Getting Started in John Zorn (1 Viewer)

[Ike]

I'm interested in getting into John Zorn, but he is confusingly prolific. I've sampled some of his stuff, and like the frentic short stuff (Thrash Jazz Assassin, Demon Sanctuary), though I'm open to try it all. What albums should I start on?

 

[Mike Broadman]

Here's what I have:

Naked City
This is some sort of punk-jazz weird thing. The tracks include harsh post-bop sounding covers of an Ornette Coleman tune and Batman, some wacky originals, and a Japanese guy yelling a lot. I don't really get it, but I like it. The energy and variety alone make it a fun listen.

Masada- Alef, Zayin, Live in Middleheim
Jewish free jazz? A great band, though some of it can get quite abstract. There are 10 or so studio albums, each bearing the name of a Hebrew letter/number, as well as a few live albums.

I've also heard some of his orchestral work, and I simply don't understand it. I guess it's not really my thing.

John Zorn is quite a musical force, who I appreciate, but not enough to get into more.