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Anthony Braxton


7/4

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Cliff- did you actually interview Anthony? How did you get hold of him?

Sheee-hit Allen. You're always bragging about chatting with Braxton, now you suddenly don't know how to get in touch with him. How about that! :lol:

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AB is restarting Braxton House, so I guess it's safe to assume he'll be putting it out that way.

This is good news. I have a couple of titles on Braxton House, but missed a bunch of them when they first came out. Maybe he'll consider reprinting the back catalog as there is a lot of great music there.

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FWIW, 4 Comps (GTM) 2006 on Important is wonderful. Not too much obvious repetition, and Aaron Siegel is a fine percussionist.

FWIW I wholeheartedly agree.

I'd struggled to 'connect' with previous GTM (my problem, not the music's) but gave it one more try with 4 Comps (GTM) 2006 and was bowled over. I think too maybe because there is less "obvious repitition". It was the presence of Siegel that probably tipped the scales for me as I'd enjoyed his work with Memorize the Sky so much. AB's playing is marvellous throughout and the band have a cohesion and understanding reminiscent to me of the Crispell etc quartet. Four discs is a lot of anyone's music but this is music to immerse oneself in.

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he's an interesting guy. but alternately gregarious and then elusive, great to talk to - lots of insight. Would like to see the interview.

(and the elusiveness is a longstanding trait - 2 musicians, separately - Julius Hemphill and Randy Sandke - told me, about 20 years apart, about how much they liked him but how frustrating it can be to deal with him. Last time I saw him was in Middletown, summer of 2008. He asked me if I wanted to record with him but I haven't seen or heard from him since. But if I do, 7/4, I'll put in a good word for you).

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AB is restarting Braxton House, so I guess it's safe to assume he'll be putting it out that way.

This is good news. I have a couple of titles on Braxton House, but missed a bunch of them when they first came out. Maybe he'll consider reprinting the back catalog as there is a lot of great music there.

All 8 CDs are still in stock at Downtown Music Gallery.

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AB is restarting Braxton House, so I guess it's safe to assume he'll be putting it out that way.

This is good news. I have a couple of titles on Braxton House, but missed a bunch of them when they first came out. Maybe he'll consider reprinting the back catalog as there is a lot of great music there.

All 8 CDs are still in stock at Downtown Music Gallery.

Really??? Aren't these as rare as hen's teeth nowadays?

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AB is restarting Braxton House, so I guess it's safe to assume he'll be putting it out that way.

This is good news. I have a couple of titles on Braxton House, but missed a bunch of them when they first came out. Maybe he'll consider reprinting the back catalog as there is a lot of great music there.

All 8 CDs are still in stock at Downtown Music Gallery.

Really??? Aren't these as rare as hen's teeth nowadays?

I purchased Sextet (Istanbul) 1996 from DMG a couple of months ago. Price seemd very fair and in no way over-inflated considering limited availability - not a "hen's teeth' price. Definitely advise you check them out if you are interested in the Braxton Houses

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AB is restarting Braxton House, so I guess it's safe to assume he'll be putting it out that way.

This is good news. I have a couple of titles on Braxton House, but missed a bunch of them when they first came out. Maybe he'll consider reprinting the back catalog as there is a lot of great music there.

All 8 CDs are still in stock at Downtown Music Gallery.

Really??? Aren't these as rare as hen's teeth nowadays?

I purchased Sextet (Istanbul) 1996 from DMG a couple of months ago. Price seemd very fair and in no way over-inflated considering limited availability - not a "hen's teeth' price. Definitely advise you check them out if you are interested in the Braxton Houses

Big thumbs up for the Instanbul date.

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  • 1 month later...

A 4 CD set with Gerry Hemingway is being released this month on Mode Records. http://www.gerryhemingway.com/news.html

Also, three more have just come out on Leo Records: another four disc set from the Standards Quartet, a duo with Ann Rhodes called GTM (Syntax) 2003 and a duo with Chris Jonas and trio with Jonas and Molly Sturges called GTM (Outpost) 2003.

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I'd like to hear those duets. "Old Dog Braxton" was a constant rejoinder when I hung out with AB last year. Wish I could make it to the 65th B-day concert.

That concert is going to be amazing. Wish I could make it too. (Info is here, for those who don't know what we are on about: http://anthonybraxton.wordpress.com/ )

Fortunately, I saw the 12+1tet and the Sonic Genome Project earlier this year. I took my 2-year-old to the latter event and Braxton walked over and spoke to us. It was neat to finally meet him.

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A 4 CD set with Gerry Hemingway is being released this month on Mode Records. http://www.gerryhemingway.com/news.html

Also, three more have just come out on Leo Records: another four disc set from the Standards Quartet, a duo with Ann Rhodes called GTM (Syntax) 2003 and a duo with Chris Jonas and trio with Jonas and Molly Sturges called GTM (Outpost) 2003.

Lots of interesting info. on that Hemingway link.

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Yeah, I interviewed him in the fall but my winter/spring has been a time-suck and brain-suck, so consequently it's just getting shored up now. It should be on AAJ by late April, perhaps in more than one part (fucker is 60 pp. transcribed).

I realized that, once you sort of just let yourself into Braxton's thought-world and vocabulary, a significant part of it does make sense. And if something is unclear the first time, he is glad to try his best to clarify it. I agree that not everybody has that option, but what people do have is access to the recordings and liner notes, which taken bit by bit, over and over, gradually unfurl into a dynamic system with a few choice elements that meant to spur creative thought and activity.

Braxton said to me, and of his critics and their responses, that he basically "just want people to have fun and [he isn't] out to harm anybody." Sure, those four+ CD boxed sets can be daunting, but once you pop a disc into the player and let it go, the music is very joyous, fun, sometimes quite funny, and often very pretty. I understand why something of magnitude/breadth can be hard to take in over a few sittings, but Braxton doesn't expect his music to be something short-term and meant for quick consumption. It takes time to appreciate it (especially his post-1970s music), but ultimately, it's there to be enjoyed. I know that sounds simple, but it really does help to just listen and not get too wrapped up in nomenclature and theory. That stuff is helpful at a certain level, but not at all levels of the music. It's there if you want it.

Did you publish this yet? Most of what he says is quite easy to understand, which is what makes it so boring that wide-eyed hacks and hangers-on just replicate the vocabulary without explaining it. It will be good to have a clear-eyed view for a change. By the way I think there is a difference between the music being difficult to follow (it isn't) and difficult to like (that can vary).

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That guest post by Josh Stinton at the link above is something that resonates with me after hearing Chuck mention, a long time ago after the 2006 Iridium recordings came out, something along the lines of a later generation will come along and show us how Braxton's music is played "correctly."

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I'm just starting my way into braxton's world, since i used to be more a hardbopper, for now i can say he's great for alto it's a must listen i think. I own not much recordings under his name just quartet (dortmund) and eight +3 tristano compositions, but i'm looking for more stuff from him

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