John Zorn’s Masada project is a complex idea that could refer to a number of different facets: on one level, it’s the Downtown quartet the New York saxophonist/composer led in the 90s; it’s also the songbook of over 300 compositions Zorn wrote to be performed by that unit; and, in a more conceptual sense, it’s Zorn’s overarching vision of a ‘radical Jewish music’ that he sought to convey and explore through those compositions. Though this latest release on his Tzadik label is credited to Zorn, it’s as composer only: the music is interpreted by British ensemble The Spike Orchestra. And a very sophisticated and assured turn it is too. Manchester-based double bassist Otto Willberg holds down seductive bass lines that undulate like a desert camel train on sighing sands, while massed horns punch out brassy, staccato statements and tuba, clarinet and accordion provide a hint of klezmer seasoning. While it may be just a little too clean-cut and lacking in grit for some tastes, lovers of contemporary big band sounds will find plenty to savour.