John Zorn's Simulacrum 11/14/15 Firehouse 12

The listing for Zorn at the Firehouse made me circle the date at the beginning of the season. Knowing that music is usually on Friday nights, I circled the wrong date, which made me show up on Friday for what was actually a Saturday show. I have followed Zorn's career from way back. The Albert Collins spoken word piece on Spillane, the obsession with Morricone and soundtracks, the bowing at the altar of Ornette on Spy vs. Spy, the many downtown incestual incarnations of Masada, the far reaching tentacles of his Tzadik label, but it was the metal-punk-jazz of the Naked City release that came to mind on this evening. Zorn has taken the composer or puppeteer stance for these happenings, giving up his Albert Ayler free jazz sax blowouts for behind the scenes architect of sound. The group was a trio: Matt Hollenberg on electric guitar, Kenny Grohowski on drums, and the venerable John Medeski on organ. Hollenberg careened through metal riffs that had one audience member assuming the headbang throb that rarely appears at the Firehouse. Grohowski, who I saw at the kit a few weeks back, appeared different. The drummer looked like Charles Manson, and played with frenetic abandon that drove the start/stop nature of this music. The back was off Medeski's organ laying bare a tangle of wires and amps that looked like an un-defusable car bomb. The music was jagged and assaulting. Some uninitiated squirmed and snuck out, I don't blame them, Zorn's output is so varied that it can take many forms. From the punk growl of  Faith No More's Mike Patton to the breezy cello of Erik Friedlander John Zorn is truly a jazz renaissance man. The prolific output makes it impossible to follow him completely, but his footprint is all over the Jazz world. An enjoyable set and the ability to shake the hand and thank one of my heroes......wow.