WD45 Posted February 4, 2005 Report Share Posted February 4, 2005 I brought my lovely wife to a Braxton concert a couple of years ago. He had been an artist in residence at the University of Wisconson-River Falls, and this concert was the culmination. I had played some Braxton in the house before, mostly the standards stuff and some of the 70s Arista quartet LPs, but nothing was to prepare her for what was to come. The band was the quite nearly competent UWRF college jazz band. [Granted, anyone playing Braxton's scores would have a bit of a time.] There was very little soloing from the band. The head of the department did a bit of soloing and directing the group with Mr. Braxton. He brought his alto and sopranino. Braxton would divide the band in a "this half and that half" fashion and hold up cards with composition numbers on them. I still have the program around somewhere. For a couple of the performances, there were at least a half dozen of his numbered works performed at the same time. My wife has pretty open ears, but I must say that this proved to be her limit. She nearly got up and left! She was nice enough to tell me this on the ride home, rather than at the show. I went back and met Mr. Braxton. The person ahead of me in the queue had a copy of the orchestras Arista box and he remarked that he hadn't seen one of them for years. When I introduced myself, I made some knowledgeable comment about how I enjoyed his comments on the Second Vienisse School of composers in his Tri-Axium Writings. He was quite nice. He asked if I was a musician, and I replied "no, just a listener." His reply was "well we are all musicians in one way or another." A lovely sentiment. He was indeed wearing a cardigan sweater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted February 6, 2005 Report Share Posted February 6, 2005 the Wire story is ok, except that Braxton has said most of that before - I knew him a little bit when I worked with some of his Wesleyan students, and he's quite a nice guy and very interesting, accomodating and very good natured - somewhow I wish the piece had taken a different tack - like, maybe, his responses to some specific music - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 Can I veer this conversation onto Braxton on piano? I 've just listened to the first disc of the Piano Quartet (Yoshi's) 1994, and find him quite an interesting player. I think his ballad concept is the most 'accessible' bit of his playing. It seems to me to come out of a Monk/Elmo Hope lineage, as much as anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic1 Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 the Wire story is ok, except that Braxton has said most of that before - I knew him a little bit when I worked with some of his Wesleyan students, and he's quite a nice guy and very interesting, accomodating and very good natured - somewhow I wish the piece had taken a different tack - like, maybe, his responses to some specific music - Yeah I feel the same way. There was nothing new in that story. It is like a first introduction which for those of us who have enjoyed him a long time, is old news. I too would have liked to see him talk about specific music. He would be great on the invisible juke box. Or maybe some more elaboration on his operas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...=0entry308743 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 The quartet stuff is HEAVY!!! I can't get over it. So far, I've listened to - and am listening to - the Black Saint quartet albums from 1984 and 1986, and the Birmingham and Coventry dates. I don't understand the accusations that he doesn't swing, either. Perhaps I shouldn't be concerned. In one sense, he's not trying to, a lot of the time. But when they do deliberately lock into something, it swings for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 What does anyone think of Braxton on piano? Specifically, the Kinitting Factory and Yoshi's CDs with him at piano in a quartet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 david tudor is my co-pilot-- c In your dreams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted March 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 david tudor is my co-pilot-- c In your dreams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 14, 2005 Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 I scribbled something above about Braxton's piano playing. I'm intrigued. I find it a little 'easier' to hear him play ballads just at the moment - there are more little snippets of single line type work. It's in his playing of things like 'Body and Soul' from Yoshi's (1994) that I hear the Monk/Elmo Hope thing. I find his more 'up' playing quite daunting at times. Real keyboard 'assaults', a lot of the time. On the first couple of listens, I found it quite primitive, especially compared with his horn work; but as I spend a bit more time with it, I'm coming around to it. I think as much as anything, I admire his playing. He seems to be doing something original, and although I don't always recognise where, he seems to know where he wants to get. On a slight tangent, I've found it interesting - having only just recently got into Braxton - to listen to the Yoshi's discs in the same period as the 23 Standards music. The Yoshi's things seem to be a lot closer to his 'restructuralist' tendencies that the more 'stylistic' 23 Standards discs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 15, 2005 Report Share Posted March 15, 2005 I just picked up an old LP of duets between Warne Marsh and Red Mitchell. I can really hear a lot of Marsh in Braxton playing standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted March 15, 2005 Report Share Posted March 15, 2005 Today I bought the newly reissued Donna Lee. Very good!!!. I think I will go back to Borders in a few days and get the Saxophone Improvisations double disc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic1 Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 (edited) I have the original print of this record. I thought it was totally forgotten about. Speaking of forgotten about:: When or when will they reissue the arista records!?? Edited March 16, 2005 by sonic1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonguthartz Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Speaking of forgotten about:: When or when will they reissue the arista records!?? There have been rumors floating around for a few years now about Michael Cuscuna (who produced the Arista sessions) working on a Mosaic box of those recordings. Though a straight reissue of the LPs would be terrific, it'll be worth the wait if unissued material is included as well (if it exists). We wait... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John L Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 A Mosaic of Braxton on Arista? Now that would be fantastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyhersom Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 The Piano Quartet version of The Star Crossed Lovers is a fascinating piece of music. Marty Ehrlich approaches Hodges part with much reverence, as if he feels that what he is trying maybe can't be done, but the best results will come from staying close to the source. Braxton's piano is in direct contrast - the impression I get is "Duke Who??". Of course Braxton selected the composition for his album and you know darn well he knows, but reverence is nowhere to be found in the piano playing. If I listen to it fifty more times I may be able to decide whether I like it, but I know I won't be bored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 I don't know what to make of Ehrlich...I don't know his playing beyond this quartet, and generally when I listen, I'm so startled by Braxton's piano that I overlook Ehrlich. Will make a concerted effort later to listen to him. Does anyone know how likely the Arista stuff is to appear as a Mosaic? I held off buying a couple of LPs the other day, having this thought in the back of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 Does anyone know how likely the Arista stuff is to appear as a Mosaic? I held off buying a couple of LPs the other day, having this thought in the back of my head. I suggest buying the lps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 Thanks - I'll pick them up when the seller's next in town! It was Creative Music Orchestra and another, if I remember correctly. Chuck, in the early days, were you ever tempted/in a position to record Braxton when he was still in Chicago for your label? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted March 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 For Alto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted March 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted April 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 ANTHONY BRAXTON 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 Leo Four CDs is overkill for others but with Braxton it's just a ritual of getting acquainted. His catalog is so huge that keeping up is impossible. One thing you can lose track of is what an extraordinary musician he is, but standards provide a handle to hear him by and proven melodies to exploit. On his recently re-released Charlie Parker Project 1993 (Hatology) the point seems to be to leave Bird in his dust, but here he takes everything at a nice leisurely pace: The pieces average over 10 minutes, leaving ample time for guitarist Kevin O'Neil and a rhythm section that, well, swings. A MINUS Tom Hull in this weeks Village Voice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 That's a pretty cryptic review! What do you take him to mean by 'leav[ing] Bird in his dust'? Is it a reflection on the actual tempi taken? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 On a related point, I really hear Braxton strongly here as part of a Parker - Dolphy - Braxton continuum. Strangely, given his comments e.g. in Graham Lock's (excellent, IMHO) book 'Forces in Motion...', I find the Ornette influence harder to pin down. I was listening to some of the Ornette Atlantic box earlier today, and actually, I take this back. I can really here the influence now. In fact, I can't really see what I was getting at there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKE BBB Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 Hi! Since you´re all a bunch of Braxtonophiles... ...could you help me with the release date (this is, copyright or street year, not recording date) for any of the following discs?: - Steeplechase CD: SCCD 31015 - In The Tradition - Anthony Braxton (ldr) - Steeplechase LP 12": SCS 1045 - In The Tradition, Volume 2 - Anthony Braxton (ldr) - Steeplechase CD: SCCD 31045 - In The Tradition, Volume 2 - Anthony Braxton (ldr) - Steeplechase CD: SCS 37003/4 - What's New In The Tradition - Anthony Braxton (ldr) Posted this in a discographical thread on Tete Montoliu, but nobody brought release date for these issues. Cheers, AgustÃn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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