Anthony Braxton

schiksalgemeinschaft · Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:57 am

I've been listening to the new trio in victoriaville cd, and I'm enjoying it, it has computergenerated electronics playing along. I've also picked up some of the aristas on lp, wonderfull. It's been quite a while, if not years, since I've really listened to Braxton, and it seems like I'm going in for a while again. I didn't find a thread dedicated to this 'restructuralist master', maybe we could share some thoughts?

http://www.newalbion.com/artists/braxtona/
(btw, Forces in Motion is worth the money alone for that awesome touring anecdote at the end...)

user_1082 · Post by **user_1082** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:09 am

I recently picked up the new Trio recording as well and find the use of electronics interesting (I was first afraid that I'd hate it).

Hmm.. what about my favorite Braxton recordings?

Saxophone Improvisations Series F (1972)
New York, Fall 1974
The Montreux/Berlin Concerts (1975-1976)
Dortmund (Quartet) 1976
Willisau (Quartet) 1991
Sextet (Istanbul) 1996
Four Compositions (GTM) 2000
Comp. 169 + (186 + 206 + 214) (2001)

Post by **mudd** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:15 am

i didn't think much of the electronics in that particular live performance, but perhaps a live recording would clear up the somewhat muddled sound.

for alto, if we're talking favorite records.

m

surfer · Post by **surfer** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 3:24 pm

I've always been partial to this one:

but I'll second ghost trance's picks:

New York, Fall 1974 if you're interested in listening to him with electronics, this has a nice cut with Richard Teitelbaum

The Montreux/Berlin Concerts (1975-1976) - these bands were SWINGING - one date is Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, and Barry Altschul, the other substitute George Lewis for Wheeler.

also

Trio and Duets (1974) - side two is particularly good with duets of standards with Holland

Creative Orchestra Music (1976) - good big band Braxton

Dortmund gets a lot of love, I've never heard it though. And the 80s quartet with Hemingway and Crispell and Dresser get a lot of love too, but the only recording on Leo of that group that I have is Coventry, and the sound quality is so bad that I cant recommend it. Santa Cruz is better.

Salty Swift · Post by **Salty Swift** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 3:54 pm

Few of my favourites, include

Open Aspects 1982 Duo with Richard Teitelbaum

Creative Orchestra (Koln) 1978

Moment Precieux with Derek Bailey

Time Zones - from 1977, once again with Teitelbaum

faster · Post by **faster** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:39 pm

Been some years, but I used to love Five Pieces, 1975.

user_5094 · Post by **user_5094** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:00 pm

I've had For Alto for a few months. Really enjoying it. Fantastic album in all respects.

Which album(s) would you lot recommend I try next? I've really no idea how to go about exploring Braxton's work...

Salty Swift · Post by **Salty Swift** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:02 pm

I Am King wrote:I've had For Alto for a few months. Really enjoying it. Fantastic album in all respects.

Which album(s) would you lot recommend I try next? I've really no idea how to go about exploring Braxton's work...

....When in doubt, start chronologically

bedouin · Post by **bedouin** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:26 am

Salty Swift wrote:
I Am King wrote:I've had For Alto for a few months. Really enjoying it. Fantastic album in all respects.

Which album(s) would you lot recommend I try next? I've really no idea how to go about exploring Braxton's work...
....When in doubt, start chronologically

hahaha!
According to this: http://www.restructures.net/BraxDisco/b ... graphy.htm there are over 300 titles(!). Good luck.

"One In Two - Two In One" is highly recommended, though it's really a Roach disc.

schiksalgemeinschaft · Wed Feb 27, 2008 10:58 am

Surfer wrote:Dortmund gets a lot of love, I've never heard it though.

I guess that one is a good one to start. Lewis is in great shape there, and some excellent drumparts. I think Hathut reissued it last year?

Of his more recent work, I think you can't go wrong with the quintet in London on Leo (2004) and the sextet in Victoriaville on Victo (2005). I think they both would make my Braxton top-10, and I have the bulk of his catalogue.

I put on 2 cds of Trillium R yesterday, I forgot how much I love them.

fearandpanic · Post by **fearandpanic** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:04 am

Schiksalgemeinschaft wrote: I guess that one is a good one to start. Lewis is in great shape there, and some excellent drumparts. I think Hathut reissued it [Dortmund] last year?

Did they? I don't think they did, unless I'm missing something. I agree it'd be a good start.

schiksalgemeinschaft · Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:01 pm

fearandpanic wrote:
Schiksalgemeinschaft wrote: I guess that one is a good one to start. Lewis is in great shape there, and some excellent drumparts. I think Hathut reissued it [Dortmund] last year?
Did they? I don't think they did, unless I'm missing something. I agree it'd be a good start.

nope indeed, they didn't. For some reason I got confused by the Performance 1979 reissue, sorry. So that means Quartet (Dortmund) 1976 is out of print, but one should be able to get it rather cheap from eBay I guess. Again, well worth the hunt.

Salty Swift · Post by **Salty Swift** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:48 pm

bedouin wrote:
Salty Swift wrote:
I Am King wrote:I've had For Alto for a few months. Really enjoying it. Fantastic album in all respects.

Which album(s) would you lot recommend I try next? I've really no idea how to go about exploring Braxton's work...
....When in doubt, start chronologically
hahaha!
According to this: http://www.restructures.net/BraxDisco/b ... graphy.htm there are over 300 titles(!). Good luck.

"One In Two - Two In One" is highly recommended, though it's really a Roach disc.

How do you figure this is a Roach disc??
It's really a duet....a true duet - I don't recall a lot of solo percussion passages, but I'd have to go back and give it another spin.

user_5300 · Post by **user_5300** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:52 pm

he really has too many records in last 10 or so years and pretty messed up views on music and society and their inter-relations.

skillful and potent musician, fough.

user_4664 · Post by **user_4664** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:32 pm

Braxton's two duo recordings with Andrew Cyrille are the best things I've heared from AB in years. Braxton and Teitelbaum are overdue for another duet recording,imo.

meadowphantasm · Post by **meadowphantasm** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:31 pm

again this is amazing and stupidly out of print..the only thing he has done thats blown me away..

that box set on ring with sabu toyzumi is pretty good.

Dohol · Post by **Dohol** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:11 pm

meadowphantasm wrote:again this is amazing and stupidly out of print..the only thing he has done thats blown me away..

that box set on ring with sabu toyzumi is pretty good.

I really like that album, but the bass player ( sorry, I can't remember his name ) is the weak link..

I'm for almost all the Arista recordings ( except for four orchestras...should never have been recorded..) and all the Delmark/Nessa stuff..At one time I listened to Braxton obsessively, although I haven't heard ( literally ) anything he's recorded in the last ten years.

bedouin · Post by **bedouin** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:12 pm

Salty Swift wrote:
bedouin wrote: "One In Two - Two In One" is highly recommended, though it's really a Roach disc.
How do you figure this is a Roach disc??
It's really a duet....a true duet - I don't recall a lot of solo percussion passages, but I'd have to go back and give it another spin.

Sure there is no doubt that it is a duet (and a masterful one at that).
?
But to my ears, there is a very strong reference to where Roach comes from (bop/hard bop/free jazz) in this CD. Not what I typically associate Braxton?s approach with, which on one hand can be frighteningly loose (see ?for alto?), and on the other hand almost mathematically structured (see ?4 compositions 2000?).
It seems to me that Roach drives the session and almost inspires Braxton to come up with some diamond sketches throughout.

bedouin · Post by **bedouin** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:41 am

Surfer wrote:Dortmund gets a lot of love, I've never heard it though.

dortmund is here:
http://marramua.blogspot.com/2007/09/an ... -1976.html
(I wouldn't typically offer a link here, but I doubt you can find this one for under 100 bucks)

also,
there is a lengthy (and clean) bootleg of the Braxton/Crispel/Hemingway/Dresser 4tet from 91 here:
http://huppeshyalites.blogspot.com/2007 ... ondon.html

user_2578 · Post by **user_2578** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:24 am

raw.deal wrote:he really has too many records in last 10 or so years and pretty messed up views on music and society and their inter-relations.

What's that supposed to mean??