Anthony Braxton 12+1tet: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 - disc 2. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.Recorded live: March 16, 2006 at Iridium Jazz Club, New York City.
The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: composer, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet and Eb contalto clarinet
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
Disc 2 = Composition 351 - dedicated to the composer/scholar Harvey Sollberger
With thick, dense textures from a 12+1 ensemble this big band may be the ideal medium for Anthony Braxton's ghost trance music. It certainly makes a suitable send off as a grand expression of an aesthetic that has preoccupied the MacArthur Genius Award winner for more than a decade. Composition 351 inspires the awe of a natural wonder in a perpetual state of flux - like a large river after a rain storm and spring thaw or an erupting volcano. Individual details are picked out from time to time, but it's the constant state of churning that draws my ears closer.
Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies - disc 1. Recorded in 1994 by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London. The International Music Company: 205297-305.Symphony No. 1 in C major (op.21)
Symphony No. 2 in D major (op.36)
Beethoven at his most "classical," two symphonies in 4 easy movements. At least before he stretched and redefined the medium permanently. Though I find it interesting that the third movement of each of these works is substantially shorter than the other movements. It's so like Beethoven to cut the second-to-last movement short in favor of the lengthy finale and eternal codas of V-I progressions. Such habits aside, these pieces have grown on me and are well worth revisiting often.
Chicago Tentet: American Landscapes 1. 2007. Okkadisk: OD12067.Peter Brötzmann: composer, clarinet, tarogato, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Mats Gustafson: baritone saxophone, slide-saxophone
Ken Vandermark: clarinet, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone
Joe McPhee: trumpet
Hans Bauer: trombone
Per-Ake Holmlander: tuba
Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello
Kent Kessler: bass
Paal Nilssen-Love: drums
Michael Zerang: drums
Peter Brötzmann, and his brand of "sonic terror," leads a 10-piece in a full scale assault in this 53-minute work. The texture shifts around to expose the individual players in this stacked group of master improvisers and the overall density and dynamic level has a surprising amount of variety. But at the same time there is an emotive aggressiveness running through it all that is clearly driven by Brötzmann and the result is beautifully ugly and defiantly real. The duration of this expression is stunning - like a prolonged scream.
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