John Zorn discography

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 Classic Guide to Strategy: Volume 1 (1983)
• Locus Solus (1983, 1997)
• Ganryu Island (1984, 1998)
• The Classic Guide to Strategy: Volume 2 (1985)
• The Big Gundown (1985)
• Spillane (1987)
• Spy vs Spy: The Music of Ornette Coleman (1989)
• Elegy (1992)
• Kristallnacht (1993)
• First Recordings 1973 (1995)
• Redbird (1995)
• The Book of Heads (1995)
• The Classic Guide to Strategy (1996, Collecting the out of print Volumes 1 and 2)
• Duras: Duchamp (1997)
• New Traditions in East Asian Bar Bands (1997)
• Angelus Novus (1998)
• Aporias: Requia for Piano and Orchestra (1998)
• The Bribe (1998)
• Godard/Spillane (1999)
• The String Quartets (1999)
• The Big Gundown: 15th Anniversary Special Edition (2000, Remastered, with bonus tracks)
• Xu Feng (2000)
• Cartoon S/M (2000) 2CD
• Madness, Love and Mysticism (2001)
• Songs from the Hermetic Theatre (2001)
• IAO (2002)
• Chimeras (2003)
• Magick (2004)
• Mysterium (2005)
• Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass: A Tribute to Bruno Schultz- The Cracow Klezmer Band Plays John Zorn (2005)
• Rituals (2005)
• From Silence to Sorcery (2007)
• Alhambra Love Songs (2009)
• Femina (2009)
• In Search of the Miraculous (February 2010)
• Chimeras (Revised Edition) (2010)
• Dictée/Liber Novus (May 2010)
• The Goddess – Music for the Ancient of Days (June 2010)
• What Thou Wilt (October 2010)
• Interzone (November 2010)
• The Satyr's Play / Cerberus (April 2011)
• Nova Express (March 2011)
• Enigmata (June 2011)
• At the Gates of Paradise (September 2011)
• Mount Analogue (January 2012)
• Nosferatu (April 2012)
• The Hermetic Organ (June 2012)
• Rimbaud (August 2012)
• A Vision in Blakelight (September 2012)
• Music and Its Double (October 2012)
• The Concealed (November 2012)
• Lemma (February 2013)
• Dreamachines (July 2013)
• On the Torment of Saints, the Casting of Spells and the Evocation of Spirits (November 2013)
• Shir Hashirim (December 2013)
• The Hermetic Organ Vol. 2 (January 2014)
• Psychomagia (January 2014)
• The Alchemist (February 2014)
• Fragmentations, Prayers and Interjections (March 2014)
• In the Hall of Mirrors (May 2014)
• Myth and Mythopoeia (June 2014)
• On Leaves of Grass (August 2014)
• Valentine's Day (September 2014)
• The Song Project (November 2014)
• The Hermetic Organ 3: Pauols Hall, Huddersfield (January 2015)
• Hen to Pan (February 2015)
• Simulacrum (March 2015)
• The True Discoveries Of Witches And Demons (August 2015)
• Inferno (September 2015)
• The Hermetic Organ Vol. 4: St. Bart's, NYC (January 2016)
• Madrigals (January 2016)
• The Painted Bird (March, 2016)
• Sacred Visions (July, 2016)
• Commedia Dell’arte (August, 2016)
• 49 Acts Of Unspeakable Depravity In The Abominable Life And Times Of Gilles De Rais (September, 2016)

The Parachute Years (1997)

Box Set featuring the following recordings (also released separately)

• Lacrosse (1977, 2000) 2CD
• Pool (1980, 2000)
• Hockey (1980, 2002)
• Archery (1981, 2001) 3CD

Cobra performances

• Cobra (1987)
• John Zorn's Cobra: Live at the Knitting Factory (1992)
• John Zorn's Cobra: Tokyo Operations '94 (1994)
• Cobra: John Zorn's Game Pieces Volume 2 (2002)

Music Romance series

• Music for Children (Volume One, 1998)
• Taboo & Exile (Volume Two, 1999)
• The Gift (Volume Three, 2001)

The Dreamers

• The Dreamers (2008)
• O'o (2009)
• Ipos: Book of Angels Volume 14 (2010)
• A Dreamers Christmas (2011)
• Pellucidar: A Dreamers Fantabula (2015)

Filmworks series

• Filmworks 1986-1990 (1991)
• Filmworks II: Music for an Untitled Film by Walter Hill (1995)
• Filmworks III: 1990-1995 (1995)
• Filmworks IV: S/M + More (1996)
• Filmworks V: Tears of Ecstasy (1996)
• Filmworks VI: 1996 (1997)
• Filmworks VII: Cynical Hysterie Hour (1997, originally in 1989 as "Cynical Hysterie Tour", Japan only)
• Filmworks VIII: 1997 (1998)
• Filmworks IX: Trembling Before G-d (2000)
• Filmworks X: In the Mirror of Maya Deren (2001)
• Filmworks XI: Secret Lives (2002)
• Filmworks XII: Three Documentaries (2002)
• Filmworks XIII: Invitation to a Suicide (2002)
• Filmworks XIV: Hiding and Seeking (2003)
• Filmworks XV: Protocols of Zion (2005)
• Filmworks XVI: Workingman's Death (2005)
• Filmworks Anthology (2005) - compilation of tracks from first 15 Filmworks albums plus one unissued recording
• Filmworks XVII: Notes on Marie Menken/Ray Bandar: A Life with Skulls (2006)
• Filmworks XVIII: The Treatment (2006)
• Filmworks XIX: The Rain Horse (2008)
• Filmworks XX: Sholem Aleichem (2008)
• Filmworks XXI: Belle de Nature/The New Rijksmuseum (2008)
• Filmworks XXII: The Last Supper (2008)
• Filmworks XXIII: El General (2009)
• Filmworks XXIV: The Nobel Prizewinner (2010)
• Filmworks XXV: City of Slaughter/Schmatta/Beyond the Infinite (2013)

with Naked City

• Naked City (1990)
• Torture Garden (1990)
• Grand Guignol (1992)
• Leng Tch'e (1992)
• Heretic (1992)
• Radio (1993)
• Absinthe (1993)
• Black Box (1996, collects Torture Garden & Leng Tch'e albums) 2xCD
• Naked City Live, Vol. 1: The Knitting Factory 1989 (2002)
• Naked City: The Complete Studio Recordings (2005)
• Black Box-20th Anniversary Edition: Torture Garden/Leng Tch'e (2010)

with Painkiller

• Guts of a Virgin (1991) EP
• Buried Secrets (1992) EP
• Rituals: Live in Japan (1993)
• Execution Ground (1994)
• Collected Works (1997, Includes Guts of a Virgin, Buried Secrets, Execution Ground, Live in Osaka and bonus material) 4CD
• Guts of a Virgin/Buried Secrets (1998, Collection of first two EP's)
• Talisman: Live in Nagoya (2002)
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 12 (2005, guest vocals by Mike Patton)
• The Prophecy: Live in Europe (2013)

with Hemophiliac

• Hemophiliac (2002)
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 6 (2004)

with Masada

• Alef (1994)
• Beit (1994)
• Gimel (1994)
• Dalet (1995) EP
• Hei (1995)
• Vav (1995)
• Zayin (1996)
• Het (1997)
• Tet (1998)
• Yod (1998)
• Live in Taipei 1995 (1998)
• Live in Jerusalem 1994 (1999) 2CD
• Live in Middelheim 1999 (1999)
• Live in Sevilla 2000 (2000)
• Live at Tonic 2001 (2001)
• First Live 1993 (2002)
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 7 (2004)
• Sanhedrin 1994-1997 (2005) 2CD

with Electric Masada

• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 4 (2004)
• At the Mountains of Madness (2005) 2CD

Masada String Trio

• The Circle Maker (1998, Disc 1 by Masada String Trio, Disc 2 by Bar Kokhba Sextet) 2CD
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 1 (2004)
• Azazel: Book of Angels Volume 2 (2005)
• Haborym: Book of Angels Volume 16 (2010)

Bar Kokhba Sextet

• Bar Kokhba (1996) 2CD
• The Circle Maker (1998, Disc 1 by Masada String Trio, Disc 2 by Bar Kokhba Sextet) 2CD
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 11 (2005)
• Lucifer: Book of Angels Volume 10 (2008)

Masada Anniversary series

• Masada Anniversary Edition Vol. 1: Masada Guitars (2003)
• Masada Anniversary Edition Vol. 2: Voices in the Wilderness (2003)
• Masada Anniversary Edition Vol. 3: The Unknown Masada (2003)
• Masada Anniversary Edition Vol. 4: Masada Recital (2004)
• Masada Anniversary Edition Vol. 5: Masada Rock (2005)

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) 3CD
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 12 (by Painkiller, 2005)

Masada Book Two - The Book of Angels

• Astaroth: Book of Angels Volume 1 (by Jamie Saft Trio, 2005)
• Azazel: Book of Angels Volume 2 (by Masada String Trio, 2005)
• Malphas: Book of Angels Volume 3 (by Mark Feldman & Sylvie Courvoisier, 2006)
• Orobas: Book of Angels Volume 4 (by Koby Israelite, 2006)
• Balan: Book of Angels Volume 5 (by The Cracow Klezmer Band, 2006)
• Moloch: Book of Angels Volume 6 (by Uri Caine, 2006)
• Asmodeus: Book of Angels Volume 7 (by Marc Ribot, 2007)
• Volac: Book of Angels Volume 8 (by Erik Friedlander, 2007)
• Xaphan: Book of Angels Volume 9 (by Secret Chiefs 3, 2008)
• Lucifer: Book of Angels Volume 10 (by Bar Kokhba Sextet, 2008)
• Zaebos: Book of Angels Volume 11 (by Medeski, Martin and Wood, 2008)
• Stolas: Book of Angels Volume 12 (by Masada Quintet featuring Joe Lovano, 2009)
• Mycale: Book of Angels Volume 13 (by Mycale, 2010)
• Ipos: Book of Angels Volume 14 (by The Dreamers, 2010)
• Baal: Book of Angels Volume 15 (by Ben Goldberg Quartet, 2010)
• Haborym: Book of Angels Volume 16 (by Masada String Trio, 2010)
• Caym: Book of Angels Volume 17 (by Cyro Baptista, 2011)
• Pruflas: Book of Angels Volume 18 (by David Krakauer, 2012)
• Abraxas: Book of Angels Volume 19 (by Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, 2012)
• Tap: Book of Angels Volume 20 (by Pat Metheny, 2013)
• Alastor: Book of Angels Volume 21 (by Eyvind Kang, 2014)
• Adramelech: Book of Angels Volume 22 (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)
• Flaga: Book of Angels Volume 27 (by Flaga, 2016)
• Andras: Book of Angels Volume 28 (by Nova Express Quintet, 2016)
• Flauros: Book of Angels Volume 29 (by AutorYno, 2016)

Moonchild

• Moonchild: Songs Without Words (2006) - The Moonchild Trio: Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn & Joey Baron
• Astronome (2006) - The Moonchild Trio
• Six Litanies for Heliogabalus (2007) - Moonchild with John Zorn, Jamie Saft, Ikue Mori and chorus
• The Crucible (2008) - Moonchild with John Zorn & Marc Ribot
• Ipsissimus (2010) - Moonchild with John Zorn & Marc Ribot
• Templars: In Sacred Blood (2012) - Moonchild with John Medeski
• The Last Judgment (2014) - Moonchild with John Medeski

The Gnostic Trio

• The Gnostic Preludes (March 2012)
• The Mysteries (April 2013)
• In Lambeth (December 2013)
• The Testament of Solomon (August 2014)
• Transmigration of the Magus (October 2014)
• The Mockingbird (May 2016)

Album collaborations

• School (by Eugene Chadbourne & John Zorn, 1978)
• Environment for Sextet (by Andrea Centazzo, Eugene Chadbourne, Tom Cora, Toshinori Kondo, Polly Bradfield & John Zorn, 1979)
• In Memory of Nikki Arane (by Eugene Chadbourne & John Zorn, 1980)
• Yankees (by John Zorn, Derek Bailey, & George Lewis, 1983)
• Deadly Weapons (by Steve Beresford, John Zorn, Toni 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 Lewis, 1988)
• More News for Lulu (by John Zorn, Bill Frisell & George 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)
• 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)
• The Stone: Issue One (by John Zorn, Dave Douglas, Mike Patton, Bill Laswell, Rob Burger, & Ben Perowsky, 2006)
• The Stone: Issue Three (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 Lewis, Wadada Leo Smith and John Zorn, 2014)

Albums featured

• The Golden Palominos (by The Golden Palominos - Anton Fier/Fred Frith/Bill Laswell/Arto Lindsay/John Zorn - 1983)
• 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)
• Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill (tribute album, 1985 - Zorn performs "Der kleine Leutnant des lieben Gottes" (The Little Lieutenant of the Loving God) from Happy End)
• The Sonny Clarke Memorial Quartet – Voodoo (by Wayne Horvitz, 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 (Japanese heavy metal band Dead End's vocalist), 1990) - Zorn plays alto sax on track 2 "パラドックス"
• 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)
• 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)
• Great Jewish Music: Serge Gainsbourg (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)
• 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)
• I Am the Last of All the Field That Fell: A Channel (by Current 93, 2014)

References