Masada: Alef

Masada: Alef, also known as א or Masada 1, is a 1994 album by American jazz composer and saxophonist John Zorn featuring the Masada Quartet performing compositions inspired by Zorn's examination of Jewish culture.[1] It was the first album in a project that has included ten studio albums, concerts, and live recordings.

Masada: Alef
Studio album by
John Zorn
Released1994
RecordedFebruary 20, 1994, RPM, NYC
GenrePost-bop
Klezmer
Length60:55
LabelDIW DIW 888
ProducerJohn Zorn, Kazunori Sugiyama
Masada chronology
Masada: Alef
(1994)		 Masada: Beit
(1994)
John Zorn chronology
Execution Ground
(1994)		 Masada: Alef
(1994)		 Masada: Beit
(1994)

The album takes its inspiration from the mass suicide of Zealots at Masada in 73 CE, and is dedicated to Asher Ginzberg (1856–1927), the founding father of Cultural Zionism.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz[3]

The AllMusic review by Don Snowden awarded the album four stars stating "Alef is full of thrilling, varied music and just may remind some people who are put off by John Zorn's constant stream of conceptual projects how good a musician he is in a straight-ahead jazz context".[2]

Track listing
  1. "Jair" – 4:53
  2. "Bith Aneth" – 6:24
  3. "Tzofeh" – 5:13
  4. "Ashnah" – 6:20
  5. "Tahah" – 5:40
  6. "Kanah" – 7:26
  7. "Delin" – 1:54
  8. "Janohah" – 9:40
  9. "Zebdi" – 2:45
  10. "Idalah-Abal" – 6:15
  11. "Zelah" – 3:48
All compositions by John Zorn
  • Recorded at RPM in New York City on February 20, 1994

Personnel
Masada

References
  1. Masada World: Alef, accessed Janur 6, 2020
  2. Snowden, D. AllMusic Review accessed July 25, 2011
  3. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1543. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
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