STANLEY JORDAN — Bolero (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Nobody plays the guitar quite like Stanley Jordan. Defying categorization, Bolero is another in a line of Jordan hit releases. After perfecting his skill at playing with two hands on the guitar's fretboard and hammering or tapping the strings to produce melody, countermelody, and rhythm all at the same time, Jordan has gone on to break new musical ground with Bolero in fusing jazz, pop and classical. Besides his jazzy version of "Bolero," Jordan mixes original pieces with "Drifting" by Jimi Hendrix and the funk-pop tune "Chameleon." AllMusic
Tracklist :
1    Bolero    22:38
 Maurice Ravel
2    Always And Forever    6:20
 Rod Temperton
3    Chameleon    7:14
 Herbie Hancock / Paul Jackson / Bennie Maupin / Harvey Mason, Sr.
4    Betcha By Golly Wow    6:34
 Thom Bell / Linda Creed
5    Drifting    6:28
 Jimi Hendrix
6    Plato's Blues    4:44
 Stanley Jordan
7    Always And Forever (Solo Reprise) 4:07
 Rod Temperton
Credits :
Bass – Charnett Moffett (tracks: 1-4), Anthony Jackson (tracks: 5,)
Guitar – Stanley Jordan
Synthesizer – Robert Zantay (tracks: 1, 3)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - New York, Fall 1974 (1975) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Anthony Braxton, who switches here between alto, flute, clarinet, sopranino and contrabass clarinet, is heard interpreting six of his originals in a wide variety of settings. Most accessible are his three performances with a quartet also including trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jerome Cooper. Braxton also adds violinist Leroy Jenkins to the group on one piece and has a duet with Richard Teitelbaum's moog synthesizer. However, the most historic performance is by an unaccompanied saxophone quartet consisting of Braxton, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and Hamiet Bluiett; this band (with David Murray in Braxton's place) would soon emerge as The World Saxophone Quartet. The wide amount of variety on this set makes this album a perfect introduction to Anthony Braxton's potentially forbidding but logical music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
A1    Cut One 8:50
Alto Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler
A2    Cut Two 3:07
Flute – Anthony Braxton
Trumpet [Muted] – Kenny Wheeler
A3    Cut Three 7:03
Alto Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Trumpet – Kenny Wheeler
B1    Cut One 6:33
Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Synthesizer [Moog] – Richard Teitelbaum
B2    Cut Two 8:18
Alto Saxophone – Julius Hemphill
Baritone Saxophone – Hamiet Bluiett
Sopranino Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Tenor Saxophone – Oliver Lake
B3    Cut Three 5:29
Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Percussion – Jerome Cooper
Trumpet [Muted] – Kenny Wheeler
Violin – Leroy Jenkins

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Five Pieces 1975 (1976) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This out-of-print album features one of Anthony Braxton's great combos, a quartet with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Barry Alstchul. Braxton (who switches between alto, clarinet, sopranino, flutes and contrabass clarinet) explores four of his diverse originals plus the standard "You Stepped Out Of A Dream." The tightness of his very alert and versatile group and the strength of the compositions make this one of Anthony Braxton's most rewarding records of the mid-1970's. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
A1    You Stepped Out Of A Dream 7:09
Words By – Gus Kahn
Written-By – Macio Herb Brown
A2    G - 647 (BNK - []    4:35
Composed By – Anthony Braxton
A3    4038 -- NBS 373 6    8:05
Composed By – Anthony Braxton
B1    4 8 9 M 70 - 2 -- (TH - B) M    17:17
Composed By – Anthony Braxton
B2    BOR - - - - H N - K 64    3:23
Composed By – Anthony Braxton
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Sopranino Saxophone, Flute, Contrabass Clarinet, Alto Flute – Anthony Braxton
Bass – Dave Holland
 (pistas: A2 to B2)
Drums – Barry Altschul
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler

ANTHONY BRAXTON - For Trio (1978) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
A    Version I 20:22
Flute, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Performer [Hub "T" Wall], Gong [Gongs], Percussion, Instruments [Little Instruments], Bass Flute – Henry Threadgill
Piccolo Flute, Flute, Soprano Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone [E♭ Soprano Saxophone, B♭ Soprano Saxophone], Alto Saxophone, Bassoon, Performer [Ewartphone], Gong [Gongs], Percussion, Instruments [Little Instruments], Clarinet [Bb Clarinet] – Douglas Ewart
B    Version II 20:56
Flute, Clarinet, Alto Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Vibraphone, Gong [Gongs], Percussion, Instruments [Little Instruments] – Joseph Jarman
Piccolo Flute, Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Gong [Gongs], Percussion, Instruments [Little Instruments] – Roscoe Mitchell
Credits :
Concert Flute [C Flute], Soprano Clarinet, Contra-Alto Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone [E♭ Soprano Saxophone], Alto Saxophone, Contrabass Saxophone, Tárogató [Taragata], Gong [Gongs], Percussion, Instruments [Little Instruments], Written-By, Liner Notes, Alto Flute, Clarinet [Bb Clarinet] – Anthony Braxton
Notas.
Little instruments refers to homemade instruments - bells, flutes etc. (if listed separately would require more space than this album could provide)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - For Four Orchestras (1978) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Braxton's contract with Arista during the '70s allowed him a unique opportunity to perform and record a number of projects that would normally have been, considering his financial state of affairs otherwise, impossible to even think about. The most monumental of these was the present set, a single composition spanning three LPs and performed by four student orchestras from Oberlin College. Unfortunately, the results don't live up to expectations. "Composition 82" is written in an extremely dry academic style with little differentiation of its course. It is quite conceivable that a performance by a more polished orchestra or, better yet, one made up of creative improvisers would be a substantial improvement. And one must keep in mind that the piece is designed to place the audience in a central position, surrounded by the orchestras, and thus able to hear musical ideas and fragments tossed back and forth from one group to another. Still, the musical material itself sounds routinely dreary and uninspired, as if Braxton was declaring that he too could write music as sterile and vapid as his European contemporaries. One might more charitably, however, write this effort off as an interesting experiment that failed; ideas appear herein that would bear far more beautiful fruit in later works, including the Ivesian notion of having individual members of the ensemble playing passages from different compositions simultaneously. There is one short section about 15 minutes into the piece where, unlike any other portion, the orchestras play and maintain an utterly gorgeous and complex chord for a minute or two. Buried within that deep structure seems to be a wealth of rich material that one would have hoped to be explored further. Alas, it is abandoned and left behind as an enticing prospect of what might have been. It's also amusing to note in passing the pieces Braxton was planning and the projected timetable for them; one, scheduled for 1988, was to be played by ensemble on three planets! Another, intended for 2000, was to span galaxies. Never let it be said that Braxton was short on ambition. Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1 - Opus 82 (Part One)
2 - Opus 82 (Part Two)
Notas.
from Braxton's notes in the booklet: "Composition {82} is the first completed work in a series of ten compositions that will involve the use of multiple-orchestralism and the dynamics of spacial activity. This work is scored for 160 musicians and has been designed to utilize both individual and collective sound-direction (in live performance). Each orchestra is positioned near the corners of the performing space, and the audience is seated in both the center and sides of the space (around and in between each orchestra). The resulting activity has been constructed to fully utilize every area of the room--which is to say, each section of the performing space will give the listener a very different aspect of the music. The science related to how this multiple use of space is utilized, will also open another chapter in multi-orchestra activity, and hopefully this work will be viewed as a positive contribution to transitional multi-orchestralism--as we move to the next cycle.The nature of how {Comp. 82} extends the dynamic possibilities of multi-orchestra activity has to do with its use of spaciality--involving both the nature of how information is transferred from orchestra to orchestra (where the listener of this record can hear the actual movement of activity change speakers) with the addition of 'trajectoral-activity' (where, in a live performance, the listener can experience the route of a given transfer). More so, this composition has also been constructed to include the actual change of performance direction as well. In other words 'information' in {Comp. 82} would also involve how the rotation of a given ensemble (as that ensemble is playing) changes the actual direction of the group making the music. This has been accomplished by having all of the performers (with the exception of the percussionist and the harpist) in rotating chairs--where even the direction of the music is calculated. Thus, the nature of spaciality in this composition would encompass an additional dynamic inclusion, for the spacial implications of environment would thus take on added dimensions. Because, in fact, to experience the realness of this composition is to experience a living and breathing universe. ***The actual composing of {Comp. 82} took place in July of 1977, lasting until the middle of May, 1978 (with sequence corrections up until August). The piece is scored for 160 musicians and each orchestra is made up with the same individual components. The make-up of each orchestra is as follows: two flues (one doubling on piccolo), oboe, English horn, two clarinets (one doubling on soprano clarinet), bass clarinet, bassoon, two trumpets, two trombones, bass trombone, tuba, harp, five first violins, five second violins, five violas, four cellos, three basses, and three percussion. The original floor plan of the composition was not able to be used for this recording as the space requirement it necessitated exceeded what was possible for us, so an alternate seating arrangement was utilized. The actual recording of {Comp. 82} took place in May, '78, on the campus of Oberlin College and involved four intensive sessions in two days. For this reason, the composition was recorded in sequence-patches, rather than in sectional areas. The total material would also exceed two hours and a half and as such, I have taken out about thirty minutes of the music in order to preserve the sound quality of this record. There have also been other adjustments as well, for the problem of time and economics in a project like this has to be taken into account--but what is documented here is an excellent version of the 'essence' of the piece. The placement of activity in this project has been designed to totally utilize the spacial dynamics of the quadraphonic technology--each orchestra will be heard coming from a separate speaker, and the mixture of events in a given section should give the sense of sound movement through space--and this will also be apparent (though to a somewhat lesser extent) to stereo record players as well."
All Credits

ANTHONY BRAXTON WITH MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS - Duets 1976 (1976) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Anthony Braxton took major advantage of his few years with Arista to record a number of projects that, at the time, would have been very difficult to undertake on his own, as their commercial potential was nil. One of these was a duo project with AACM founder and guiding force Muhal Richard Abrams. The results are mixed, with a somewhat ragged approach balanced by enthusiastic playing and an intriguing choice of material. They open with a fine, rollicking version of Eric Dolphy's "Miss Ann" and later launch into, of all things, Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag." Now, Abrams had been playing and performing Joplin and other ragtime composers for many years, predating the early '70s revival occasioned by the movie The Sting, and he glides through the piece with flair and ease. Braxton, however, seems either uncomfortable playing catch up or, perhaps, simply unwilling to perform the music in a straightforward manner. In any case, it makes for a jerky, awkward rendition. Three of Braxton's compositions are also included, two of which are spare, probing sonic investigations while the last, "Composition 40B," is a hugely fun, pulsing number featuring the composer on his superbly unwieldy contrabass sax. The album closes in lovely fashion with a soft, romantic improvisation by the duo, dedicated to Braxton's wife. Brian Olewnick  
Tracklist :
1     Miss Ann 4:09
Eric Dolphy   
2     37 - 79 - 64 (Opus 60) 9:19
Anthony Braxton   
3     327 (Opus 40p) 7:02
Anthony Braxton   
4     Maple Leaf Rag 3:37
Scott Joplin
5     36 Mk-74 (Opus 62) 13:04
Anthony Braxton
6     Nickie 3:15
Muhal Richard Abrams / Anthony Braxton
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Contrabass Saxophone, Clarinet, Clarinet [E-Flat], Contrabass Clarinet, Liner Notes – Anthony Braxton
Piano – Muhal Richard Abrams

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Alto Saxophone Improvisations 1979 (1979) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This double-Lp features Anthony Braxton playing his strongest horn (alto-sax) unaccompanied on ten of his diverse originals plus a trio of standards ("Red Top," "Along Came Betty" and "Giant Steps"). The thoughtful yet emotional improvisations contain enough variety to hold one's interest throughout despite the sparse setting; this twofer (as with many of Braxton's Arista recordings) is long overdue to be reissued on CD. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Comp. 77 A    7:30
2    Comp. 77 C    6:25
3    Red Top 6:13
Composed By [Original] – Ben Kynard, Lionel Hampton
4    Comp. 77 D    7:30
5    Comp. 77 E    4:25
6    Comp. 26 F    6:30
7    Comp. 77 F    6:19
8    Comp. 26 B    6:58
9    Along Came Betty 8:00
Composed By [Original] – Benny Golson
10    Comp. 77 G    5:15
11    Comp. 26 E    6:20
12    Giant Steps 6:20
Composed By [Original] – John Coltrane
13    Comp. 77 H    7:00
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Anthony Braxton

ANTHONY BRAXTON - The Complete Arista Recordings Of Anthony Braxton (2008) 8xCD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Since he released the completely solo For Alto in 1968, the accepted image of Anthony Braxton has been that he is more a theoretician and art music composer than a jazz musician. Therefore, it might seem strange that Mosaic Records is giving his Complete Arista Recordings one of their fabled box set treatments. But Braxton is both -- and much more. This set -- as well as the original Arista recordings -- were produced by Michael Cuscuna, Mosaic/Blue Note label head. The sheer scope of these recordings is staggering. What we get in this amazingly detailed collection is the weightiest argument yet for Braxton's range and depth of field as a musical thinker and his role as a pillar of modern jazz. The individual albums -- New York, Fall 1974; Five Pieces, 1975; Creative Orchestra Music, 1976; Duets, 1976; For Trio; The Montreux/Berlin Concerts; Alto Saxophone Improvisations, 1979; For Four Orchestras; For Two Pianos -- showcase him in a rainbow of settings, from quintets and duets, to trios, quartets, and solo; as the leader of a big band, and as a playing conductor. The players are a who's who of the vanguard in both America and Europe: Muhal Richard Abrams, Leroy Jenkins, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, Jerome Cooper, Leo Smith, Cecil Bridgewater, Roscoe Mitchell, George Lewis, Karl Berger, Ursula Oppens, Frederic Rzewski, Phillip Wilson, Henry Threadgill, and many more.

Given the wide variations in track times, sequencing this set to make it even remotely affordable must have been somewhat frustrating. Comparing the track list to the discographical notes, the full context of this is realized. The box is impeccably organized album by album to be sure, but not necessarily in the chronological order of release. An example: on discs one and two, the albums New York, Fall 1974, and its successor, Five Pieces, 1975 are successive, but then Duets, 1976 (with Abrams) was released after Creative Orchestra Music 1976. This is followed by the first four tracks from Alto Saxophone Improvisations, 1979, which continues and is completed on disc three, etc. That said, there is wonderful aesthetic and principled logic involved in the sound and dynamic of the organization of these discs. In other words, even if an original album is split by disc, it makes complete sense. For instance, while some records are split over various CDs, the decision to give For Four Orchestras its own disc (the final one) was a wise one. The package itself is typical Mosaic: high class presentation with an amazing track by track essay by Braxton's student and collaborator Mike Heffley, a brief reminiscence by Cuscuna, a boatload of killer session photographs, and exhaustive discographical and personnel information. The sound is literally pristine and full of warmth. One can hear no flaws from the source material even when A-B'ed against the original LPs; this is even true of the live Montreux/Berlin Concerts.

Most importantly, however, is that this music from Braxton sounds and feels so on time in the 21st century. This is not only true in its scope and vision, but also in what is realized in its execution. Where John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman expanded the possibilities for new colors and sounds in jazz, less (or no) credit is given to West Coast players like Jimmy Giuffre and Warne Marsh, except in Braxton's sound worlds. His investigations in using the jazz tradition in order to unmake it in terms of tonality, sound, and texture, while preserving its sense of inventive rhythm, melody, harmonic structures, and even swing (check Creative Orchestra Music, 1976), do not feel remotely academic all these decades later. One can hear humor and warmth in the deep paradoxes of a brilliant mind wrestling with the issues of jazz and new music, challenging his own and accepted notions of their accepted places in the world of sonic architecture. Also, in his most direct exercises, there lies the deep expressiveness of his incessant effort to assimilate his discoveries into an ever-expanding organizational system of sound. This is heard, whether it's in his playing of jazz standards or his original compositions. It's there in the process of conception as well as technical articulation. Nothing here feels quaint or nostalgic. Instead, it's revelatory and engaging, inviting and still provocative. The historic reissue of this material adds yet another level if we wish to deepen our understanding of the myriad ways Braxton has enhanced and expanded each of the traditions he's involved himself with.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
New York, Fall 1974    
1-1    Opus 23B    8:51
1-2    Opus 23C    3:11
1-3    Opus 23D    7:04
1-4    Opus 38A    6:27
1-5    Opus 37    8:17
1-6    Opus 23A    5:29
Five Pieces 1975    
1-7    Opus 23H    4:40
1-8    Opus 23G    8:13
1-9    Opus 23E    17:17
1-10    Opus 40M    3:23
2-1    You Stepped Out Of A Dream 7:11
Written-By – G. Khan, M. H. Brown
Duets 1976    
2-2    Miss Ann 4:09
Written-By – Eric Dolphy
2-3    Opus 60    9:19
2-4    Opus 40P    7:02
2-5    Maple Leaf Rag 3:37
Written-By – Scott Joplin
2-6    Opus 62    13:04
2-7    Nickie 3:15
Written-By – A. Braxton, M. R. Abrams
Alto Saxophone Improvisations 1979    
2-8    Opus 77A    7:35
2-9    Opus 77C    6:30
2-10    Red Top 6:15
Written-By – B. Kynard, L. Hampton
2-11    Opus 77D    7:25
3-1    Opus 77E    4:26
3-2    Opus 26F    6:22
3-3    Opus 77F    6:20
3-4    Opus 26B    6:58
3-5    Along Came Betty 8:00
Written-By – Benny Golson
3-6    Opus 77G    5:17
3-7    Opus 26E    6:17
3-8    Giant Steps 6:22
Written-By – John Coltrane
3-9    Opus 77H    7:05
For Trio    
3-10    Opus 76 (Version One) 20:10
Engineer – Jim Dolan
4-1    Opus 76 (Version Two) 21:28
Engineer – Jim Dolan
For Two Pianos    
4-2    Opus 95 For Two Pianos 49:28
Engineer – Carlo Martenet
Creative Orchestra Music 1976    
5-1    Opus 51    5:11
5-2    Opus 56    7:33
5-3    Opus 58    6:44
5-4    Opus 57    6:25
5-5    Opus 55    7:19
5-6    Opus 59    6:41
The Montreux / Berlin Concerts    
5-7    Opus 63    23:32
6-1    Opus 40N    7:48
6-2    Opus 23J    13:59
6-3    Opus 40    7:35
6-4    Opus 6F    8:17
6-5    Opus 40K    15:32
6-6    Opus 6C    10:00
For Four Orchestras    
7-1    Opus 82, Part One    54:04
8-1    Opus 82, Part Two    58:26
All Credits 

PHAROAH SANDERS & NORMAN CONNORS - Beyond a Dream (1981-2016) RM | Crossover & Fusion Collection 1000 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Babylon 8:47
Billy McCoy    
2     Beyond a Dream 10:33
Kenny Cox / Maria Kathleen Martin    
3     Montreux Overture 4:40
Pharoah Sanders    
4     The End of the Beginning 4:58
Bobby Lyle    
5     Casino Latino 15:29
Pharoah Sanders
Credits :
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killian
Drums, Timpani, Percussion – Norman Connors
Electric Bass – Alex Blake
Guitar – Greg Hill
Keyboards – Jacques Burvick
Percussion, Congas – Petro Bass
Piano – Bobby Lyle (pistas: 3 to 5)
Piano, Keyboards – Billy McCoy
Tenor Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders (pistas: 3 to 5)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Buzzy Jones
Trumpet – Duke Jones