Anthony Braxton has always been willing to record with his most promising students, and Kyle Brenders is definitely one of them. The young Canadian sax player had just completed his Master's degree at Wesleyan University when this session was recorded, on September 8, 2007, the day after Braxton performed with the AIMToronto Orchestra (a concert released in 2008 by the Canadian label Spool as Creative Orchestra (Guelph) 2007). Brenders is that orchestra's artistic director, and he has also played in Braxton's Sextet and Diamond Curtain Wall Trio, although his participation in these units has yet to be recorded (as of early 2009). Toronto (Duets) 2007 is a double-CD set featuring two of Braxton's "Ghost Trance Music" compositions, selected at the very beginning and very end of the series. This seems to be the premiere recording of "Composition 199," a piece dating back to early before Braxton's Ninetet's famous residency at Yoshi's in 1997. It starts with near-martial staccato eight notes, then alternates between these entrancing eight-note motifs and sweeter, freer, almost romantic sections (with a particularly beautiful melody around the ten-minute mark). "Composition 356" was premiered during Braxton's Tentet's residency at the Iridium in 2006 (and appears on the box set 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006). The music here is a lot more supple, the eight-note pulse all but disappearing in favor of graceful arabesques and circumvolutions around thematic material. Braxton 
and Brenders have an excellent rapport, and they share a very similar tone, a fact enhanced by the similar range of instruments they play (sopranino, soprano, and alto sax for the teacher; clarinet, soprano and tenor sax for the student). Braxton's "Ghost Trance Music" compositions can often give the impression that they strongly rely on the parallel narratives the players are allowed to develop (through the interpolation of second-level and third-level compositions), but this recording of two of Braxton's ensemble pieces stripped down to duets will remind you of how complex and complete they can sound with only two players. François Couture
Tracklist :
1-1 Composition 199 47:47
2-1 Composition 356 45:44
Credits :
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Kyle Brenders
Sopranino Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Anthony Braxton
