John Zorn's "Songs For Petra" 5/24/18 Firehouse 12

Prolific sound artist Zorn composed some music and Jesse Harris wrote accompanying lyrics for vocalist Petra Haden. Haden, daughter of jazz bass giant Charlie, and one third of the singing Haden triplets rose to the evening's challenge. The all-star group included Harris on rhythm guitar and vocals, guitar prodigy-turned virtuoso Julian Lage, and solid rhythm section of drums and standup bass. Haden, dressed in a white pit crew jumpsuit, has a husky alto that reminded me of Laura Nyro. Lage starred in a tv show "Jules at 8" which showcased the prodigious talent for the world ( well, maybe the YouTube world) to see. While the songs had a jazzy backdrop, they were decidedly un-jazzy, which was welcome at this venue which is usually a temple of skronk. The tunes could have been lost 70s chestnuts reworked with a modern feel. You could sense that Lage was psyched to solo like a rock star, even choogling his way through a CCR-inflected number. Haden is a strong vocal presence, and just knowing that she possessed some genes from her late great father gave me chills.