A talented alto saxophonist and a relentlessly prolific composer, John Zorn first launched the Masada project – named for the mountain where Jewish rebels made their last stand against the Romans in 73 B.C.E.- 10 years ago. Though I didn’t see any menorahs or dreidels at Tonic on Wednesday night, it can’t be a complete coincidence that Mr. Zorn and Tonic are staging the “Masada Mini-Festival” during Chanukah week.

Listeners generally use the term “Masada” to describe the ensemble with which the downtown avatar explores facets of Jewish music. But as he explained at the start of the festival, he does not use the word to refer to a specific band but to an ever-expanding book of original compositions. This fall, he told us, he has added another 240 tunes to the canon. Over four nights and eight shows, he intends to play about 80 of these new pieces at Tonic.

For the performances, Mr. Zorn has recruited a dozen or so of the most talented multi-stylistic musicians in New York (many of them jazz-slash-something else) and set them up in ensembles that change with each tune. The lineups vary from classical chamber music (the “Masada String Trio,” with Greg Cohen on bass, Erik Friedlander on cello, and Mark Feldman on violin),to hard-hitting modern jazz (with a front line of Mr. Zorn and trumpeter Dave Douglas).

There were also duos of violin and piano and harp and bass, and a trio of electric guitar, electric bass, and Middle Eastern percussion. Some of the most effective presentations were comparatively intimate solo outings for cello (Mr. Friedlander) and acoustic guitar (Marc Ribot), the latter playing in a Spanish style that drew upon the pentatonic similarities of flamenco and Jewish music.

The music itself is as diverse as the ensembles, with the compositions linked mainly by their minor key “Jewish” tonality. As a composer, Mr. Zorn knows the value of short, catchy lines with strong, driving rhythms – even on the classical pieces. A particular highlight was a melody played by a piano trio featuring Jamie Saft; it was equal parts “Exodus” and “Poinciana.”

But everything Masada plays is more than accessible – there’s nothing here that the bride’s parents couldn’t dance to at Sadie Shapiro’s wedding. Nearly all the pieces involve improvisation, but even in the jazzier formats, the players don’t overindulge themselves.

Indeed, the ensembles are so good that one yearns to hear more than one tune by each of them. That’s particularly true of the frontline of Mr. Zorn and Mr. Douglas, who played what Mickey Katz once called “Hebop.” But then, I guess, that’s what the rest of the festival is for.

Until December 11 (107 Norfolk Street, between Delancey and Rivington Streets, 212-358-7501).