Cerberus: Book of Angels Volume 26

Cerberus: Book of Angels Volume 26
Studio album by The SPIKE Orchestra
Released	November 20, 2015
Recorded	July–August 2015 [1]
Studio	Kungar Sound Studios, London [1]
Genre	Jazz, klezmer, big band [2]
Length	56:32
Label	Tzadik TZ 8338
Producer	John Zorn
Book of Angels chronology
Gomory: Book of Angels Volume 25 (2015) Cerberus: Book of Angels Volume 26 (2015) Flaga: Book of Angels Volume 27 (2016)

Cerberus: Book of Angels Volume 26 is an album by The SPIKE Orchestra, led by Sam Eastmond and Nikki Franklin, which was released in 2015 on John Zorn's Tzadik Records as part of Zorn's "Book of Angels" series. ^{[1] [2]} Inspired by big band as well as cartoon music, the album draws from influences such as Duke Ellington, Frank Zappa and Carl Stalling. ^[2]

Recording and reception

Cerberus was recorded in the summer of 2015 in the Kungar Sound Studios, London. ^[1]

The album was positively reviewed by Phil Barnes of All About Jazz and Peter Slavid of UK Jazz News. ^{[3] [4]} Daniel Spicer of Jazzwise gave it 3 out of 5 stars, describing the album as "just a little too clean-cut and lacking in grit for some tastes". ^[5]

Track listing

All compositions by John Zorn.

1. "Gehegial" - 4:59
2. "Hakha" - 5:09
3. "Hananiel" - 5:09
4. "Lahal" - 5:19
5. "Armasa" - 7:35
6. "Thronus" - 6:47
7. "Shinial" - 4:42
8. "Donel" - 5:48
9. "Raguel" - 4:45
10. "Pahadron" - 6:19

Personnel

• Paul Booth  [ de ] - tenor sax, clarinet
• Erica Clarke - baritone sax, bass clarinet
• Stewart Curtis - tenor sax, clarinet
• Sam Eastmond - trumpet
• Nikki Franklin - voice
• Moss Freed - guitar
• Ben Greenslade-Stanton - trombone
• Mike Guy - accordion
• George Hogg - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Noel Langley - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Sam Leak - piano, keyboards
• Chris Nickolls - drums
• Dave Powell - tuba
• Ashley Slater - trombone
• Karen Straw - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Mike Wilkins - alto sax, clarinet
• Otto Willberg - bass
• Vasilis Xenopoulos - alto sax, flute

References

1. "Cerberus: The Book of Angels, Vol. 26". AllMusic . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
2. "John Zorn: Cerberus: The Book of Angels Volume 26". Tzadik Records . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
3. Barnes, Phil (December 18, 2015). "Spike Orchestra: The Spike Orchestra: Cerberus (Book of Angels - Volume 26)". All About Jazz . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
4. Slavid, Peter (November 9, 2015). "CD REVIEW: The Spike Orchestra – Cerberus, Book of Angels Volume 26 by John Zorn". UK Jazz News. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
5. Spicer, Daniel (2015). "John Zorn: Cerberus – The Book Of Angels Volume 26: The Spike Orchestra Plays Masada Book 2". Jazzwise . Retrieved December 6, 2025.