Anthony Braxton

[AmirBagachelles]

the Coventry discs were my first Leo purchase, and I must say it would have better to know that for my 26 bucks I was getting 80 minutes of (great) music and something like 65 minutes of interviews. The back of the disc case merely carries the total 70+ minute timing of both discs. I am not sure this set is worth $26, with the Braxton bin gushing with titles. Labels such as Leo make their living, albeit meager, off of a narrow customer base, they should convey a bit more value on their multidisc pricing than is typically the case. My god, FMP is far worse, $35 and up for their two-fers.

[brownie]

Is this a new release?

http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000...9615137-0649712

EMANEM 4006

Doesn't look to be a new release.

I remember seeing a two LP edition of these a couple decades ago. On Emanem vinyl!

[7/4]

From the Yahoo Braxton list:

For those in the area, there are two Braxton concerts this week (sorry

for the short notice) - hope some of you can make it out:

Wednesday, Dec. 8th 2004 - Anthony Braxton Small Ensemble

8pm Crowell Concert Hall

Wesleyan University, Middletown Connecticut

First set will be small groups playing the "falling water" music

(visual notation) with the "diamond curtain wall" music (Braxton's

electronic music).

Second set will be a chamber ensemble reading of one of the new

"accelerator" species of GTM -- Comp. 341, I think (?). These new

compositions are really exciting and a blast to play -- they are a

giant leap forward (or backward, or sideways?!) in the GTM series.

Friday, Dec. 10th 2004 - Anthony Braxton Large Ensemble

8pm Crowell Concert Hall

Wesleyan University, Middletown Connecticut

I think we will be playing compositions 169, 96 and 91 as primary

territories, with many secondary and tertiary things in the mix

throughout the night.

If you can make it out, these should be great nights of music - it

really shines in this hall, too.

[Enterprise Server]

Braxton is nothing short of an interesting player with some very complex ideas. I have enjoyed his playing ever since I first heard him on the ECM Paris recording with the group Circle. Never forget when I bought the record and first heard it. Loved it! B-)

[sonic1]

So glad not to have entered a Braxton-bashing thread.

I am a huge huge Braxtonophile. Braxton was what drew me to jazz.

I have some 50 or so albums from him. My favorites stand as follows:

New York, Fall 1974

Creative Orchestra Music (1976)

Dortmund (Quartet-1976)

For Alto

Eight (+3) Tristano Compositions, 1989: for Warne Marsh

Willisau (Quartet) 1991

Five Compositions (Quartet) 1986

And I think the recent 4 CD release from Leo is fantastic.

Beware, there are some strange recordings out there from Braxton, with strange voice overs or bagpipes, etc. This conceptual work is for the Braxtonophile only.

[alankin]

By the way, Mosaic hasn't given up on doing an Arista box. (They don't have a date, though.)

[7/4]

By the way, Mosaic hasn't given up on doing an Arista box. (They don't have a date, though.)

Great news!

I wonder if they would release it all. They could do a select and leave off the Orchestra discs.

[pryan]

I picked up SEVEN STANDARDS, 1985, VOLUME 1 today. AMG gives it a no-so-good review, but I really don't care. Should be interesting to hear how Hank Jones and the fairly "straight-ahead" rhythm section interacts with Braxton.

[Enterprise Server]

By the way, Mosaic hasn't given up on doing an Arista box. (They don't have a date, though.)

I would spring for such a box. I loved those Braxton Arista recordings.

[GregK]

I love the Circle record. Also his and Sam Rivers on Conference of the Birds. I need to start exploring his discography now. Any opinions on Trio and Duet (Sackville)? Has Dave Holland. Or News from the 70s?

[Chuck Nessa]

Go ahead and get the Sackville - fine recording. You will be attracted to the side with Holland but spend some time with the other side. Rewards are wonderful things.

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah the Sackville is really really good. I wish it were not a limited edition (just 1000 copies)--deserves to be more widely available.

FWIW there's a piece I just did on Braxton's Bird album here:

http://www.bagatellen.com/archives/reviews/000740.html

[Alexander Hawkins]

I'm really enjoying the 'Six Compositions (GTM) (2000)' at the moment (on Ratascan).

I can't quite get a hold on the all-saxophone track or the saxophone/guitar duet yet, but the rest is an amazing experience. Some of the sounds the guitarist conjures are wonderful (and of course, weird!).

[pryan]

What's the best way to get the standards duo stuff w/ Holland and Braxton?

[Nate Dorward]

Cadence & Verge carry all the Sackville titles.

[GregK]

I just ordered the Sackville Trio & Duet and News from the 70s (along with Art Ensemble Fanfare for the Warriors). I'm not sure what to expect from the Braxton, but I'm excited!!

[Larry Kart]

Fine review, Nate.

[Д.Д.]

Yeah the Sackville is really really good. I wish it were not a limited edition (just 1000 copies)--deserves to be more widely available.

This is an excellent disc, but 1000 copies is porbably about what it can possibly sell (it was released in 2000 or 2001, and still no sign of it being sold out...).

[Nate Dorward]

Larry--thanks for the kind words--I'm still waiting for it to get me into trouble (aside from the remarks about Braxton's standards playing, I'm sure Werner X won't take the 2nd paragraph scrutinizing the reissue's packaging too kindly)........

I don't know what sales of Braxton discs are typically like but my feelings are, why set a limit on the edition anyway? In any case, it's a lovely disc. The best thing on it is probably "Embraceable You", which is virtually unrecognizable. John Norris & Ted O'Reilly picked that track to represent Braxton on the fine history-of-jazz radio series they did for CJRT-FM a few years back.

[AllenLowe]

Excellent review Nate - I remember listening to Braxton's Tristano album and really wondering if his particular methods were really conducive to re-examining the music in any convincing way. I still prefer him on his own turf, and was interested in reading your accounts of his musicians losing there way in standard form. I have had this particular experience, as I mentioned in an earlier thread, on the bandstand with one or two well-known "free" players and it is disconcerting, especially as they seemed to have no idea that they had lost their place (and this was in the context of a very convertional, play-the-changes and play-the-tune gig. Any claims that they were consciously extending the form were really b.s.) - my point is not that these guys don't have something to say, only that they should not try to prove that which they are unable to prove. That's why I'd rather listn to musicians like Ira Sullivan or Von Freeman play standards - they have nothing to prove, and they have such fresh and unique ways of approaching the music, from years of first-hand musical experience.

Edited January 16, 2005 by AllenLowe

[Alexander Hawkins]

Perhaps I'm in the early throes of Braxton-philia, but reading that (to add to the chorus, excellent!) review only serves to pique my curiosity.

Mind you, I'm almost always interested by unlikely people playing standards.

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah, that Marsh/Tristano album....a lot of people seem to like that one but I find it a tough go, & as I said in the review it makes Konitz go through the roof. Oddly enough, I like the Monk album the best of those I've heard. It's afflicted by a curious egotism which surprises me given my impression of Braxton's generally exceedingly likeable, generous character--he tends to eat up all the solo space, especially on "Skippy", when I would have liked to have heard Mal Waldron given more of a look-in. But despite that I think it works out better than the Charlie Parker disc, though I'd have to go back to it & listen again carefully to quite explain why.

I guess the main thing isn't: does a musician "know" how to play changes, does he/she avoid errors? but instead: can you tell if he/she is listening? or knows how to listen & how to act on that listening in this particular context? & for me there's not nearly enough listening going on on the Charlie Parker album, at least in the "straight" readings of tunes. Which is odd because Braxton can be a very quickwitted & accurate player in a free context: the duet with Evan Parker on Leo is a good instance of such empathetic, point-to-point playing. & he can do it with standards too: the eerie reading of "Embraceable You" on the Sackville album, for instance.

Edited January 16, 2005 by Nate Dorward

[AllenLowe]

Yes, I agree - the question isn't whether or not a musician knows the changes, per se, but whether or not he creates his own frame of reference -

Edited January 16, 2005 by AllenLowe

[AmirBagachelles]

This seems like a good place to find out about the recent quartet and solo reissues on the America label. Has anybody heard these? (I see a funny writeup by Eugene Chadbourne of an earlier Inner City reissue of the solo music. Maybe the new reissue sounds a bit better...)

[king ubu]

The group disc on Free America ("Donna Lee") is marvellous! I haven't yet been able to check out the solo set (which holds 2CDs, by the way).

I tried my lousy reviewing skills on "Donna Lee" in the "funny rat". Should be on the second newest page now (page 100, if you use the 40 posts/page option).

ubu