The Dreamers

Personnel: John Zorn (alto saxophone); John Zorn ; Jamie Saft (keyboards); Kenny Wollesen (vibraphone); Marc Ribot (guitar); Joey Baron (drums); Cyro Baptista (percussion). Audio Mixer: Marc Urselli. Recording information: Eastside Sound Studios, New York, NY (09/2007). Arranger: John Zorn . The Dreamers, by John Zorn and his septet, is for all practical purposes a sequel of sorts to 2001's The Gift, which was -- and perhaps remains -- Zorn's most "accessible" record. That said, there some key differences in the approach to this new set. Most of the band from the former record are back: guitarist Marc Ribot is here, as are keyboardist Jamie Saft, drummer Joey Baron, bassist Trevor Dunn (who was one of three bassists on The Gift), and percussionist Cyro Baptista. Zorn does play some alto saxophone as well, but his performance is not prevalent as an instrumentalist. Dave Douglas' trumpet is absent, and has been replaced by the vibes work of Kenny Wollesen. The music? It's funnier in a way, trickier and more exotic without being "exotica" the way The Gift was. In fact, one can hear the actual influences on Zorn's musical consciousness, literally pick them out track for track on The Dreamers. The devotion the composer has for popular styles is well documented -- whether from film noir and exploitation movie soundtracks, surf music, incidental commercial music, library records, etc. Things are fairly straightforward here until "Toys," track five of this 11-cut, nearly 53-minute album. "Mow Mow," which may be a play on the term "Mau Mau," is a nearly straight-ahead surf ballad that comes more from the Ventures than from Dick Dale. It's not blasted with reverb and its tempo is easy and breezy, offering a twilight look at the world. The beautiful organ work by Saft and the timing of Wollesen's vibes are uncanny, as they bracket Ribot's understated and elegant guitar work. The piece croons and drifts its way though several surf motifs before whispering to a close. "Uluwati"