blajay Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Braxton sounds almost like Sonny Rollins on Disc 2, Tk 1--You Stepped Out Of A Dream from Arista AL-4064 Five Pieces, 1975--is that contrabass cl? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blajay Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Braxton sounds almost like Sonny Rollins on Disc 2, Tk 1--You Stepped Out Of A Dream from Arista AL-4064 Five Pieces, 1975--is that contrabass cl? That's got to be contrabass s on Tk 4, Opus 40P! I hadn't heard this Duets album with Muhal Richard Abrams. This is great! Abrams has to be one of a handful of pianists who could do that tune without laughing a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILLYQ Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the solo cuts. Normally that doesn't float my boat, but Braxton is quite engaging and sometimes even a bit witty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Braxton sounds almost like Sonny Rollins on Disc 2, Tk 1--You Stepped Out Of A Dream from Arista AL-4064 Five Pieces, 1975--is that contrabass cl? That's got to be contrabass s on Tk 4, Opus 40P! I hadn't heard this Duets album with Muhal Richard Abrams. This is great! Abrams has to be one of a handful of pianists who could do that tune without laughing a bit. The duets might be my favorite pieces from the entire set. It's hard to beat the quartet stuff but I'm probably listening to the duets more than anything else so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1009 Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Just got mine for my birthday (11/16). Really looking forward to hearing it. I would have started earlier, but the first thing I had to do was get it all into itunes & break the Mosaic discs back into their "proper" Arista albums (w/ accompanying artwork, of course). Took longer than I thought it would, but now I am ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Happy Birthday, Bob James on ESP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blajay Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 On to the end of Disc 2-Disc 3 solos from Arista A2L-8602 Alto Saxophone Improvisation 1979 Sort of cavernous sound to borrow a term from Chris Albertson. Beautiful music. The ending climax of Opus 77A feels like such a catharsis followed by pure relief, and I mean that all in a positive sense. Opus 26F on Disc 3 aggressively raised my hairs, while Opus 77F had me nearly in tears. Back in outer space via some subaltern lingering in the breaks sounds like Chevy Chase putting on the green in Caddy Shack--Opus 26B. Hey, let's mix in fucking swinging versions of Along Came Betty and Giant Steps for a sentimental touch. This one man ensemble can take me anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blajay Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 On end of Disc 3 into Disc 4 from For Trio Arista AB-4181 I prefer the second version with Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman. Maybe that's because my mind got adjusted already to these sorts of theatrics about midway through the first version, though. Reminds me of Varese, which I am fond of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blajay Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Opus 95 for Two Pianos is a piece I keep returning to. I've listened to it probably 4 times since getting the box, and last night I think I came close to having a religious experience about 25 minutes in. It was very odd. That's one of the best little-discussed Braxton albums out there. It didn't get a wide release. I think Arista cut the corners off about a minute after they put the shrink wrap on. Arista also "forgot" to include Braxton's liner notes when it was released. I was lucky to find a copy a few years ago. Ursula Oppens and Frederic Rzewski are a dream team for this kind of music. I really like the use of zither and melodica on 95. I liked For Two Pianos, but it didn't thrill me at any point. I love the melodica, though. That is an instrument I have to check out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blajay Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Just listened to Disc V Arista AL-4080 Creative Orchestra Music 1976. I've heard this one before, so no surprises. Pure joy. What all-star casts on each of these opi. Now on end of Disc V into Disc VI from Arista AL-5002 The Montreux/Berlin Concerts. Heard this before, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blajay Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Just listened to Disc V Arista AL-4080 Creative Orchestra Music 1976. I've heard this one before, so no surprises. Pure joy. What all-star casts on each of these opi. Now on end of Disc V into Disc VI from Arista AL-5002 The Montreux/Berlin Concerts. Heard this before, too. Opus 23J--whew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 Braxton and the Beast Once upon a time, a major label not only signed but supported one of the most uncompromising radicals in jazz. ANTHONY BRAXTON | THE COMPLETE ARISTA RECORDINGS OF ANTHONY BRAXTON (MOSAIC) By Peter Margasak November 27, 2008 The music on the eight-disc box set The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton doesn’t do much to betray its era. Dave Holland’s amplified double bass might help an attentive listener guess that the tracks where it appears date from that unfortunate stretch of the 70s when the natural sound of the instrument was considered unfashionable, but otherwise everything about this material—the compositions and the performances alike—sounds fresh and timeless. Given that the recordings were originally released by Arista—it’s right there in the title—you could figure out they aren’t recent, even if all you know about Braxton is that he works in jazz. These days major labels only barely acknowledge the genre, relegating it to boutiquey subsidiaries like Blue Note, Nonesuch, and Emarcy, but there was a time when a mainstream label would not only sign a bold, idiosyncratic artist like Braxton but would support him in some of his most ambitious and least commercial projects. Between 1974 and 1982 Braxton had nine Arista releases, which filled 13 LPs and ranged from improvisations on solo saxophone to a massive two-hour composition for four orchestras. This is the first time most of that music has been reissued on CD. more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Johnson Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Okay, folks. I've had this set for a while, but haven't cracked it open yet. I know, pathetic. But today's the day...so, for those of you who are Braxtonophiles or otherwise, should I just start at disc 1, or ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Play 'em in order. Why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Johnson Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Play 'em in order. Why not? Why not indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Plus, if it's packaged in chronological order, that first album gives a good taste of the Wheeler/Holland/Altschul band in full throttle....if you need to "ease into" Braxton World from a more "inside" leaning, that's a good band to do it with. Just remember, though - this ain't never, ever gonna be "bebop". But it will swing and it will tell the truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Johnson Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Plus, if it's packaged in chronological order, that first album gives a good taste of the Wheeler/Holland/Altschul band in full throttle....if you need to "ease into" Braxton World from a more "inside" leaning, that's a good band to do it with. Just remember, though - this ain't never, ever gonna be "bebop". But it will swing and it will tell the truth. It swings, man! It swings like mad! And that is the truth--the whole truth. SO glad I got this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Plus, if it's packaged in chronological order, that first album gives a good taste of the Wheeler/Holland/Altschul band in full throttle....if you need to "ease into" Braxton World from a more "inside" leaning, that's a good band to do it with. Just remember, though - this ain't never, ever gonna be "bebop". But it will swing and it will tell the truth. It's not in chronological order after the first disc and Jerome Cooper rather than Altschul is on the first few tracks. However it does almost seem to try to "ease you in". (The music from For 4 Orchestras makes up the last 2 discs.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 disc order is just fine! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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