - Zorn plays alto sax on track 2 "パラドックス"
- Attention Span (by Bob Ostertag with John Zorn & with Fred Frith, 1990)
- Lo Flux Tube (by OLD, 1991)
- Mr. Bungle (by Mr. Bungle, 1991) - produced by John Zorn & plays uncredited sax on 1 track
- Possession (by GOD, 1992)
- How I Got Over (by God Is My Co-Pilot, 1992)
- We Insist? (by Otomo Yoshihide, 1992)
- Welcome to Forbidden Paradise (by Hoppy Kamiyama, 1992)
- Early Works (by Ruins, 1992)
- Blue Planet Man (by Big John Patton, 1993)
- Speed Yr Trip (by God Is My Co-Pilot, 1993)
- Ground Zero (by Ground Zero, 1993)
- Sacrifist (by Praxis, 1994)
- Bar del Mattatoio (by Seigen Ono 1994) - Zorn plays sax on 2 tracks
- Peace on Earth (Music of John Coltrane) (by Prima Materia, 1994) - Zorn plays sax on 2 tracks
- Mais (by Marisa Monte, 1994)
- Company 91 Volume 3 (by Company, 1994)
- Minor Swing (by John Patton, 1995)
- Signals for Tea (by Steve Beresford, 1995)
- Hex Kitchen (by Ikue Mori, 1995) - John Zorn plays clarinet on this album
- State of the Union (by various artists, 1996)
- Hsi-Yu Chi (by David Shea, 1996)
- Vira Loucos (by Cyro Baptista, 1996) - Zorn plays alto on 2 tracks
- Cross Fire (by Music Revelation Ensemble, 1997)
- Pranzo Oltranzista (by Mike Patton, 1997)
- (by various artists, 1997)
- Shoe String Symphonettes (by Marc Ribot, 1997)
- Busy Being Born (by Gary Lucas, 1998)
- Vision Volume One (by various artists, 1998)
- Hallelujah, Anyway – Remembering Tom Cora (by various artists, 1999)
- Paradiso (by Seigen Ono, 2000)
- Satlah (by Daniel Zamir, 2000) - Zorn plays alto on 3 tracks
- Street of Lost Brothers (by Gary Lucas, 2000)
- Maria & Maria (by Seigen Ono, 2001)
- Scientist at Work (by Frank London, 2002)
- Children of Israel (by Daniel Zamir, 2002)
- Beat the Donkey (by Cyro Baptista, 2002) - Zorn plays alto on 1 track
- Irving Stone Memorial Concert (by various artists, 2003)
- Cyborg Acoustics (by Raz Mesinai, 2004)
- Lake Biwa (by Wadada Leo Smith, 2004)
- Solo Works - The Lumina Recordings (by Ned Rothenberg, 2006)
- For the Moment (by Paul Brody, 2007)
- Devushki payut (by Auktyon, 2007)
- Inamorata (by Method of Defiance, 2007) - Zorn plays alto on 1 track with the Masada String Trio
- Banquet of the Spirits (by Cyro Baptista, 2008) - Zorn plays alto on 1 track
- Eretz Hakodesh (by Pissuk Rachav, 2009)
- Luminescence (by Borah Bergman Trio, 2009)
- The Ducks Palace (by The Duck Baker Project, 2009) - Zorn plays alto on 2 tracks
- Homeland (by Laurie Anderson, 2011) - Zorn plays alto on 2 tracks
- Utilitarian (by Napalm Death, 2012) - Zorn plays two sax solos on track "Everyday Pox".
- The Road to Jajouka (by The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar, 2013)
- (by Current 93, 2014)
- Celebrate Ornette (by various artists, 2016) - 1 track on Ornette Coleman tribute alongside Bill Laswell, Laurie Anderson and Stewart Hurwood
- Retrocausal (by Cleric, 2017)
Notes and References
- Web site: Shteamer . Hank . 'He Made the World Bigger': Inside John Zorn's Jazz-Metal Multiverse . Rolling Stone . 22 June 2020.
- News: John Zorn: Rituals . 6 February 2024 . Pitchfork . 24 April 2005.
