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Anthony Braxton


Late

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After doing a search, I found that no threads (with Braxton's name at least in the title) were on this board. Time to start one.

Yesterday, and the day before that, I listened to Braxton's Performance (Quartet) 1979, which might just be, along with his Dortmund set, my favorite Braxton on record. But, I need to qualify that right away by saying that I don't own too much Braxton. I have For Alto, and some of his quartet work with Marilyn Crispell, along with various other recordings, but still feel I don't have a handle on this man's work, which is probably all for the best. To start some discussion, I'll ask:

What Braxton recordings do you return to most often? And how do you listen to Braxton?

Edited by Late
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Thanks, Tony. Somehow skipped right over that thread. It's OK if this thread dies; that one seems the most likely discussion thread at this point.

David, whenever I'm up in Portland, I check the usual suspects: EDM, Django's, even Tower. Cadence has a dwindling number of hatART's with Braxton on them, but I do check them from time to time. Not too familiar with Downtown Music Gallery, and will have to investigate. I hit Amoeba whenever I get the chance — I love all three stores! The L.A. store (though I've only been there three times, so I can't say with any certainty) seems to turn over its stock rapidly. Last time I was there, they had some juicy OOP stuff.

p.s.

Have the Basel date and like it, but must confess to not knowing it as well as the Dortmund and Zurich dates. Will listen to it this weekend!

Edited by Late
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I listened to Braxton a lot in the 1970's/early 80's, and have seen him play many times. But my tastes veered toward the center and he dropped from my radar for a long while. Then a few years ago I saw a "ghost dance" performance and loved it. I gave his standards quartet a miss recently because my desire to hibernate and save money won out over my desire to see him, although if it had been a ghost dance thing instead of the standards quartet I would have gone.

Strangely, I feel no great need to listen to him on record now. His rather erratic recording career doesn't help - I'd like to buy a CD that reflects the ghost dance concert I saw, but I don't think there is one yet. I will gladly see him play the next time he comes around playing his own music instead of standards (never been a fan of his take on standards).

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I listened to Braxton a lot in the 1970's/early 80's, and have seen him play many times. But my tastes veered toward the center and he dropped from my radar for a long while. Then a few years ago I saw a "ghost dance" performance and loved it. I gave his standards quartet a miss recently because my desire to hibernate and save money won out over my desire to see him, although if it had been a ghost dance thing instead of the standards quartet I would have gone.

Strangely, I feel no great need to listen to him on record now. His rather erratic recording career doesn't help - I'd like to buy a CD that reflects the ghost dance concert I saw, but I don't think there is one yet. I will gladly see him play the next time he comes around playing his own music instead of standards (never been a fan of his take on standards).

Ghost trance!

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Late, I have the one in two - two in one, and I could ask a friend to make a CDR, however, you might find someone from the states doing that, otherwise, send me a PM!

I am no Braxton expert, not at all, but the few things I have heard, I did like them.

He was in Willisau this year for a solo concert - quite a strange affair! Somewhere between total command of the saxophone and though somehow one might think he sounds almost like a beginner...

Keep coming more recommendations!

ubu

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WILISAU (the 4-CD set) is my favorite Braxton. Many here have probably already read it, but if you haven't, buy/find/steal (well, don't steal) a copy of FORCES IN MOTION, the Graham Locke bio.

I agree to both of those suggestions. Wilisau is great, it's been getting a lot opf mileage around here lately.

I'm also very fond of the Arista sides from the '70's.

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WILISAU (the 4-CD set) is my favorite Braxton. Many here have probably already read it, but if you haven't, buy/find/steal (well, don't steal) a copy of FORCES IN MOTION, the Graham Locke bio.

That Locke bio is an fine intro to Brax's world. I found my copy at the local Half Price Books for under $5. Much better than reading the Tri-Axium Writings, which I attempted in college. :rhappy:

I would love to hear the 1991 Willsau Quartet material, but have never been able to find one, with the exception of an over-priced copy at Jazz Record Mart in Chicago. I have the Santa Cruz material on hatART, which is quite good, with the same band.

I rather enjoy Braxton's mid 70's releases on Arista. There were rumblings of Mosaic putting these out at some point, since Michael Cuscuna was invovled with the sessions themselves. The quartets with Altschul, Dave Holland, and either Kenny Wheeler or George Lewis are outstanding. I still see some of these on LP now and again, somewhat reasonably priced.

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I'm rather fond of the Antilles quartet date with Anthony Davis, Mark Helias and Ed Blackwell, a record that seems hardly ever to get discussed.

Though I don't usually go in for such things, and I think it is abundantly clear that Braxton's own music is more rewarding for those who answers the unusual challenges it presents, there is something to be said for the man's "songbook" recordings: THE CHARLIE PARKER PROJECT and THE EIGHT (+3) TRISTANO COMPOSITIONS: FOR WARNE MARSH (both on Hat); the recent Andrew Hill recording on CIMP; the Monk date with Mal Waldron on Black Saint; and the SOLO PIANO (STANDARDS) on No More.

The Delmark Quartet release from earlier this year is very, very strong; listeners who have complained about the Glass-ism of earlier Ghost Trane Music performances have even liked it.

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The 1970s work with Holland & Altschul is utterly superb. There was a decent one-CD condensation of the 2LP set with Wheeler & Lewis (one on each of the LPs). I had it & foolishly lent it to a drummer who has never returned it.

Though it's had mixed reviews for some reason I thought the new Four Compositions (GTM) 2000 on Delmark was the first really good thing of Braxton's I'd heard for a while. One of the few Ghost Trance discs I've liked a lot.

I'm not a big fan of Braxton's standards playing. Charlie Parker Project has some wonderful things on it, but it also has some remarkably verbose & sloppy playing, & everyone goes on too long (e.g. Ari Brown is fine for one or two choruses--but he simply repeats himself over & over again on the longer tracks). On "Dewey Square" Braxton manages to lose his place in the tune at the end (he returns to the head in the wrong spot). "Ko-Ko" ends up a mess, if an exciting mess--why are they playing the B section twice every chorus during the trading-eights with akLaff? -- I also don't like the Tristano disc, which is again very sloppy & verbose. The best of the repertoire albums I've heard is the Monk, which still has some verbose moments (hey, Mr Braxton, couldn't you have spared Mal Waldron a little extra room? on "Skippy" Mal barely gets a lookin while Braxton takes chorus after chorus, scattering notes everywhere)--but the ballads "Ask Me Now" & "Reflections" are some of the prettiest things Braxton has ever recorded.

Willisau has its ups & downs. The best stuff from that band is in the Santa Cruz set & the three sets on Leo.

For Alto is a tough listen & I rarely pull it out, but I'm still glad I have it, crappy sound & all. It's truly great music.

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Yes. I have it, and I like it very much. It's not really something to objectively "listen to", like "viewing" a painting, as much as it is something that goes on (and on) in its own place, and is perfectly capable of remaining totally seperate from your environment or becoming seamlessly woven into it. Your call!

That's kinda touchy-feely I know, and, yeah, you could say the same about ALL music. But Braxton is about nothing if not confronting reality as an immediacy, not as a set of preconditioned expectations, and this collection succeeds marvelously (for me anyway) in doing exactly that.

Hey, I know what I mean! :g

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No, the Tristano/Marsh disc is out of print. Perhaps Hat Art/ology will bring it back into print at some point, who knows, though I'm not sure Braxton & Uehlinger still see eye to eye.

I have a burn of one of the discs on the 4-disc GTM set. It's interesting, though I can't honestly say I've listened to it more than twice. There's a review of the whole thing at

http://www.paristransatlantic.com/magazine...ug_text2.html#3

if you're curious.

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  • 1 month later...

I like Dortmund quite alot. I've never heard Willisau, but it's priced too outrageously now to pursue.

Three Compositions of New Jazz is essential IMO as is For Alto, although there's parts of the latter that I have a hard time getting through.

Like Jim, I also dig the GTM 2001 set and agree that it is best appreciated as an "ambient" background, rather than an an active listening experience.

Say what you want about this guy, but he is definitely a true innovator.

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How about the the record he made with Dave Brubeck! (He's not on all the cuts-- Lee Konitz is on the others). That and his Sackville record are the only ones I have. I've always enjoyed him more in person than on record. . Saw him do a great solo concert in Toronto years ago. Once approached him on the street in Paris. He waved me off thinking I was going to hit him up for change. Was sort of shocked when he realised I was a fan. I suspect he doesn't get recognized on the street that often.

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