URS LEIMGRUBER · MARILYN CRISPELL · JOËLLE LÉANDRE · FRITZ HAUSER — Quartet Noir (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded live at the Victoriaville Festival in 1998, this 67-minute spontaneous composition is explosive not only for what happens in it, but for what doesn't. The guns don't blaze here very often, but they are just as deadly with silencers on. And needless to say, when Urs Leimgruber is the least-known musician in a quartet, you have some heavyweight players. The quartet is aptly named, given its performance, which uses night not only as a metaphor, but as an m.o. for improvisation, where texture, space, and economy become a hypnotic wilderness of sound devoid of light and all sensation but hearing. The opening section is the longest, at 14 minutes. It is the area where the band members establish the language from which they will speak. That syntax develops very slowly on this record, moving one step at a time but no less packed with ideas for its easy, even tortoise-like pace. There is nothing tentative in the manner in which these players relate to one another, but it is subtle. Crispell clearly has control; she keeps each element blending into the others with her colorful swaths of clustered notes and mode-changing lines. Leandre and Hauser forge their own sense of rhythm for Leimgruber to create the group's melodic sensibility and intervalic coordination. Finally, in the very last of eight movements, dawn begins to break and the light startles the players. Crispell drives into the coming storm first, charging in a flurry of augmented chords and single-note runs. Leimgruber follows as Hauser triple-times everyone. As tension reaches a fever pitch and everyone has been wakened from their somnambulant pondering in this beautiful abyss, Leandre brings in the final aspect of a dawn rooted to not only the sun, but the earth, and the piece comes to a winding, floating halt -- leaving, I am sure, everyone in that audience wondering just what had taken place during that hour when they were hypnotized. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <- 
Tracklist :
1.    Quartet Noir Part I    14:32
2.    Quartet Noir Part II    6:25
3.    Quartet Noir Part III    2:45
4.    Quartet Noir Part IV    10:29
5.    Quartet Noir Part V    4:28
6.    Quartet Noir Part VI    6:07
7.    Quartet Noir Part VII    8:48
8.    Quartet Noir Part VIII    9:05
Credits :
Double Bass – Joëlle Léandre
Drums, Percussion – Fritz Hauser
Piano, Percussion – Marilyn Crispell
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Urs Leimgruber

URS LEIMGRUBER · JOËLLE LÉANDRE · FRITZ HAUSER — No Try No Fail (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Part of Hat's limited-edition series (1,500 copies, issued in 1997), this trio date featured a longstanding duo of saxophonist Urs Leimgruber and drummer Fritz Hauser extending an invitation to über bassist Jöelle Leandre to join in the fun. That party took place in a Koln loft in 1996. It's amazing that, despite the fact that a piano is missing from the mix, they sound like the original Ganelin Trio in spirit and humor. If there was a more natural bassist to make this a trio, it is hard to imagine. Leandre had a huge responsibility here, entering into an already established musical language established by the other two. Having played together for such a long time, they almost perceptually knew each other's cues, linguistic tendencies, dynamics, and rhythmic instincts. Leandre rewrote the book, however, by inserting herself so firmly into the middle of this powerhouse improvising pair. And it's not just her bass playing -- her voice is a rhythmic instrument as well as a singing bowl or a drone. The five pieces here are all about process; there are long silences in the beginning and the tension of soft speech, whispering in the dark, looking for a signpost in how to communicate. Next there is the back and forth call and response to hear, as well as speak, to voices in the wilderness; finally, there is signing in sound, the construction and deconstruction of barriers, tensions, languages, influences, musical architecture, polyrhythm, assonance, dissonance, and the very notion of improvisation itself. The music sputters, sighs, spits, splatters, and finally sings to the rooftops in a cracked voice full of power and wonder. This is music that takes the breath away; it's full of joy, discovery, and surprise, and at times gets a little scary, but hey, when people are learning to speak, especially to one another, they get frustrated and angry occasionally. But mostly it's strident, proud, and full of an energy that is infectious. A must have. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <- 
Tracklist :
1.    First  12:05
2.    Second    10:38
3.    Third    6:53
4.    Fourth    10:25
5.    Last    9:06
Credits :
Double Bass, Voice – Joëlle Léandre
Drums, Percussion – Fritz Hauser
 Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Urs Leimgruber

ANTHONY BRAXTON | ROVA SAXOPHONE QUARTET — The Aggregate (1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Braxton had long been fond of working with improvising wind ensembles. In fact, the earliest incarnation of what would become the World Saxophone Quartet appeared on his landmark Arista album, New York, Fall, 1974. So his collaboration with the ROVA quartet, perhaps the most important practitioners of the form after the WSQ, came as no surprise. The tracks here were recorded at two live dates in 1986 and 1988, with Braxton sitting in on both occasions. Two pieces are by ROVA members, while one long work, "Composition 129 (+ 40F + 40O)," is by Braxton. The opening cut, Larry Ochs' "The Shopper," is an aggressive, rhythmic piece, with a staccato line forming a sold basis for solos by all members. Jon Raskin's title piece is more lush, with a relaxed counterpoint tossed back and forth beneath the solos and rich harmonies reminiscent of Julius Hemphill's beautiful arrangements for the World Saxophone Quartet. The composer does some very beautiful and rich baritone work on this piece, and the group improv sections are imaginative and compelling. The Braxton composition is knotty and compelling, filled with written passages having only a nodding acquaintance with jazz traditions but also including a couple of sections where faint glimmers of Ellington and a hint of march-time can be discerned. It's a testament to the musicianship of the ROVA band that they are capable of negotiating this intricate piece not only with mastery but humor as well. The Aggregate is a challenging recording, more so than most by more jazz-oriented saxophone quartets, but very rewarding on its own terms and an important document in Braxton's work for woodwind ensembles. Brian Olewnick  
Tracklist :
1    The Shopper 11:16
Alto Saxophone [Alto] – Andrew Voigt
Baritone Saxophone [Baritone] – Jon Raskin
Bass Saxophone [Bass] – Anthony Braxton
Composed By – Larry Ochs
Soprano Saxophone [Soprano] – Bruce Ackley
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor] – Larry Ochs
2    The Aggregate 11:34
Alto Saxophone [Alto] – Andrew Voigt
Alto Saxophone [Lead Alto] – Anthony Braxton
Baritone Saxophone [Baritone] – Jon Raskin
Composed By – Jon Raskin
Soprano Saxophone [Soprano] – Bruce Ackley
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor] – Larry Ochs
3    Composition 129+ 46:13
Baritone Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet [Bb Clarinet] – Jon Raskin
Composed By – Anthony Braxton
Contrabass Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet [Bb Clarinet] – Bruce Ackley
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone – Larry Ochs
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Flute – Andrew Voigt
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Illustration [Drawings] – Anthony Braxton
Contrabass – Joelle Léandre
Percussion, Drums – Gerry Hemingway
Tenor Saxophone – Evan Parker
Trombone – George Lewis
Trumpet – Paul Smoker
Vibraphone – Bobby Naughton
Notas.
#1 + #3 recorded live at Koncepts Cultural Gallery, Oakland, Cal., July 30, 1988
#2 recorded live at PreEchoes 2 in San Francisco, California, on August 22, 1986
Mastered at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg, in August 1989

ANTHONY BRAXTON — Ensemble (Victoriaville) 1988 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded live at the Festival Musique de Actuel in Quebec, Anthony Braxton's Victoriaville 1988 features a star-studded, avant-garde jazz ensemble, including tenor saxophonist Evan Parker, trombonist George Lewis, trumpeter Paul Smoker, drummer Gerry Hemingway, vibraphonist Bobby Naughton, and bassist Joëlle Léandre. Braxton's lengthy "Composition No. 141 (+20+96+120D)" opens the set in Schoenbergian fashion, sporting knotty, expressionistic arrangements and plenty of inspired unison and solo improvisation for balance; in spite of its sprawling structure, the solid and empathetic rhythm section keeps the piece running smoothly. The other ensemble members make quality contributions as well, with Smoker's humorous, muted trumpet work and Lewis' fervid trombone solos standing out in particular. The shorter "Composition No. 142" closes the performance with an intriguing mix of frenetic and languid group improvisation. A top-notch Braxton release. Stephen Cook
Tracklist :
1    Composition No 141 (+20 +96 +120D)    40:41
2    Composition No 142    8:22
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Illustration [Drawings] – Anthony Braxton
Contrabass – Joelle Léandre
Percussion, Drums – Gerry Hemingway
Tenor Saxophone – Evan Parker
Trombone – George Lewis
Trumpet – Paul Smoker
Vibraphone – Bobby Naughton

ANTHONY BRAXTON | JOËLLE LÉANDRE - Duo (Heidelberg Loppem) 2007 (2009) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Among Anthony Braxton's many interesting tendencies is his habit of performing in Belgian cafes. In early 2010, Leo Records released a double-CD set containing three Braxton duos with French contrebassiste Joëlle Léandre recorded at the Heidelberg Cafe in Loppen, Belgium on March 17, 2007. On this occasion Braxton used alto, soprano, and sopranino saxophones as well as his trusty contrabass clarinet. Léandre's historic collaborations with composers John Cage, Morton Feldman, and Giacinto Scelsi constitute a musical groundwork of fascinating relevance to Braxton's life and work. Her subsequent interactions with Braxtonians Derek Bailey and Marilyn Crispell magnify that relevance exponentially to the point where one might inquire why Braxton and Léandre haven't worked together more often. The music they shared at the Heidelberg Cafe is friendly, intimate, and intelligently pursued. Four months earlier in November 2006, Braxton had led a quartet in the interpretation of 36 jazz standards at the P.P. Cafe in Brussels. On February 17, 2007 he was spearheading a 70-minute investigation into his Composition 341 with a sextet at a jazz festival in Piacenza, Italy. Exactly one month later, he and Léandre made the recordings heard on this album. Never one to sit around waiting for things to happen, Braxton was back at Wesleyan University in Connecticut within seven days, working out realizations of Compositions 339 and 340 with vocalist Ann Rhodes. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1-1    Duo 1    49:54
2-1    Duo 2    36:00
2-2    Duo 3    3:34
Credits :
Bass – Joëlle Léandre
Music By – Anthony Braxton, Joëlle Léandre
Painting [Front Cover Painting] – Sergei Kovalsky
Sopranino Saxophone [Sopranino Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton