John Zorn's Cobra: Tokyo Operations '94 is a live performance of John Zorn

John Zorn

John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...

's improvisation

Improvisation

Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...

al game piece

Game piece

Game piece is a concept of experimental music having its roots with composers Christian Wolff and John Zorn. Game pieces may be considered controlled improvisation An essential characteristic is that there is no pre-arranged sequence of events. They unfold freely according to certain rules, like in...

, Cobra

Cobra (Zorn)

Cobra is an unpublished but recorded and frequently performed musical composition by John Zorn that was conceived as a system with very detailed rules but with no pre-conceived sequence of events, or game piece, for a group of musical improvisors and a prompter. Zorn completed Cobra on October 9,...

 recorded in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 in 1994 featuring Japanese musicians and instruments. The piece had been released in two previous versions on HatHut (Cobra

Cobra (album)

Cobra is a double album featuring a live and studio performance of John Zorn's improvisational game piece, Cobra recorded in 1985 and 1986 and released on the Hathut label in 1987...

(1985)) and Knitting Factory (John Zorn's Cobra: Live at the Knitting Factory

John Zorn's Cobra: Live at the Knitting Factory

John Zorn's Cobra: Live at the Knitting Factory is a performance of John Zorn's improvisational game piece, Cobra, performed at The Knitting Factory in 1992. The album resembles the missing link between John Zorn's work with Masada and Naked City...

 (1992)) and was subsequently released on Zorn's own label Tzadik Records

Tzadik Records

Tzadik Records is a record label based in New York City specialising in avant-garde and experimental music. The label was established by the eclectic composer and saxophonist John Zorn in 1995; Zorn is the executive producer of all Tzadik releases...

 in 2002.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album 4 stars stating "its the traditional Japanese instruments that make this a version of Cobra to remember".

Track listing

All compositions by John Zorn

1. "Sensyo" - 6:07
2. "Tomobiki" - 9:27
3. "Senbu" - 8:08
4. "Butssumetsu" - 8:54
5. "Taian" - 8:05
6. "Shakko" - 9:54
   • Recorded at Shibuya La Mama in Tokyo Japan on November 25, 1994

Personnel

• Isso Yukihiro - nokan, dengakubue
• Uemura Masahiro - percussion
• Uchihashi Kazuhisa - guitar
• Kinoshita Shinichi - shamisen
• Senba Kiyohiko - percussion
• Takei Makoto - shakuhachi
• Tanaka Yumiko - gidayu
• Nakamura Hitomi - hichiriki
• Maruta Miki - koto
• Mekken - bass
• Yamamoto Kyoko - vocal
• Ito Taeko - ortin doo
• Makigami Koichi - prompter