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Anthony Braxton


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Right now I am listening to an unreleased performance from Graz in 1976, which features the same group (George Lewis, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul) and was recorded days before the acclaimed Quartet (Dortmund) 1976. Unlike others that have posted on this thread, most of my exposure to Braxton has been through his interpretations of standards or other composers' music. Other than a few unreleased performances featuring the quartet with Marilyn Crispell, my Braxton collection consists of the previously mentioned Dortmund disc, Seven Compositions (Trio) 1989, the Leo 4 CD set and the discs focusing on Shorter, Hill, Monk, Tristano/Marsh and Charlie Parker. At a minimum I have always found his music intriguing, and often entirely fascinating.

Listening to this Graz performance has me thinking that I really need to listen to more of his own music so I will be watching this thread with a particular interest in the recordings that are recommended.

Edited by relyles
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I'm in the ending sections of Anthony Braxton and the Rova Saxophone Qt. - The Aggregate (Sound Aspects).

No that looks interesting - I will trz to find htis one. I am not sure Sound Aspects label is still around.

There is a disc of Braxton with three more saxophones, though - the last (ever?) Parallactic release of the Anthony Braxton - Sonny Simons - Brandon Evnas - Andre Vida (plus Dave Price and Shamir BLumenkrants on drums and bass, repectively).

It's a double CD with compositions by all involved, and I remeber it being quite a noisy affair. Will give it a listen soon, and will report here (and in Funny Rat as well ;)).

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One duo disk that I really enjoy is: Anthony Braxton - Georg Grawe duo [amsterdam] 1991. Braxton and Grawe feed each other ideas and allow space for those ideas to flower. I'm beginning to enjoy the duets and solo work by Braxton; they seem to give him more room to explore than his larger group work.

Edited by Matthew
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If you want to try to listen to GTM, get the followings:

- TWO COMPOSITIONS (TRIO) 1998 (LEO)

- FOUR COMPOSITIONS (GTM) 2000 (DELMARK)

I didn't like much the GTM concept until I heard those two master pieces.

Now, I start to dig even older stuff that I couldn't stand before!

Spoken about solos or duets, there is a little gem who is much ignoring by most.

Title is ANTHONY BRAXTON/ STEWART GILLMORE DUO: 14 COMPOSITIONS (TRADITIONAL) 1996 (LEO).

All of those who can't imagine to listen to BRAXTON if not playing standards, try this one.

It comes from the same family but dealing with older material (KANSAS CITY BLUES, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS NEW ORLEANS?, I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND WRITE MYSELF A LETTER, SOMEDAY YOU'LL BE SORRY, THE MEMPHIS BLUES, etc.)

STUART GILLMORE was one of his student. He plays many differents instruments who goes, here, from flute, trombone, euphonium & sousaphone to alto sax, cornet and piano.

To give you an idea how the music they play sound, think about the duet between KONITZ & MARSHALL BROWN doing STRUTTIN' WITH SOME BARBECUE on THE LEE KONITZ DUETS (MILESTONE). Multiply it by fourteen and add just a bit of free form solo here & there and you have it.

Of course, BRAXTON has never been better than in his solo performance, some of his duets (MAX ROACH, GEORGE LEWIS, EVAN PARKER) and with his great quartet (one the greatest jazz/improv combo ever) of the eighties (MARYLIN CRISPELL,

GERRY HEMINGWAY and MARK DRESSER) known today as the CLASSIC QUARTET.

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I've been avoiding the Braxton plays Standards disks, but I'm intertested in hearing him with a guitar player.

You might want to try the CIMP discs doing the music of Andrew Hill and Wayne Shorter, which also feature O'Neil. Of the two, my favorite is Nine Compositions (Hill) 2000. I think those two are similar to Braxton's renditions of standards on the 4 CD Leo box.

I think I'll go by Downtown Music Gallery and have them play me some cuts. Thanks.

A friend is going to loan me a copy.

:tup:tup:tup

Yeah baby!

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Does anyone know what his current quintet is? Have just got tickets to a concert at the Barbican in London for a fantastic looking double bill: Cecil Taylor/Bill Dixon/Tony Oxley + the Anthony Braxton Quintet.

Any help appreciated!

I'll want a report on that! The released concert by the CT/BD/TO band from Victoriaville is pretty disappointing, but maybe the band's gelled subsequently. No idea what Braxton's quintet is though. Perhaps some form of the 23 Standards band with an extra instrument? A guess.

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Nate Dorward Posted on Oct 7 2004, 10:00 PM

  QUOTE (Red @ Oct 7 2004, 12:37 PM)

Does anyone know what his current quintet is? Have just got tickets to a concert at the Barbican in London for a fantastic looking double bill: Cecil Taylor/Bill Dixon/Tony Oxley + the Anthony Braxton Quintet.

Any help appreciated! 

I'll want a report on that! The released concert by the CT/BD/TO band from Victoriaville is pretty disappointing, but maybe the band's gelled subsequently. No idea what Braxton's quintet is though. Perhaps some form of the 23 Standards band with an extra instrument? A guess. 

Will be happy to report back! It's not for a month or so, but I'm definitely looking forwards to it.

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just heard my first braxton, "3 compositions of new jazz" and i was blown away! :excited:

and look who gets credit for supervision, our own chuck nessa!!!! :lol:

now i need some help. which AB doi buy next?!!!! :blink:

If you do vinyl, look for some Arista LPs. If not, grab the Hat stuff that's currently available, as well as whatever Black Saint stuff you can find.

One Black Saint that I like in particualr, but would never really "recommend" to anybody, is COMPOSITION NO. 173. It's a futuristic, "sci-fi" almost, one act play dealing with a group of people trying alter physical and mental reality through the science of sound/accoustical manipulation. There's incidental music, but it's mostly spoken/sung word/sound. As a listening experience for all but the most die-hard Braxtonphile, I fear it might go on too long, but as a concept, as a look into what's REALLY going on inside Braxton's head, I find it pretty intriguing.

But nevertheless, Black Saint and Hat both are repositories of many, MANY classic Braxton performances that will serve well to further one's interest in this particualr artist's massive body of work.

Go there!

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If you do vinyl, look for some Arista LPs. If not, grab the Hat stuff that's currently available, as well as whatever Black Saint stuff you can find.

The Arista deserves a Mosaic box.

:tup for the Hat discs.

One Black Saint that I like in particualr, but would never really "recommend" to anybody, is COMPOSITION NO. 173. It's a futuristic, "sci-fi" almost, one act play dealing with a group of people trying alter physical and mental reality through the science of sound/accoustical manipulation. There's incidental music, but it's mostly spoken/sung word/sound. As a listening experience for all but the most die-hard Braxtonphile, I fear it might go on too long, but as a concept, as a look into what's REALLY going on inside Braxton's head, I find it pretty intriguing.

Composition No 174 is like that too. I heard it a few days ago but while I feel I should closer listen, I can understnad why it's only the 2nd time I've heard it.

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wow, the dude is prolific! B-)

Yep. Hundreds.

The latest duo with Leo Smith has composition 316. And then, there are pieces like this:

SIXTEEN COMPOSITIONS (1971-1974) Second series of short compositions for the creative ensemble (see Comp. 6). This material can be interlinked in any combination and can also be integrated with material from compositions 6, 40, and 69.

he counts as one - Composition 23.

...so the amount far more than 316!

Edited by 7/4
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What I think 'bout Braxton is this: I think I'd need to clone myself and have one of me study him fulltime to have an even half way informed opinion. And that he really must have something against getting any airplay with those darn unpronoucable tune titles!

Pie R squared? Pie are not square, pie are round!

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