ANTHONY BRAXTON - Quintet [Tristano] 2014 (2016) 7CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
1-1    Crosscurrent 9'09
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
1-2    Ice Cream Konitz 8'48
Written-By – Lee Konitz
1-3    Dreams 6'53
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
1-4    Two-Way (Duo) 2'00
Written-By – Lenny Popkin
1-5    Casino 8'49
Written-By – Warne Marsh
1-6    No Figs (Quartet) 8'18
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
1-7    East 32nd Street 7'26
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
1-8    Sound-Lee 11'16
Written-By – Lee Konitz
2-1    Dixie's Dilemma 10'55
Written-By – Warne Marsh
2-2    Palo Alto (Trio) 4'28
Written-By – Lee Konitz
2-3    Sax Of A Kind 8'28
Written-By – Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh
2-4    Starline (Quartet) 5'48
Written-By – Lenny Popkin
2-5    Marionette 3'30
Written-By – Billy Bauer
2-6    Lennie-Bird 9'48
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
2-7    Never Let Me Go 4'04
Written-By – Jay Livingston And Ray Evans
2-8    All About You (Version 1) 7'03
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
2-9    Background Music (Version 2) 6'05
Written-By – Warne Marsh
3-1    Hi Beck 9'38
Written-By – Lee Konitz
3-2    Quintet Improvisation 2 3'56
Music By [Collective Improvisation] – Andre Vida, Anthony Braxton, Eivind Opsvik, Jackson Moore, Mike Szekely
3-3    Back Home 6'04
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
3-4    C-Bop (Version 1) 9'00
Written-By – Billy Lester
3-5    Wow! (Quartet) 6'23
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
3-6    Quintet Improvisation 3 3'04
Music By [Collective Improvisation] – Andre Vida, Anthony Braxton, Eivind Opsvik, Jackson Moore, Mike Szekely
3-7    Two Not One 10'20
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
3-8    No Figs 10'31
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
3-9    Turkish Mambo (Quartet) 4'10
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
4-1    April 6'15
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
4-2    Jonquil 5'38
Written-By – Billy Bauer
4-3    Aretha 10'04
Written-By – Ronnie Ball
4-4    Smog Eyes 6'34
Written-By – Ted Brown
4-5    Deep Friendship (Quartet) 5'14
Written-By – Connie Crothers
4-6    Subconscious-Lee 8'40
Written-By – Lee Konitz
4-7    Leave Me 9'54
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
4-8    Feather Bed (Version 1) 7'08
Written-By – Ted Brown
5-1    A Family Song 10'47
Written-By – Sal Mosca
5-2    Palo Alto 10'40
Written-By – Lee Konitz
5-3    Piano And Drums Improvisation 1 4'09
Music By [Collective Improvisation] – Anthony Braxton, Mike Szekely
5-4    It's A Blue World 4'04
Written-By – George Forrest, Robert Wright
5-5    Victory Ball (Trio) 5'59
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
5-6    Crosscurrent (Quartet) 6'23
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
5-7    Lennie's Pennies 10'04
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
5-8    Tautology 5'56
Written-By – Lee Konitz
6-1    Marshmallow 12'51
Written-By – Warne Marsh
6-2    Piano And Bass Improvisation 3'56
Music By [Collective Improvisation] – Anthony Braxton, Eivind Opsvik
6-3    Progression 5'15
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
6-4    Jazz Of Two Cities 8'32
Written-By – Ted Brown
6-5    C-Bop (Version 2) 8'04
Written-By – Billy Lester
6-6    Quintet Improvisation 1 4'41
Music By [Collective Improvisation] – Andre Vida, Anthony Braxton, Eivind Opsvik, Jackson Moore, Mike Szekely
6-7    Ablution 9'11
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
6-8    Baby (Quartet) 4'41
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
7-1    Feather Bed (Version 2) 8'38
Written-By – Ted Brown
7-2    Ice Cream Konitz (Quartet) 6'25
Written-By – Lee Konitz
7-3    Piano And Drums Improvisation 2 2'56
Music By [Collective Improvisation] – Anthony Braxton, Mike Szekely
7-4    Long Gone 5'45
Written-By – Warne Marsh
7-5    Lennie-Bird (Trio) 5'31
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
7-6    Victory Ball 4'31
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
7-7    Background Music (Version 1) 9'39
Music By – Warne Marsh
7-8    All About You (Version 2) 7'34
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
7-9    You Go To My Head 2'55
Written-By – Gillespie, Coots
7-10    Wow! 6'19
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
7-11    Ice Cream Konitz (Trio) 5'18
Written-By – Lee Konitz
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Jackson Moore
Bass – Eivind Opsvik
Drums – Mike Szekely
Piano – Anthony Braxton
Producer [Produced By] – Anthony Braxton
Tenor Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Contrabass Saxophone, C Melody Saxophone [C-Melody Saxophone] – Andre Vida

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Small Ensemble Music (Wesleyan) 1994 (1999) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The first issue from the prolific Italian label Splasc(h)'s international series, this CD fills an important gap in the work of Braxton by focusing on his non-quartet work of the mid-90s. Actually taken from a single concert of duo, trio, and quartet performances, the compositions are characteristically complex, though absorbingly and fascinatingly so. While the level of his classic quartet recordings is hard to beat, these small groups give a different view of the composer/performer - one laced with abstraction and densely layered harmonies. "Composition No. 107," with trombonist Roland Dahinden and pianist Jeanne Chloe, revisits an earlier version recorded with Garrett List and Marianne Schroeder. The two saxophone features, "Trio Improvisation" and "Duo Improvisation," incorporate harmonies in strikingly different ways. "Three Compositions for Sextet," is perhaps the highlight, with two of the three compositions never before recorded. Unfortunately, the sound quality is a tad weak throughout. Steve Loewy
Tracklist :
Duo And Trio Music    
1    Trio Improvisation 8:53
Alto Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – André Vida
Bass Clarinet, Oboe, Shenai – Brandon Evans
2    Composition N° 107 20:24
Piano – Jeanne Chloe
Soprano Saxophone, C Melody Saxophone [C-Melody Saxophone] – Anthony Braxton
Trombone – Roland Dahinden
3    Duo Improvisation 6:42
Percussion – Eric Rosenthal
Sopranino Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
4    Three Compositions For Sextet (21:13)
4.1    Composition N° 44 (108D+96)+168    
4.2    Composition N° 136    
4.3    Composition N° 43 +(96)+168
Accordion – Ted Reichman
Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Sopranino Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Vibraphone – Kevin Norton
Trombone – Mike Heffley
Violin – Jason Wong

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Octet (New York) 1995 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This octet documentation of Anthony Braxton's "Composition 188" is solid evidence of the state of the decline of the recording industry's ability to nurture an artist -- even one of Braxton's stature -- and see to much less beyond the bottom line in order to fulfill their function as documenters of cultural history. They may claim no responsibility, but they're wrong. This disc is angering, and it's not for the quality of the written music or even Braxton's performance, which is, as usual, excellent. It's the fact that he had to record it himself with a group of players who, despite their individual qualities, were not up to the task of performing with any kind of inspiration on work as wondrous and difficult as this. Braxton is clearly working with his students here, and it shows in the recorded result. The muddy mix, the shoddy spatial relationships between instruments, and the evident rigorous effort put in on the part of a group whose entire collective effort, while admirable, is not equal to the challenges of "Composition 188," nearly an hour long and full of knotty harmonic ideas and strange cascading repetitive note patterns that shift from front to back and then side to side in oddly delineated intervals of tonal ebullience. But what was Braxton supposed to do? Not document it in performance? A label would have allowed Braxton to hire -- rather than ask their favor -- a group of handpicked musicians for this particular work and have given them the money and the time to rehearse it adequately before recording it. That used to happen.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Compostition No. 188 58:06
Credits :
Accordion – Ted Reichman
Baritone Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone [B-Flat Soprano Saxophone], Tenor Saxophone, Flute [Hungarian Shepherd Flute] – Andre Vida
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Percussion – Kevin Norton
Electric Violin – Jason Kao Hwang
Sopranino Saxophone [E-Flat Sopranino Saxophone], Alto Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet [E-Flat Sopranino Clarinet], Clarinet [B-Flat Clarinet], Contrabass Clarinet, Saxophone [F-Saxophone], Composed By – Anthony Braxton
Soprano Saxophone [C-Soprano Saxophone], Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute, Flute [Wooden Flute] – Brandon Evans
Tenor Trombone, Trombone [Alto Trombone] – Roland Dahinden

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Tentet (New York) 1996 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Composition No. 193    1:07:11
Anthony Braxton    
Credits :
Accordion – Ted Reichman
Alto Clarinet, Piccolo Flute – J.D. Parran
Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone [E-flat], Saxophone [F-], Clarinet [E-flat Sopranino, B-flat], Contrabass Clarinet, Flute, Composed By, Producer – Anthony Braxton
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Percussion – Kevin Norton
Soprano Saxophone [B-flat], Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Andre Vida
Soprano Saxophone [C-], Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Brandon Evans
Trombone [Tenor, Alto] – Roland Dahinden
Violin – Gwen Laster, Jacquie Carrasco

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 1 (2002) 2CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Recorded live at the San Francisco jazz club Yoshi's, this two-CD set captures Anthony Braxton's "Ghost Trance" music performed by a sympathetic nonet, comprised of a saxophone sextet plus a rhythm section. Each of the group's members is closely associated with Braxton, so that this performance can be said to accurately portray the structure of the music and the intentions of the composer. The sound is surprisingly clear for a live performance, too. This is very difficult music to listen to at one sitting, and the written saxophone parts can be particularly torturous. Pounding pulses devoid of melody, a somewhat limited tonal palette, and lots of repeating phrases (what the composer calls "repetition") add to the complexity and the opaqueness. Appreciating the theoretical underpinnings of the compositions, some of which are discussed by Steve Day in the liner notes, make it more approachable, and the glorious improvisations by Braxton and his colleagues mitigate the harshness of the whole. Although it is virtually impossible to know which reed players are playing what and when, when you bring together the sort of talent represented by saxophone luminaries such as Brandon Evans, James Fei, Jackson Moore, as well as an all-star rhythm section of percussionist Kevin Norton, guitarist Kevin O'Neil, and bassist Joe Fonda, you know that the quality of performance is bound to be superb, and, in fact, the solos and trio breakouts are nothing less than splendid. For those who have been exposed to this phase of Braxton's music, these two performances are among his best for a small group. For those who have not yet tasted these fruits, you may wish to start elsewhere with a single helping. Steve Loewy  
Tracklist :
1-1    Composition N. 207    1:12:00
2-1    Composition N. 208    1:11:09
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Alto Saxophone [F-Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], C Melody Saxophone [C-Melody Sax], Flute, Clarinet [Bb Clarinet], Bass Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Clarinet [Bb Clarinet] – Jackson Moore
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Bass Clarinet – James Fei
Artwork – Lora Denis
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Marimba, Percussion, Vibraphone – Kevin Norton
Electric Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Music By – Anthony Braxton
Producer – Anthony Braxton, Leo Feigin
Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Bass Saxophone [Bass Sax], Flute – J.D. Parran
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Baritone Saxophone [Baritone Sax] – Andre Vida
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Soprano Saxophone [C-Soprano Sax], Sopranino Saxophone [Sopranino Sax], Bass Clarinet, Flute – Brandon Evans

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 2 (2003) 2CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Braxton's Ghost Trance Music series ranks among the most difficult music to review. Everyone has his or her personal favorites among the dozens of discs released under this umbrella and, since the general idea underpinning them all and the quality of musicianship remain rather constant, evaluation comes down to highly subjective factors. For instance, one listener might find the first volume in Leo Records' Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997 series lacking in interest, but would be hard pressed to rationally explain why this second installment, Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 2 is so much better. The lineup is the same: a barrage of woodwinds (Anthony Braxton, Brandon Evans, James Fei, Jackson Moore, Andre Vidal, and J.D. Parran, all playing multiple saxophones, clarinets, and flutes) accompanied by guitar (Kevin O'Neil), bass (Joe Fonda), and percussion (Kevin Norton), although all nine players rarely perform at the same time. Both "Composition N. 209" and "Composition N. 210" move through a quasi-endless and constantly renewed flow of trios (the latter also uses larger combinations). The music was recorded the day after the first volume, and consists once again of two disc-long pieces. The difference on Vol. 2 is that the group sounds more focused, more willing to trap the listener into the hypnotic patterns of the music and push him to the edge of free improvisation. "Composition N. 210" in particular deploys some mean tricks to make you forget that it is written down. The two pieces develop very different colors. Most noticeable is the fact that Norton (mostly) plays the drum kit in "N. 210," while he sticks to mallet percussion and cymbals in "N. 209." And so, either by design or attraction, "N. 210" displays a certain free jazz mood, prone to a certain frenzy, while "N. 209" slightly evokes contemporary classical music, especially in its delicate finale. Up to this point, the listener may be under the impression that GTM worked better with small groupings, but this set proves otherwise. François Couture  
Tracklist :
1-1    Composition N. 209    57:49
2-1    Composition N. 210    58:33
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Alto Saxophone [F-Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], C Melody Saxophone [C-Melody Sax], Flute, Clarinet [Bb Clarinet], Bass Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Clarinet [Bb Clarinet] – Jackson Moore
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Bass Clarinet – James Fei
Artwork – Lora Denis
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Marimba, Percussion, Vibraphone – Kevin Norton
Electric Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Music By – Anthony Braxton
Producer – Anthony Braxton, Leo Feigin
Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Bass Saxophone [Bass Sax], Flute – J.D. Parran
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Baritone Saxophone [Baritone Sax] – Andre Vida
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Soprano Saxophone [C-Soprano Sax], Sopranino Saxophone [Sopranino Sax], Bass Clarinet, Flute – Brandon Evans

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 3 (2005) 2CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Released 15 months after Vol. 2, this two-CD set continues to document the Anthony Braxton Ninetet's six-night residency at Yoshi's. "Composition No. 211" and "Composition No. 212" (each 55 minutes long) were both performed on August 21, 1997. Because of the range of arrangements it offers in a format relatively easy to keep together, the Ninetet is turning into Braxton's ultimate Ghost Trance Music-era group, in the light of these recordings. The (shifting) triple-trio configuration, the quality of the musicianship, and the creativity developed from "Composition No. 207" through "Composition No. 218" will make this series one of the essential documents of GTM. As on the previous night, the most immediate difference between the first and the second pieces is Kevin Norton's role. In "211," he sticks exclusively to marimba and vibraphone, while in "212" he is mostly behind the drum kit. The first piece is the strongest one of the two. Braxton, Brandon Evans, and J.D. Parran form a flute trio at one point which, coupled with Norton's vibes, takes listeners into unusually velvety pastures. The pulse is marvelously sustained, producing a strong hypnotic effect, and the music attains a level of complexity and confidence -- ease too, probably -- the previous evenings only hinted at. "212" is slightly less impressive, mostly because the wind section lacks a bit of togetherness in key places. But it also features a fine bass sax solo from Parran, some of the series' most audacious "departures" from the main score, and a gentle finale (a nice change from the more standard GTM practice, which consists of abruptly stopping in the middle of a staccato tutti). The quality and entertainment value of Steve Day's listening diary -- an excellent no-nonsense contextualization of Braxton's music -- is is also worth noting. François Couture
Tracklist :
1-1    Composition N. 211    55:30
2-1    Composition N. 212    55:35
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Alto Saxophone [F-Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], C Melody Saxophone [C-Melody Sax], Flute, Clarinet [Bb Clarinet], Bass Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Clarinet [Bb Clarinet] – Jackson Moore
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Bass Clarinet – James Fei
Artwork – Lora Denis
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Marimba, Percussion, Vibraphone – Kevin Norton
Electric Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Music By – Anthony Braxton
Producer – Anthony Braxton, Leo Feigin
Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Bass Saxophone [Bass Sax], Flute – J.D. Parran
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Baritone Saxophone [Baritone Sax] – Andre Vida
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Soprano Saxophone [C-Soprano Sax], Sopranino Saxophone [Sopranino Sax], Bass Clarinet, Flute – Brandon Evans

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 4 (2007) 2CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

In the light of Firehouse 12's successful release of Anthony Braxton's complete Iridium residence as a single nine-CD box set in 2007, it is worth wondering if the Yoshi's residence would have had more impact had it been published as a 12-CD package instead of six separate volumes. The fact is, Braxton's six-day string of concerts at Yoshi's took place in 1997, the first night came out on CD in 2002, the fourth in 2007, and at this time it seems listeners won't have the whole thing before 2010. However, given how fast Braxton's compositional approach has been evolving, this occasional dip into early Ghost Trance Music helps recontextualize the Falling River Musics series or even the Diamond Curtain Wall experiments. On this fourth night of their weeklong engagement, the Ninetet performed two sets, each featuring a single new composition, numbers "213" and "214." Again, these are very difficult to describe in particulars, as this whole series feeds on repetition (within a piece and between pieces) of eight-note motives. Nine members strong, the group often sounds much larger, mainly because all but two play an array of different instruments, starting with Braxton himself, surrounded that night by seven saxes and clarinets, plus a flute. Even percussionist Kevin Norton keeps switching back and forth between the drum kit, marimba, and vibraphone. So the ensemble sounds larger than life, especially in "Composition No. 213," a very busy hour of music. "Composition No. 214" is somewhat stranger, the group fragmenting more often into subgroupings, and establishing a hierarchy between the soloists and the "backup" players by pushing the former far up into the mix and keeping the remaining musicians at a pianissimo level late in the piece. "Composition No. 214" also sees the group more willing to drop the GTM pulse altogether, or even accelerating it. Still, due to the time lag between recording and release dates, the Yoshi's series has become an item for the completist. More casual Braxton fans are better off keeping up with the man's genius and focusing on his more recent adventures. François Couture  
Tracklist :
1-1    Composition N. 213    56:14
2-1    Composition N. 214    58:40
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Alto Saxophone [F-Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], C Melody Saxophone [C-Melody Sax], Flute, Clarinet [Bb Clarinet], Bass Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Clarinet [Bb Clarinet] – Jackson Moore
Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Bass Clarinet – James Fei
Artwork – Lora Denis
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Marimba, Percussion, Vibraphone – Kevin Norton
Electric Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Music By – Anthony Braxton
Producer – Anthony Braxton, Leo Feigin
Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Bass Saxophone [Bass Sax], Flute – J.D. Parran
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Alto Saxophone [Eb Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Baritone Saxophone [Baritone Sax] – Andre Vida
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Soprano Saxophone [C-Soprano Sax], Sopranino Saxophone [Sopranino Sax], Bass Clarinet, Flute – Brandon Evans