I know by just reading the title of this post, many of you will have a preconcieved notion of what to expect.  Even I had to admit that I thought I knew what John Zorn was all about.

That is until I read the excellent JazzTimes cover story on Zorn written by Bill Milkowski.  This is easily one of the best interviews I have ever read.  I first heard Zorn’s Naked City album while an undergrad and at the time I was not ready for it (who really is?) but it was interesting to me because it featured one of my favorite guitarists, Bill Frisell.  It was like a bunch of jazz nerds got together and made an amazing heavy metal/hardcore album.  Since I was a metalhead back in the day, that was my “gateway drug” into the world of John Zorn.

With some casual searching on the web it is easy to see that Zorn is arguably one of the most prolific and diverse musicians EVER.  Who else could write an album of string quartets like Magick (2004) develop a unique sound like the aformentioned Naked City project in addition to leading a longstanding quartet (Masada) that performs traditional sacred Jewish music in a jazz context?

His skills as a composer and musician are well documented, but after reading this interview it totally dawned on me that Zorn is also an amazing entrepreneur and a leading advocate of artistic expression.

For example, consider the following:

• Since 1995, he has been the driving force behind Tzadik, a record label that although small is easily doing better than any of the major labels.
• He recently opened a non-profit music venue, The Stone, in the East Village in New York City.  As per the website:
  • All expenses are paid for by the MUSIC itself – through the online sale of special Limited Edition CDs released yearly on the Tzadik label. Each month a different musician is responsible for curating the programs with 100% of the nightly revenue going directly to the musicians.

To me, this should be the model for every music venue in the world.   For the last 35 years Zorn has been relentless in his approach, drive and vision.  His music might not reach everyone, but musicians and businessmen alike should look to him as a model of where the music industry is heading.  I hope that both Gary Vaynerchuk and Bob Lefsetz are paying attention to artists like Zorn, because I assure you he isn’t the least bit interested in what they (or you) are doing.