MARTY EHRLICH — The Welcome (1989) Two Version | APE (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Marty Ehrlich would come to possess one of the larger sideman discographies of any musician associated with the avant-garde, but The Welcome was his first album as a leader and a very enjoyable one. Using only a trio (with the very fine rhythm team of Anthony Cox and Pheeroan AkLaff, much of the spotlight is on Ehrlich's own playing and he wields several of the multitude of reed instruments at his command. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he tends not to stress his outside credentials by over-blowing or shrieking but rather by his choice of notes and timbres, often maintaining a cool veneer over his idiosyncratic melodic phrasing. His tone on alto is a bit reminiscent of one of his teachers, Julius Hemphill (perhaps with a dash of Arthur Blythe), and his compositional style appears to owe something to Henry Threadgill's work with Air, but one can clearly hear Ehrlich carving his own distinct niche this first time out. Gently swinging and juicily off-kilter, The Welcome is a fine initial effort and pointed the way toward a rich spectrum of subsequent creations. Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1.    Hybrid    4:37
2.    Lament (In Passing)    4:58
3.    The Welcome    7:19
4.    Generosity    7:42
5.    Dark Woods Bright Sparks    7:26
6.    Stride    6:32
Credits :
 Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Composed By [All Compositions By] – Marty Ehrlich
Bass – Anthony Cox
 Drums – Pheeroan AkLaff

MARTY EHRLICH RITES QUARTET — Things Have Got To Change (2009) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Marty Ehrlich's genius lies within an ability to reinvent his music while retaining his unique voice on the alto saxophone. A vocal quality, the slight human cry of his tone, and the angular but not obtuse lines of his melodies have made Ehrlich a true original, and for his followers, immediately recognizable. While Ehrlich refuses to stand pat in the size or depth of his ensembles, the four-piece setting has been a constant over the years, but in specific terms of favorite players, the Rites Quartet may be the finest he has ever assembled. Longtime drummer Pheeroan AkLaff joins cellist (not bassist) Erik Friedlander and trumpeter James Zollar to play new music that is consistently scintillating. Zollar's pithy, lithe, but sinewy lines work so well with Ehrlich's sound, while rhythmically and harmonically, Friedlander cannot be eclipsed by anyone on the cello. The resultant progressive jazz within and out of the jazz tradition, should keep listeners on their toes through this grand experience of creating absorbing, truly new music. The rich harmonies and spiky accents always associated with Ehrlich's music are extant from the opener "Rites Rhythms," with groove cello from Friedlander and a solid trumpet solo by Zollar. Ornette Coleman's tandem lyricism is referenced in "Dung," not standardized, but expounded upon in a bop notion, while Friedlander's cello takes center stage during the romantic reverence of "Some Kind of Prayer" and the bouncy, jig-flavored waltz "On the One," where Ehrlich's lyrical, tangent-busting alto departs into the stratosphere. But there is much more on the second half of the date, as the quartet ups the ante further for the somber undertones and wonderfully quirky bop funk of "Slices of Light," very reminiscent of AkLaff and Ehrlich's past groundbreaking work with guitarist Michael Gregory Jackson. The juxtaposed blues bop of "Song for Tomorrow," and dark, diffuse, stark, hauntingly resonant, free "From Strength to Strength" are preludes for a mighty version of Julius Hemphill's "Dogon A.D.," a definitive hip and funky creative crossover in 11/8 time. There's little more to describe or critique about this masterful progressive jazz made by some of the best players in the business, all at the top of their game, making some of the most remarkable music of their careers from start to finish. Where certain political and social areas in the world must change, we should all be appreciative that Ehrlich stays the course. This is a must-have item, and without question, one of the very best jazz recordings of 2009. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1.    Rites Rhythms    7:55
2.    Dung    7:36
3.    Some Kind Of Prayer    11:07
4.    On The One    3:40
5.    Slices Of Light    2:48
6.    Song For Tomorrow    7:06
7.    From Strength To Strength    3:55
8.    Dogon A.D.  10:26
Composed By – Julius Hemphill
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Liner Notes, Producer – Marty Ehrlich
Cello – Erik Friedlander
Drums, Percussion – Pheeroan akLaff
Trumpet – James Zollar

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS – Song for Mother E (1980-2022) FLAC (tracks), lossless

 Duets with percussionist Pheeroan Aklaff. Sounds like a bigger group. Excellent. Michael G. Nastos  Tracklist & Credits :

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Knitting Factory (Piano/Quartet) 1994, Vol. 1 (1995) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Braxton debuted as a small-group pianist during a week-long engagement at the Knitting Factory in late 1994. This gargantuan two-disc set documents that semi-auspicious occasion. The band is made up of solid downtown N.Y.C. professionals -- Marty Ehrlich on saxes and clarinet, Joe Fonda on bass, and Pheeroan Aklaff on drums; the repertoire comprised of several not-too-familiar standards by Charles Mingus, Lennie Tristano, and Thelonious Monk, among others. Braxton's pianistic style is much like his alto style. His rhythms are not even subdivisions of the beat. Braxton treats the pulse as a fence on which to hang the rhythms when he feels the urge, though he's just as likely to run alongside it, or ignore its existence altogether; he treats the harmonies with a similar bashful regard. His technique is that of an ingenious autodidact; he can definitely play, in his own way, but the way he treats the music is almost too personal. There's not much here that relates to tradition, and this vein of jazz is inextricably bound to tradition. This album is interesting in its way, but better to hear Braxton perform his own compositions in his native tongue than someone else's tunes in a borrowed language, even if he speaks that language in such a colorful and discerning dialect. Chris Kelsey  
Tracklist :
1-1    Wow 18:53
Written-By – L.Tristano
1-2    Darn That Dream 13:10
Written-By – De Lange, Van Heusen
1-3    In Your Own Sweet Way 14:46
Written-By – D.Brubeck
1-4    Self Portrait In Three Colours 16:24
Written-By – C. Mingus
1-5    Off Minor 12:05
Written-By – T.Monk
2-1    Epistrophy 21:27
Written-By – K.Clarke, T.Monk
2-2    The Song Is You 12:48
Written-By – Kern, Hammerstein
2-3    The Star-Crossed Lovers 11:30
Written-By – B.Strayhorn, D.Ellington
2-4    Goodbye Pork Pie Hat 16:05
Written-By – C.Mingus
2-5    Virgo 13:48
Written-By – W.Shorter
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet – Marty Ehrlich
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums – Pheeroan AkLaff
Piano – Anthony Braxton

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Knitting Factory (Piano/Quartet) 1994, Vol. 2 (2000) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This two-CD set completes Knitting Factory (Piano\Quartet) 1994, Vol. 1 (Leo) and the four-CD set Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 (Music & Arts) in documenting Braxton's 1994 quartet. This production stands aside Braxton's impressive body of work for two reasons: first, he sits at the piano; second, the quartet plays jazz standards instead of his own compositions. Actually, with this piano quartet, the saxophonist-turned-pianist took everybody to jazz school. Crossing -- no, transcending -- genre boundaries, Braxton moves from swing to cool to bebop and back, all the while never letting go of his love for free jazz. Essentially, Braxton puts every jazz influence that came his way during his musical upbringing in the boiler and distillates a powerful ersatz. The quartet's renditions can be very faithful at times, very mainstream. These moments are propelled by Marty Erlich's soulful saxophone (he's in his best shape on "I Remember Clifford") and Joe Fonda's bass (joyful solo on "Tadd's Delight"). Then again, this is Braxton and his subversive language is never quiet for very long. Every tune moves in and out of focus: Erlich might be stating the melody from Cole Porter's "I Love You" but then the piano accompaniment disintegrates, Pheeroan AkLaff starts working around the beat, and gradually the band follows into free jazz territory. When the tune comes out of group improvisation and back into focus, it might not be the same one after all, since these are continuous sets and the band sometimes moves from one piece to the next through musical osmosis. Knitting Factory (Piano\Quartet) 1994, Vol. 2 is a powerful jazz lesson from a master. François Couture 
Tracklist :
1-1    I Love You 9:24
Written-By – C. Porter
1-2    Little Niles 11:18
Written-By – R.Weston
1-3    I Remember Clifford 15:28
Written-By – B. Golson
1-4    Blue Bossa 12:56
Written-By – K. Dorham
1-5    Tadd's Delight 11:14
Written-By – T. Dameron
2-1    Reincarnation Of A Lovebird 17:01
Written-By – C. Mingus
2-2    For Heaven's Sake 13:12
Written-By – D.Meyer, E.Bretton, S. Edwards
2-3    Brilliant Corners 12:49
Written-By – T. Monk
2-4    Milestones 15:14
Written-By – M. Davis
2-5    Intro To When Sunny Gets Blue 2:37
Written-By – A. Braxton
2-6    When Sunny Gets Blue 13:21
Written-By – J.O. Segal, M.Fisher
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet – Marty Ehrlich
Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums – Pheeroan AkLaff
Piano – Anthony Braxton

ANTHONY BRAXTON | MARIO PAVONE QUINTET - Seven Standards 1995 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In the mid-'90s, Braxton released several recordings featuring himself on piano. While he had written a number of pieces for the instrument (generally in classical mode), on his own these sessions tended to find him "in the tradition" of the standard jazz repertoire. If his playing falls short of other notables who dabbled on the keys (the great Mingus Plays Piano perhaps towering above them all), it forms yet another intriguing aspect of this deep, endlessly fascinating musician. Here, Braxton joins forces with the then current Mario Pavone quartet, an all-star lineup in and of itself with trumpeter Dave Douglas, multi-reed master Thomas Chapin, and drummer Pheeroan Ak Laff. The pieces, as well as Braxton's approach to the piano, tend to ramble albeit with much affection shown toward the material. He sounds a bit like a looser, less organized Don Pullen, beginning his solos inside the changes but inevitably working them into freer territory. His comping behind the other soloists is reasonably competent if perfunctory. It must be said that his voice on piano has little of the distinction or passion expressed on his multiple reeds. The rest of the musicians play the date in a fairly straight manner resulting in an OK blowing session, but all involved have created far more striking work elsewhere. Only the final cut, Coltrane's "Straight Street," really begins to take off. If you desperately need to have an example of Braxton's piano playing in your collection, this release would do better than, say, the double solo set on Justin Time, but it's difficult to make the case for Seven Standards 1995 being essential listening. Brian Olewnick  
Tracklist :
1    Dewey Square 10:50
Written-By – Charlie Parker
2    Autumn In New York 9:00
Written-By – Vernon Duke
3    All Or Nothing At All 5:00
Written-By – Arthor Altman, Jack Lawrance
4    Eronel 8:24
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
5    These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You 10:43
Written-By – E. Maschwitz, Harry Link, J. Strathcy
6    The End Of A Love Affair 12:04
Written-By – Edward C. Redding
7    Staight Street 9:11
Written-By – John Coltrane
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute, Piccolo Flute – Thomas Chapin
Bass, Artwork – Mario Pavone
Drums – Pheeroan AkLaff
Piano – Anthony Braxton
Producer – Anthony Braxton, Mario Pavone
Trumpet – Dave Douglas

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Anthony Braxton's Charlie Parker Project (1995) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On this double CD the innovative altoist Anthony Braxton (who also plays a bit of his sopranino and the remarkable contrabass clarinet) interprets 13 bebop songs (two taken twice), 11 of which were composed by Charlie Parker. However, do not mistake these performances (which are comprised of both a studio session and a club set) with the type of music often played by the Young Lions. In fact, those listeners who consider themselves bop purists are advised to look elsewhere. Performing with an adventurous sextet that also includes Ari Brown on tenor and soprano, trumpeter Paul Smoker, pianist Misha Mengelberg (the most consistently impressive of the supporting cast), bassist Joe Fonda, and either Han Bennink or Pheeroan AkLaff on drums, Braxton uses the melodies and some of the original structures of such tunes as "Hot House," "Night in Tunisia," "Bebop," and "Ko Ko" as the basis for colorful and often-stunning improvisations. He does not feel restricted to the old boundaries of the 1940s and '50s, preferring to pay tribute to the spirit and chance-taking of Charlie Parker rather than to merely recreate the past. The passionate and unpredictable results are quite stimulating and full of surprises, fresh ideas and wit. It's highly recommen Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :
1-1    Hot House 15:06
Composed By – Tadd Dameron
1-2    A Night In Tunisia 9:03
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
1-3    Dewey Square    12:28
1-4    Klactoveesedstene    8:46
1-5    An Oscar For Treadwell    19:38
2-1    Bebop 8:22
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
2-2    Bongo Bop    6:45
2-3    Yardbird Suite    8:14
2-4    A Night In Tunisia 8:28
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
2-5    Passport    6:30
2-6    Klactoveesedstene    7:07
2-7    Scrapple From The Apple    5:15
2-8    Mohawk    2:45
2-9    Slippin' At Bells    4:08
2-10    Koko    7:36
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Composed By – Charlie Parker
Double Bass – Joe Fonda
Drums – Han Bennink (pistas: 1-1 to 1-5), Pheeroan AkLaff (pistas: 2-1 to 2-10)
Piano – Misha Mengelberg
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Ari Brown
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Paul Smoker

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Sextet (Parker) 1993 (2018) 11CD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

"I think he exemplifies the spirit Charlie Parker had - the fact that he dares to do something different, to try another direction." (Max Roach discussing Anthony Braxton)

On March 2nd, 2018, the Tri-Centric Foundation and New Braxton House Records will release Anthony Braxton's "Sextet (Parker) 1993" - an epic 11-CD deluxe box set meticulously documenting Braxton's now legendary European tour performing music composed by and associated with Charlie Parker. As Stuart Broomer writes in his extensive liner essay, "we've come across a signal here in which two of the greatest minds of African-American music have somehow crossed their signals, crossed and combined, fused, modulated, and combined with others."

Widely revered as one of the most original composers and conceptualists of the past fifty years, Anthony Braxton has also pursued his own idiosyncratic path through the jazz repertoire throughout his career - from his 1974 recording "What's New in the Tradition" to his seven-album tribute to Lennie Tristano, "Quintet (Tristano) 2014". This Charlie Parker project stands as the centerpiece of that journey, a body of music that simultaneously acknowledges, expands, and explodes the bebop tradition, re-radicalizing Parker's musical revolution.

As Braxton approaches his 75th birthday (arriving in 2020), and increasingly his own compositions became favored repertoire of emerging musicians from both the jazz and new music communities the world over, it is fascinating to see his in-depth examination of another artist's oeuvre. This recording offers insight on both Braxton and Parker - demonstrating the clear roots of a still-searching experimentalist, and reminding the listener of the joyful liberation inherent in Parker's genius.

Braxton is joined by an extraordinary band well-versed in both the jazz tradition and creative music practice: pioneering Dutch pianist Misha Mengelberg, the undersung trumpet master Paul Smoker, Chicago tenor sax stalwart Ari Brown, the rock-solid bassist Joe Fonda, and the volcanic drummer Pheeroan akLaff. (Another Dutch jazz innovator, drummer Han Bennink, substitutes for akLaff on one disc). Representing multiple communities, styles, and generations, the interplay between the performers is sublime. Each musician is pushed to the height of their skills and rises to the challenge in this one-time only meeting - never again would this group assemble. (With the recent passing of Smoker and Mengelberg, the set also serves as a worthy tribute to their brilliance.)

Near the 25th anniversary of the original recordings, this reissue massively expands upon the original two-disc set released in 1995 by Hathut Records under the title "Anthony Braxton's Charlie Parker Project 1993." The deluxe 11-CD box set, with a 26-page booklet including Broomer's insightful essay and rare historical photographs, will be solely available in a limited-edition run of 500 copies. (The music will also be available for streaming or digital download via Bandcamp.) As Broomer writes, "The music satisfies a special need, engendered by jazz as history and idea, for simultaneous movements in time, both forwards and back, these ecstatic arcs in time that link these musicians and this art in a thousand ways, the ways in which this music never sounds contrived, the way it shares with us its own expansive space." https://newbraxtonhouse.bandcamp.com
Tracklist :
1-1    Confirmation 10:27
Composed By – Charlie Parker
1-2    Quasimodo 10:33
Composed By – Charlie Parker
1-3    Don't Blame Me 12:05
Composed By – Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields
1-4    Repetition 5:06
Composed By – Neal Hefti
1-5    Klactoveedsedstene 6:44
Composed By – Charlie Parker
1-6    Relaxin' At Camarillo 15:39
Composed By – Charlie Parker
2-1    Darn That Dream 11:49
Composed By – Eddie Delange, Jimmy Van Heusen
2-2    Hot House 14:06
Composed By – Tadd Dameron
2-3    Laura 8:43
Composed By – David Raskin, Johnny Mercer
2-4    Scrapple From The Apple 5:18
Composed By – Charlie Parker
2-5    Bebop 17:06
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
2-6    Charlie's Wig 6:51
Composed By – Charlie Parker
2-7    Klactoveedsedstene 6:49
Composed By – Charlie Parker
3-1    Autumn In New York 9:10
Composed By – Vernon Duke
3-2    Parker Melodies 34:47
Composed By – Charlie Parker
3-3    Yardbird Suite 9:25
Composed By – Charlie Parker
3-4    Ari/Mischa Duo 1:48
Composed By – Charlie Parker
3-5    Charlie's Wig 6:36
Composed By – Charlie Parker
3-6    Klactoveedsedstene 6:51
Composed By – Charlie Parker
4-1    A Night In Tunisia 8:30
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
4-2    Another Hair-Do 10:37
Composed By – Charlie Parker
4-3    Sippin' At Bell's 4:10
Composed By – Miles Davis
4-4    An Oscar For Treadwell 9:00
Composed By – Charlie Parker
4-5    Bongo Bop 7:14
Composed By – Charlie Parker
4-6    Blues For Alice 11:13
Composed By – Charlie Parker
5-1    Dewey Square 15:33
Composed By – Charlie Parker
5-2    Mohawk 3:34
Composed By – Charlie Parker
5-3    Repetition 4:17
Composed By – Neal Hefti
5-4    An Oscar For Treadwell 7:56
Composed By – Charlie Parker
5-5    A Night In Tunisia 6:23
Composed By – Charlie Parker
5-6    Quasimodo 10:01
Composed By – Charlie Parker
5-7    Cardboard 8:16
Composed By – Charlie Parker
5-8    Koko 7:30
Composed By – Charlie Parker
6-1    Milestones 7:47
Composed By – John Lewis
6-2    Hot House 12:52
Composed By – Tadd Dameron
6-3    Klactoveedsedstene 7:07
Composed By – Charlie Parker
6-4    Yardbird Suite 8:10
Composed By – Charlie Parker
6-5    Passport 6:20
Composed By – Charlie Parker
6-6    Repetition 4:20
Composed By – Neal Hefti
6-7    A Night In Tunisia 6:22
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
7-1    Hot House 15:51
Composed By – Tadd Dameron
7-2    A Night In Tunisia 8:59
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
7-3    An Oscar For Treadwell 19:22
Composed By – Charlie Parker
7-4    Dewey Square 12:25
Composed By – Charlie Parker
7-5    Repetition 5:11
Composed By – Neal Hefti
7-6    Klactoveedsedstene 10:49
Composed By – Charlie Parker
8-1    Hot House 15:18
Composed By – Tadd Dameron
8-2    Another Hair-Do 16:26
Composed By – Charlie Parker
8-3    April In Paris 4:59
Composed By – E.Y. Harburg, Vernon Duke
8-4    An Oscar For Treadwell 28:32
Composed By – Charlie Parker
9-1    Repetition 5:12
Composed By – Neal Hefti
9-2    Don't Blame Me 10:37
Composed By – Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields
9-3    Confirmation 13:03
Composed By – Charlie Parker
9-4    A Night In Tunisia 11:41
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
9-5    Dewey Square 14:52
Composed By – Charlie Parker
9-6    Klactoveedsedstene 5:34
Composed By – Charlie Parker
10-1    Darn That Dream 12:05
Composed By – Eddie Delange, Jimmy Van Heusen
10-2    Autumn In New York 7:56
Composed By – Vernon Duke
10-3    Sippin' At Bell's 5:35
Composed By – Miles Davis
10-4    Bebop 8:25
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
10-5    Another Hair-Do 10:32
Composed By – Charlie Parker
10-6    Koko 7:13
Composed By – Charlie Parker
11-1    Repetition 5:03
Composed By – Neal Hefti
11-2    Cardboard 10:10
Composed By – Charlie Parker
11-3    Blues For Alice 10:34
Composed By – Charlie Parker
11-4    Confirmation 10:12
Composed By – Charlie Parker
11-5    Don't Blame Me 13:05
Composed By – Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields
11-6    Cheryl 9:39
Composed By – Charlie Parker
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Anthony Braxton (pistas: 1-1 to 2-7, 3-2, 3-5 to 11-6)
Bass – Joe Fonda (pistas: 1-1 to 3-3, 3-5 to 4-4, 4-6 to 8-2, 8-4 to 11-6)
Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton (pistas: 2-4)
Drums – Han Bennink (pistas: 7-1 to 7-6), Pheeroan akLaff (pistas: 1-1 to 2-3, 2-5 to 2-7, 3-2, 3-4 to 4-2, 4-4, 4-6, 5-1, 5-3 to 6-3, 6-6, 6-7, 8-1, 8-2, 8-4 to 10-1, 10-4 to 11-6)
Flute – Anthony Braxton (pistas: 5-2, 5-7)
Piano – Anthony Braxton (pistas: 3-1, 3-3, 6-1, 6-4), Misha Mengelberg (pistas: 1-1 to 3-1, 3-4 to 4-2, 4-4 to 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, 6-5 to 10-1, 10-4 to 11-6)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Ari Brown (pistas: 1-4 to 2-2, 2-5 to 2-7, 3-2 to 3-4, 3-6, 4-1, 4-4 to 4-6, 5-3 to 5-5, 6-1, 6-3, 6-4. 6-6, 6-7, 7-2, 7-3, 7-5, 7-6, 8-4, 9-1, 9-4, 9-6, 10-1, 10-4, 11-1, 11-3)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Paul Smoker (pistas: 1-1 to 1-6, 2-2, 2-5 to 2-7, 3-2 to 4-4, 4-6 to 5-6, 5-8 to 6-4, 6-6 to 7-3, 7-5 to 8-2, 8-4 to 9-4, 9-6, 10-3 to 11-1, 11-3 to 11-6)