ANTHONY BRAXTON | ROBERT SCHUMANN STRING QUARTET - Anthony Braxton, Robert Schumann String Quartet (1989) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Anthony Braxton With Robert Schumann Quartet–    8KN – (B-12) | R10 16:57
Cello – Wolfgang Mehlhorn
Viola – Jürgen Weber
Violin – Chiharu Yuuki, Michael Geiser
2    Anthony Braxton–    AOTH MBA H    3:38
3    Anthony Braxton–    (448-R) | C-234    3:07
4    Robert Schumann Quartet–    8KN – (B-12) | R10 14:20
Cello – Wolfgang Mehlhorn
Viola – Jürgen Weber
Violin – Chiharu Yuuki, Michael Geiser
5    Anthony Braxton–    KSZMK PG EGN    2:55
6    Anthony Braxton–    SOVA NOUB V-(AO)    2:56
7    Anthony Braxton–    RORRT 33H7T 4    2:44
8    Anthony Braxton–    NATK TD-(B)    3:58
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Anthony Braxton (pistas: 1 to 3, 5 to 8)
Composed By [All Compositions By], Cover [Manuscript Facsimile Of The »Catalog Of Works« Of] – A. Braxton

ANTHONY BRAXTON : Composition 113 (1984-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Composition 113 is an early recorded example of Braxton's "ritual" music; a dramatic, storytelling piece that, when performed live, involved specific staging instructions and visual accompaniment. The album is in six sections, representing six characters, each with a certain sound strategy/character tendency: humor, acceptance, strength, dependability, courage, and belief. As much as this information may provide an interesting background to the work, one listening to the record is left simply with six stunning solo performances by Braxton on soprano saxophone. While he has recorded numerous solo excursions on alto, this is the only time he devoted an entire release to solo soprano and one could only wish for more. His command of the instrument is astonishing; whether dancing agilely over airy and intricate themes or crying with impassioned sorrow, Braxton plays at a level commensurate with acknowledged masters of this ornery horn such as Steve Lacy. But all his technical mastery is subsumed in the service of the composition and that is the real joy of this work. Each section has a distinct character and one really gets the impression of accurate, deep portraits of individual persona relating their stories.
Composition 113 is not nearly as forbidding or difficult as one might guess at first blush, given its ascetic instrumentation. Braxton's tone is rich and luscious throughout and he freely draws on both blues and romanticism, making this one of his more accessible solo forays. Highly recommended. Brian Olewnick  
Composition 113 (For One Soloist, A Large Photograph, And Prepared Stage)    
1    Section 1    7:47
2    Section 2    7:27
3    Section 3    5:07
4    Section 4    6:47
5    Section 5    5:35
6    Section 6    4:45
Credits :
Sopranino Saxophone [Eb Soprano Saxophone], Illustration [Illustrations By] Composed By [Composition By] – Anthony Braxton

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

ANDREW VOIGT | ANTHONY BRAXTON - Kol Nidre (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Composition No. 85 4:39
Composed By – Anthony Braxton
2    Composition No. 87 14:17
Composed By – Anthony Braxton
3    Kol Nidre 7:44
Composed By – Andrew Voigt
4    Break'n Rag Voigt 8:30
Composed By – Andrew Voigt
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Saxophone [C-Melody Saxophone], Bass Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute [Eb Flute] – Andrew Voigt

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Prag 1984 (Quartet Performance) (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Announcement    0:52
2    Composition 105A / Composition 110A / Composition 114 / Composition 69H    59:07
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, C Melody Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Anthony Braxton
Bass – John Lindberg
Drums – Gerry Hemingway
Piano – Marilyn Crispell