For our next journey into Zorn, we turn to the acoustic trio of Julian Lage, Gyan Riley (yes, the son of the legendary Terry Riley), and Bill Frisell. Three masters of improvisational interplay working with some of the most meditative music Zorn has released thus far. Very few artists understand their medium the way these three do, and it’s a jaw-dropping thing to hear them, let alone experience them live.

When composing, Zorn will often frame a given album around a particular figure throughout history – religious, political, philosophical, abstract, etc. The choice of St. Francis of Assisi here seems to influence the direction of the album itself – Francis’s value of poverty is reflected in the sparse, bare-bones production and simple instrumentation of three acoustic guitars with no post-recording flourishes. Direct and immediate, the first time I heard this album I stopped in my tracks and could not focus on anything else. Absolutely engrossing.

Sweltering, shimmering heat permeates these tracks – you can feel the desert and see the waves of heat melting the very air itself. The three guitars play off each other perfectly, no extra notes or indulgence to one particular player, just complete dedication to where the music needs to go – another reflection of the way Francis lived, as his intense devotion to his beliefs informed his decision-making and the way he led his followers.

While it is the case that I believe this record should be appreciated in one sitting (as I do with just about every album I’ve ever heard), I would be remiss to not mention the closing track, “Meditations (Saint Francis in the Desert).” One of the finest acoustic guitar recordings I personally have ever heard, not even just in Zorn’s discography but of all time. Pensive and sinuous yet elegant and spritely, it’s astounding to hear Frisell, Riley, and Lage build such exquisite worlds out of nothing. A perfect closer for a spellbinding album that will leave you wanting more.

At times medieval, bursting with menacing tension, at others ambrosial and reverent, Nove Cantici is a striking album full of rapturous melody and murky passages of intense depth and mysticism. I can’t recommend it enough.