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 - Four Compositions (Quartet) 1995 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In his liner notes to this disc, Bill Shoemaker relates that the members of Braxton's group for this date had spent a good deal of time studying his "book," expecting various past compositions and sound territories to be explored for this recording date. When they arrived for the session, however, they were met not only by new Braxton pieces, but by an entirely new approach on the part of the composer: the inauguration of what would come to be known as his Ghost Trance Music. Generally, this sub-genre is characterized by a repeated unison melodic line played in evenly stressed eighth notes which wanders somewhat willy-nilly across the scale but is held by at least two of the instrumentalists at any given time throughout the piece. Soloists, to the extent they may be considered as such, offer embroideries on this central stalk only to return to the pattern after a time, allowing others to spin their own elaboration. If it is reminiscent of anything in Braxton's prior output, it might be said to bear some similarity to his Kelvin series compositions from the early '70s. For all its surface simplicity, there's a good deal of complex interaction taking place. As this was the first exposure for these musicians to this new conception, it's not surprising that they play with a bit of hesitancy during sections of this album. Subsequent recordings would offer meatier readings of this aspect of Braxton's work (notably Composition 193 for Tentet), but it's certainly fascinating to witness its genesis here. The colors utilized (especially with Norton dwelling for extended periods on various metallophones) serve to create a bright and playful atmosphere, a welcome approach to music that had the potential to sound a little dry and academic. It is refreshing to see that Braxton's music, always very demanding of its listeners, remained so well into the '90s. Brian Olewnick  
Tracklist :
1    Composition No. 182    12:17
2    Composition No. 183    9:51
3    Composition No. 184    19:51
4    Composition No. 181    16:03
Credits :
Accordion – Ted Reichman
Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone [E-Flat Sopranino Saxophone], Soprano Clarinet [B-Flat Clarinet], Composed By – Anthony Braxton
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Percussion – Kevin Norton

ANTHONY BRAXTON - GTM (Knitting Factory) 1997 Vol. 1 & 2 (2011) 2CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
1.1    Composition No. 194    1:12:47
2.1    Composition No. 195    59:09
Credits :
Bass – Joe Fonda
Electric Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Percussion – Kevin Norton
Reeds, Composed By – Anthony Braxton
Violin – Gregor Kitzis

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 - Sextet (Istanbul) 1996 (1996) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Of the Braxton House recordings, the Sextet (Istanbul, 1996) issue is the best of the instrumental recordings released by the label. Recorded at the Akbank Jazz Festival in October of 1995, the sextet Braxton employs to perform the first compositions in his Ghost Trance Musics series is made of veteran improvisers rather than students: Braxton plays all of his usual instruments, while Roland Dahinden plays tenor and alto trombones, Jason Hwang appears on violin, Ted Reichman on accordion, Joe Fonda on bass, and Kevin Norton holds down an entire percussion section, including marimbas, glockenspiels, a drum kit, vibraphone, and other assorted instruments. The Ghost Trance Musics make up roughly Compositions 185-195 in Braxton's oeuvre thus far. Here "Composition 185" and "Composition 186" are performed in their entirety without any of the side-walling or mainstays from the middles of other compositions skating their way into the mix. Essentially, both compositions are engaged thoroughly with theme and variation. Ostinato is the heartbeat, the pulse of each of the works. The improvisational sections take place in the middle of these scalar thematics, which are designed in multiples of three-instruments, measures, bars, melodies, etc. Braxton seems to be going after something he can't quite nail down here, and the band knows it. This is when he's at his best, when in pursuit of an ethereal something that gives him glimpses of an ideal but then slips away like mercury under the thumb. Here tonal studies match contrapuntal ones; timbral intrigues are given host to melodic threads and augmented harmonic passageways into the maze. Make no mistake, this ensemble isn't nearly as capable of careening through Braxton's music as the classic quartet was, but they don't have to be because this music is far more structured and doesn't lend itself as much to individual improvisational voice or to fiery pyrotechnics. Instead the sextet is a unit that relies of nuance and the trace elements in the composition that lend themselves to acts of surprise and spontaneity.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1-1    Composition No. 185    38:31
1-2    Composition No. 186    19:09
2-1    Composition No. 186 (Continued)    40:19
Credits :
Accordion – Ted Reichman
Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone [E-flat], Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet, Flute, Composed By [All Compositions By] – Anthony Braxton
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Percussion – Kevin Norton
Tenor Trombone, Trombone [Alto Trombone] – Roland Dahinden

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Trillium R : Composition 162 - An Opera in Four Acts / Shala Fears for the Poor (1999) 4CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

So why is this so important? How can a guy like Braxton, who writes constantly, get a high mark on his first outing? Simple -- with the exception of Anthony Davis, who wrote Malcolm X, no one from the jazz side of the fence has attempted such a complete attempt to embrace the world of Western classical music so thoroughly. (Yes, forget Blood on the Fields, it's a jazz oratorio according to its composer.) And it deems that Braxton is the only one who can be counted -- if this opera, the first of 36 by the year 2020 if the composer lives that long and lives up to his word (is there any doubt?), is any example -- to have his work be worthy of comparison to the works of Webern, Berg, and Schoenberg, not to mention Morton Feldman and John Cage. Compared to his jazz work, Composition No. 162 -- An Opera in Four Acts/Shala Fears for the Poor (dedicated to Nelson Mandela) is far from dense compared to his jazz quartet, quintet, and orchestra work. The opera is performed by nine singers and a full symphony orchestra who has among its membership instrumental soloists like clarinetist Chris Speed, flutists Ned Rothenberg and Rob Brown, and violinist Sara Parkins. All of the operas in the Trillium series will have three primary levels spread throughout their acts and scenes: an "apparent story," which is a narrative that can be appreciated more or less for what it seems to say; a set of "philosophical associations" that make the work refer outside itself into the world of ideas; and finally, "the mystical or spiritual fundamental that underlines each setting," in other words, an allegory -- noh or kabuki theater anyone? The narrative in Shala is a long, drawn-out, rhetorical narrative involving the marketing of products and productions to the masses, specifically to the lower classes. These products are everything from food to loans, all of them created to extract a maximum of profit regardless of damage. Certainly there is a preaching to the converted here, with a plot as concerned with the obvious as the face of our culture. But Braxton -- through his use of color, shape, texture, and above all intersecting musical and dramatic dynamics -- cuts through and makes his dialogue enter into the imagination, where the listener extrapolates her or his own experience and places it firmly in the operatic sequence of events. The smarminess of the Board of Directors and the under-sung plaintive wail of Shala are downright moving. The interplay of the strings with the solo voices and horns and percussion creating mysterious shapes underneath, filling out scenarios and sub-plots, is masterful. Yes, it does seem as if there is a bit of the overly dramatic "snidely whiplash" in all of this, but isn't it that cynical anyway? That Braxton can overcome his temptation to preach at all is compelling (remember Schöenberg's similar taste of pulpit-climbing sin in Moses and Aaron?), as is his ability to lay everything at the altar of image (as his musicians paint them in the air next to the singers) in elongated modes of introverted harmonics and striated tonal linguistics. And after all, like all of Braxton's music, this opera, Shala Fears for the Poor, is about language and how it mediates and transcends images. Braxton is trying to transcend the language of the opera while using it for his own purposes. If this is where the future of opera is headed, if this is where it's language will ultimately be decided, then someone please give me a grammar book -- I'm in.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Trillium R: Shala Fears For The Poor - Composition No. 162 (Opera In Four Acts)   
1-1    Act 1    1:03:05
2-1    Act 2    31:32
3-1    Act 3    39:20
4-1    Act 4    42:06
All Credits

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Ten Compositions (Quartet) 2000 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The highly resourceful Anthony Braxton once again contributes an important recording in this original tribute to the compositions of unsung pianist Andrew Hill, who wrote most of the pieces on the album. The saxophonist uses an unusual combination of alto sax, guitar, bass, and drums to deliver the goods. While the piano is clearly missed, Kevin O'Neil proves himself a strong voice on guitar in what appears to be his recording debut, able to handle the quirky melodies and tough chord progressions with ease, and producing fluidly complex solos that are gracefully integrated. Braxton's surprisingly yet attractively thin voice on alto often sounds like a soprano sax, while his angular improvisations bring out the peculiarities in Hill's charts even more so than when the pianist performed them himself. Braxton seems a tad uncomfortable with some of the difficult melodies and sequences, but the upshot is solos almost completely devoid of cliché. Norton is a solid timekeeper, whatever the tempo; he knows how to stay out of the way and also when to kick and complement a line. Steve Loewy
Tracklist :
1    Virgo    12:07
2    New Arrival    8:22
3    McNeil Island    2:53
4    Black Monday    5:45
5    C-Bop    10:56
6    Pumpkin - Take 2    5:43
7    Alfred - Take 2    4:32
8    Griots    2:58
9    No Doubt - Take 2    3:13
10    Lo Joe - Take 3    7:13
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Anthony Braxton
Bass – Andy Eulau
Cover [Cover Art - Ten Pieces] – Kara D. Rusch
Drums – Kevin Norton
Guitar – Kevin O'Neil

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Nine Compositions (Hill) 2000 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 2001 release represents the second and final segment in a set of multi-reedman/composer Anthony Braxton's interpretations of the music of pianist/composer Andrew Hill. On this outing, the estimable artist surges forward with mainstream-like accessibility, especially when viewing his rather massive recorded legacy as a whole. Here, Braxton eschews his avant-garde tendencies, although the quintet occasionally delves into the free jazz scheme of things. The quintet pays dutiful homage to a portion of Hill's works via a series of moderate swing vamps and jazz waltz-style passages. Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman chips in on several tracks, while trumpeter Paul Smoker and guitarist Kevin O'Neil receive generous soloing opportunities. However, it's Braxton's fluttering attack and upbeat ruminations that propel the band into a surfeit of variegated excursions, as the soloists jab and spar or render their wares in sequential fashion. Ultimately, the musicians are most effective at reworking and, in some instances, decoding Hill's melodies with multidimensional frameworks and in-the-pocket grooves. Recommended. Glenn Astarita  
Tracklist :
1    New Monastery    5:52
2    Pinnacle    8:49
3    Dedication    4:34
4    Euterpe    7:28
5    Tail Feather    4:43
6    Calliope    7:31
7    Pax    5:24
8    Symmetry    9:22
9    Refuge    6:55
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Steve Lehman (pistas: 1 to 3, 5, 8, 9)
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Composed By – Andrew Hill
Double Bass – Andy Eulau
Drums – Kevin Norton
Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Trumpet – Paul Smoker (pistas: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9)

ANTHONY BRAXTON - 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (2004) 4CD SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1-1    Crazy Rhythm 16:50
Composed By – Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn
1-2    Off Minor 11:36
Composed By – Thelonious Monk
1-3    Desafinado 4:35
Composed By – Antonio Carlos Jobim
1-4    26 — 1 11:15
Composed By – John Coltrane
1-5    Why Shouldn't I 10:42
Composed By – Cole Porter
1-6    Giant Steps 12:32
Composed By – John Coltrane
2-1    Tangerine 14:35
Composed By – Schertzinger
2-2    Black Orpheus 13:53
Composed By – Louis Bonfa
2-3    Round Midnite 13:03
Composed By – Thelonious Monk
2-4    Ju — Ju 10:26
Composed By – Wayne Shorter
2-5    After You've Gone
Composed By – Creamer, Layton
3-1    Everything I Love 12:24
Composed By – Cole Porter
3-2    I Can't Get Started 11:09
Composed By – Vernon Duke
3-3    It's A Raggy Waltz 10:12
Composed By – Dave Brubeck
3-4    Countdown 12:08
Composed By – John Coltrane
3-5    Blue In Green 5:11
Composed By – Bill Evans
3-6    Beatrice 9:27
Composed By – Sam Rivers
4-1    Only The Lonely 6:37
Composed By – S. Cahn & J. Van Heusen
4-2    Recorda Me 15:52
Composed By – Henderson
4-3    Ill Wind 17:00
Composed By – Harold Arlen
4-4    I'll Be Easy To Find 11:29
Composed By – B. Howard
4-5    Three To Get Ready 10:29
Composed By – Dave Brubeck
4-6    Dolphin Dance 10:47
Composed By – Herbie Hancock
Credits :
Bass – Andy Eulau
Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Painting [Front Cover Painting] – V. Kandinsky
Percussion – Kevin Norton
Saxophone [Saxophones] – Anthony Braxton

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

ANTHONY BRAXTON - 20 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (2005) 4CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Released a year after 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003, this second four-disc set doubles the amount of material released from Braxton's tours of Europe in early and late 2003, with the same lineup (Braxton on saxes, Kevin O'Neil on guitar, bassist Andy Eulau, and drummer Kevin Norton), same focus on jazz standards, and even the same dates in some cases. Together, the two four-CD sets released by Leo Records present recordings from ten different European dates (two in February 2003 and eight in November of that year). This second set continues with the editorial approach used in the first one: each disc consists of tracks from different concerts, brought together to make a balanced record. So this second five-hour helping adds pieces performed at shows already represented in the first box set, and covers a couple of shows that were left untouched. Leftovers? Hardly. In fact, it is easy to be convinced that all eight discs were conceived simultaneously. Again, one is struck by the multifaceted balance of the album as a whole. Jazz crowd favorites like Desmond's "Take Five," Brubeck's "Blue Rondo à la Turk," Coltrane's "Lonnie's Lament," and Parker's "Blues for Alice" are presented side by side with less covered tunes, like Mulligan's "Lines for Lyons" and Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance." And, as usual in such a jazz setting, Braxton pays a loving tribute to each tune, respecting the melody, pushing it beyond the composer's wildest dreams, taking it apart and reassembling it in the most natural-sounding way. The quartet takes flight right off the starting block with a 20-minute rendition of "All the Things You Are." Other highlights include Norton's solo in "Lines for Lyons," Braxton's uncanny out-sensitivity in "Waltz for Debbie," and the slippery playfulness -- and impossible telepathy -- of the quartet in "Take Five." Since the first box set sold out pretty quickly, this one is like a second chance, with all new material. These are masterfully creative revisitations of chunks of jazz history, big and small. Limited to a thousand copies, this album, like the previous one, is bound to become a collector's favorite. François Couture  
Tracklist :
1-1    All The Things You Are 20:08
Composed By – J. Kern / O. Hammerstein
1-2    Lines For Lyons 13:53
Composed By – G. Mulligan
1-3    April In Paris 12:25
Composed By – V. Duke
1-4    Green Dolphin Street 16:07
Composed By – Kaper, Washington
1-5    Blues For Alice 13:32
Composed By – C. Parker
2-1    Alone Together 18:32
Composed By – H. Dietz + A. Schwartz
2-2    Waltz For Debbie 12:28
Composed By – B. Evans
2-3    For Heaven's Sake 13:40
Composed By – D. Meyer, Gretton, S. Edward
2-4    Freedom Jazz Dance 14:48
Composed By – E.Harris
2-5    The Song Is You 19:12
Composed By – J.Kern / O. Hammerstein
3-1    The Duke 12:24
Composed By – D. Brubeck
3-2    I Love You 13:48
Composed By – C. Porter
3-3    Lonnie's Lament 8:05
Composed By – J. Coltrane
3-4    Blue Rondo Ala Turk 14:42
Composed By – D. Brubeck
3-5    Invitation 17:09
Composed By – Kaper, Washington
4-1    Tune Up 19:15
Composed By – M. Davis
4-2    Remember 18:03
Composed By – I.Berlin
4-3    Moonlight In Vermont 15:05
Composed By – K. Suessdorf
4-4    Take Five 10:24
Composed By – P. Desmond
4-5    Serenity 13:25
Composed By – J. Henderson
Credits :
Bass – Andy Eulau
Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Painting [Front Cover Painting] – V. Kandinsky
Percussion – Kevin Norton
Saxophone [Saxophones] – Anthony Braxton

ANTHONY BRAXTON - 19 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (2010) 4CD SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On November 14, 2003, a quartet led by composer, philosopher, and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton recorded more than four hours' worth of material which was issued by Leo Records in 2010 on the four-CD set 19 Standards (Quartet) 2003. This was the third four-CD set drawing upon recordings from the group's European tours during that busy and productive year. The creative small group dynamic developed by Braxton over several decades is very much in evidence as he interacts with bassist Andy Eulau, percussionist Kevin Norton, and guitarist Kevin O'Neil. Braxton's choices are astute and varied enough to make this an exceptionally satisfying effort. If to some extent "Dear Old Stockholm" and Jobim's "The Girl from Ipanema" suggest a nod to Stan Getz, Braxton probably first encountered "So Rare" on Jimmy Dorsey's popular Earl Bostic-flavored recording which dates from 1957. Braxton's take on the tune, which was originally published in 1937, focuses upon its beauty and elegance. A strong selection of heavyweight modern jazz standards in this set enables the unit to engage in some healthy extended jamming. It's a pleasure to hear how Braxton approaches Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue," Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae," "Mr. P.C." by John Coltrane, and "Half Nelson" by Miles Davis. The one title which you won't find on anybody else's "Standards" collection is Braxton's original "G. Petal (Improvisation)."

The range of expression resulting from Braxton's relationship with various musical traditions has always been dazzlingly expansive. Blended influences of Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and John Cage exist in perpetual combination with literally everything that has gone into the evolution of jazz over the past century. This ambitious and open-minded approach was strongly encouraged by Muhal Richard Abrams, the AACM co-founder who deliberately introduced the ideas of Scott Joplin into that organization's itinerary from the get-go. Examine Braxton's discography, and woven throughout his many assembled original compositions you're sure to detect a recurrent pattern of recordings which tap most unconventionally into the common working jazz repertoire. In the Tradition was released in two volumes by Steeplechase in 1974, and a pair of albums devoted to standards appeared in 1985 on Windham Hill's subsidiary label Magenta. Six Monk's Compositions (1987) belongs in this category as well. Braxton's tendency to reinterpret jazz standards was given free rein throughout the following decade; with the Fred Simmons Trio, with the Mario Pavone Quintet, and in two different projects, which landed Braxton behind the piano. One particularly rewarding set of realizations was issued by Leo as 14 Compositions (Traditional) 1996, in which Braxton and Stewart Gillmor each juggled multiple instruments while savoring older melodies, some of which date back to the 1920s. Braxton's involvement with the standard repertoire continued with Barking Hoop's 8 Standards (Wesleyan 2001), which may be taken as a sort of prelude to 19 Standards (Quartet) 2003, for like the other two four-CD sets, both albums feature the same sublimely intuitive quartet. For those who simply cannot get enough of this sort of music, a stunning six-CD set of standards which Braxton recorded with three Italian musicians in a Belgian cafe has been issued by the Amarani label as Standards (Brussels) 2006. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1-1    Four 8:20
Composed By – M. Davis
1-2    Body And Soul 16:55
Composed By – E. Heyman, F. Eyton, J. Green, R. Sour
1-3    G. Petal (Improvisation) 5:44
Music By – A. Braxton
1-4    So Rare 15:22
Composed By – T. Dorsey
1-5    It's You Or No One 18:48
Composed By [Uncredited] – Jule Styne And Sammy Cahn
2-1    Half Nelson 15:40
Composed By – M. Davis
2-2    Ruby My Dear 15:03
Composed By – T. Monk
2-3    The Girl From Ipanema 10:29
Composed By – A. C. Jobim
2-4    Afternoon In Paris 23:54
Composed By – J. Lewis
3-1    East Of The Sun 20:12
Composed By – B. Bowman
3-2    Afro Blue 12:09
Composed By – M. Santamaria
3-3    Nancy With The Laughing Face 13:25
Composed By – J. Van Heusen
3-4    Little Melonae 13:49
Composed By – J. McLean
3-5    What's New 11:55
Composed By – B. Haggart
4-1    Minority 10:10
Composed By [Uncredited] – Gigi Gryce
4-2    Inch Worm 13:28
Composed By – F. Loesser
4-3    Mr. P.C. 16:08
Composed By – J. Coltrane
4-4    Dear Ole Stockholm 9:13
Composed By – Sweedish Folk Song
4-5    Like Someone In Love 19:59
Composed By – J. Van Heusen
Credits :
Bass – Andy Eulau
Guitar – Kevin O'Neil
Painting [Front Cover Painting] – V. Kandinsky
Percussion – Kevin Norton
Saxophone [Saxophones] – Anthony Braxton

JOHN ZORN : Nosferatu (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Created for a modern Polish stage production of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale, Zorn has created a music filled with nostalgia, tenderness, violent power and a great sense of mystery. Featuring the dark ambient bass tones of Bill Laswell, the sensitive keyboards of Rob Burger, Kevin Norton on drums, vibes and percussion and Zorn on sax, this is a moody and menacing program of music for late night listening. Romantic ballads, ambient soundscapes and hardcore intensity! RELEASED ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF BRAM STOKER’S DEATH—APRIL 20, 1912. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Desolate Landscape    4:33
2    Mina    3:36
3    The Battle Of Good And Evil    5:14
4    Sinistera    3:23
5    Van Helsing    3:26
6    Fatal Sunrise    3:18
7    Hypnosis    2:11
8    Lucy    2:46
9    Nosferatu 2:28
Electronics, Voice [Breath] – John Zorn
10    The Stalking    7:34
11    The Undead    4:00
12    Death Ship    2:00
13    Jonathan Harker    5:29
14    Vampires At Large    4:18
15    Renfield    3:32
16    Stalker Dub    3:25
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – John Zorn (pistas: 3, 6, 10, 16)
Bass, Mixed By – Bill Laswell
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – John Zorn (pistas: 7, 14)
Piano – John Zorn (pistas: 1, 4, 5, 11)
Piano, Organ – Rob Burger
Producer, Composed By – John Zorn
Vibraphone, Drums, Bells [Orchestral], Percussion [Tibetan Prayer Bowls] – Kevin Norton