Filmworks XXV (2013)

"None of these three works are soundtracks for a "film" in the proper sense of the word, and all are for solo piano. 'City Of Slaughter' is a score for a video installation of black-and-white documentary footage that Oren Rudavsky curated for the Museum of Jewish History and Tolerance Center in Moscow. Zorn recruited young Israeli jazz pianist Omri Mor. These 14 pieces are by turns mysterious and flowing, balanced between jazz and Jewish traditional and mystical music. Mor's performance is breathtaking in its range, clarity, focus, sensitivity of touch, and textual perception. The next four cues are basically an anomaly: they feature Zorn recording as he composes 4 cues for Marc Levin's 'Schmatta', a documentary on the garment center. One can hear various older Zorn themes here; he often makes spontaneous decisions as to where to go with the music. 'Beyond The Infinite' is a knotty, entrancing, mystical piece played by Rob Burger. This is a beautiful recording by virtually any standard." (T. Jurek, Allmusic)