Xu Feng: John Zorn's Game Pieces Volume 1 is an album by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 composer and saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist John Zorn

John Zorn

John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...

 consisting of game pieces. It features improvisations performed by an ensemble of pairs of musicians using the same instruments: Chris Brown

Chris Brown (experimental music)

Chris Brown is a composer, pianist, and electronic musician, who creates music for acoustic instruments with interactive electronics, for computer networks, and for improvising ensembles.-Biography:...

 and David Slusser on electronics; Fred Frith

Fred Frith

Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...

 and John Schott on guitars; and Dave Lombardo

Dave Lombardo

Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...

 (from Slayer

Slayer

Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

) and William Winant

William Winant

William Winant is an American percussionist.In addition to his work in contemporary classical music -- notably performing Lou Harrison's compositions—Winant has worked in a variety of genres, including noise rock, free improvisation and jazz. Notable collaborators include Glenn Spearman, Thurston...

 on drums and percussion. The album is titled after a Chinese actress featured in many martial arts film

Martial arts film

Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...

s.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Dean McFarlane awarded the album 4 stars calling it "One of John Zorn's many outstanding works, the composer once again goes above and beyond listeners' expectations. Hearing this astonishing work, it is little wonder that John Zorn is often considered one of the more vital and influential figures in 20th century music".

Track listing

All compositions by John Zorn.

1. "The Valiant Ones" - 10:21
2. "The Fate of Lee Khan" - 9:03
3. "Legend of the Mountain" - 4:07
4. "The Assassins" - 2:38
5. "Dragon Gate Inn" - 5:34
6. "The Beauty of Yang Hui-chen" - 10:48
7. "Trouble at Spring Inn" - 6:31
8. "Hidden Fortress" - 7:55
9. "Hsia Nü" - 7:41
10. "Raining in the Mountains" - 5:38
11. "A Touch of Zen" - 4:11
    • Recorded at Different Fur in San Francisco, California on May 28, 2000

Personnel

• Chris Brown
  Chris Brown (experimental music)
  Chris Brown is a composer, pianist, and electronic musician, who creates music for acoustic instruments with interactive electronics, for computer networks, and for improvising ensembles.-Biography:...
  
   – electronics
• Fred Frith
  Fred Frith
  Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
  
   – guitars
• Dave Lombardo
  Dave Lombardo
  Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...
  
   – drums, percussion
• John Schott – guitars
• David Slusser – electronics
• William Winant
  William Winant
  William Winant is an American percussionist.In addition to his work in contemporary classical music -- notably performing Lou Harrison's compositions—Winant has worked in a variety of genres, including noise rock, free improvisation and jazz. Notable collaborators include Glenn Spearman, Thurston...
  
  – drums, percussion