HurdAudio Rotation: Sleepless Ghosts

Thomas Chapin: Alive [disc 3]: Insomnia. 1992. Knitting Factory Records.

If it has been a while since you gave this one a spin, do yourself a favor and go put it on right now.  This is a feast of texture that soars with the killer combination of Thomas Chapin's excellent trio of the early 1990s, Chapin's compositions and some jaw dropping horn arrangements added to the mix.  This set opens with one of Marcus Rojas' tuba solos and if that doesn't get you excited then we can't be friends anymore.  There is also the unmistakable presence of Curtis Fowlkes on trombone in yet another example of why his recorded output inspires so much awe and reverence for the music he has been involved with.  There is also Frank London on trumpet.  So this is a host of New York's heaviest hitters augmenting the chemistry of the classic Thomas Chapin, Mario Pavone and Michael Sarin trio.  The title track is just one of the Chapin originals that continue to live in my own DNA.  The brass arrangements using a mix of instruments and mouthpieces in cross-rhythmic bliss at the end of "Pantheon," the choral arrangement of tubas and flute in "Equatoria" or the rhythmic propulsion of "Coup D'Etat" are just a few of the shining moments on a varied journey through the Insomnia experience.  Fifteen years after the world lost this astonishing talent, Thomas Chapin remains very much "alive" through stellar recordings such as this one.  And this is one that reward repeated listening in a big way.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet (Yoshi's) 1994 [disc 2]. 1994. Music & Arts.

I have a difficult relationship with this recording.  It starts with the fact that it is Anthony Braxton, who is a major figure in my musical world.  I regard him as a genius who has possibly ushered in more ideas, music and raw enthusiasm than any other individual in the history of music.  It's not exactly a shock that someone as prolific as Braxton would have more than a few recordings that don't exactly support how substantial he is.  This is one of those recordings.  And yet there are moments of brilliance buried within an otherwise plodding album.  Adding complexity to this impression is the outstanding contributions made by the supporting cast in this quartet.  Marty Ehrlich is fantastic throughout.  Joe Fonda and Arthur Fuller are an outstanding rhythm section.  The persistent, nagging issue here is Braxton's pianism.  There are moments where the interaction between piano and the other performers is exquisite.  But these are trace gems within a bombastic approach to the ivories couched within the language of jazz standards.  Without Braxton's accomplishments as a horn player and extraordinary composer this particular collection would not draw attention from these ears for long.  There's a fascination with hearing a genius missing the mark completely here.

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 1]. 2007. Firehouse 12.

Composition No. 350

On the other side of the Anthony Braxton coin, my relationship with this recording is far from difficult.  He is again surrounded by outstanding musicians (a good dozen plus one), many of them former students of the master.  And here we have a realization of one his own Ghost Trance compositions.  This one weaves a material of pulse structures over a 70-minute span, a duration that encourages and trance-like state for the attentive listener and for the improvising musician to work within.  The generous expanse leaving room for an unpredictable group sound being shaped in real time by Anthony Braxton at the helm.  The result is exquisite.  Listening to it is like taking a spectrogram of this relentlessly abstract work and wrapping one's ears in its pulsating shapes.  This entire box set is highly recommended as a clear example of Braxton's genius for group improvisation meshed with compositional structure.

HurdAudio Rotation: The B's

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 8]. 2007. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Composition No. 357 dedicated to the composer Galina Ustvolskaya
The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
Anthony Braxton: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, e-flat contralto clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell

Technically, these ghost trance music are focused upon pulse and the relationship between a large ensemble with pulse. It's a relationship that includes operating both within and without the pulse. Beyond that theoretical level, ghost trance music is also about realizing a flat hierarchy between players. Which in and of itself is about playing within and without sublimation. The openness to trance states (which is aided through performing for extended periods of time) this music forms a beautiful tapestry of timbral and improvisational range. The appearance of percussion at the focal point during part 3 of Composition No. 357 is both remarkable and augmented by the absence (or non-reliance upon) percussive elements before and after this point in time. A fabric that moves effortlessly between multiple sub-groupings of the 12+1tet. This music is high achievement and listening to it is pure Braxtonian bliss.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach Edition [disc II-1]. 1999. Brilliant Classics: 93102/24.

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1
- Prelude & Fugue No. 1 - 12

Leon Berben: harpsichord

The Well-Tempered Clavier is a known, and understandable obsession. Offered here on harpsichord. An important timbre for Baroque keyboard music and one that reveals the startling clarity of lines and fugue in this performance. The systematic exploration of each major and minor tonality with a prelude and fugue is deeply appealing and speaks of an exercise in creative play. Here J.S. Bach demonstrates both his mastery of tonal language and his obsession with key centers and what each one suggests on a melodic and harmonic level. This is listening that has withstood the test of centuries.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Quartets [disc 6]. 1994. Delos: DE 3036.

Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

String Quartet in D Major, Op. 17, no. 3
String Quartet in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131

The pairings on these discs highlights the transition Beethoven's style underwent over the span of his career. Rendering an audible demonstration of the student of Joseph Haydn expanding outward from his classical roots. The C-sharp minor quartet exploring a much larger range of materials than the politely classical Opus 17. The variation in movement durations in the later work is striking with one movement lasting just forty-five seconds compared to the fourteen minute movement that follows it. The use of pizzicato, sul ponticello and mutes in the late work shows a compositional pallet that includes timbral considerations of the string quartet medium that was a bit more advanced than I would have assumed from Beethoven. The use of rhythmic propulsion is also startlingly contemporary sounding. The evolution of the string quartet clearly passed through these works.

HurdAudio Rotation: Noises and Suites

Wolf Eyes & Anthony Braxton: Black Vomit. 2006. Victo: cd 099.

Nathan Young: electronics, metal, harmonica, voice

John Olson: electronics, metal, saxophones, gong

Mike Connely: electronics, metal, guitar, voice

Anthony Braxton: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone

Anthony Braxton's open embrace of both the "friendly experiencer" and the "friendly practitioner" finds a startling kinship with the noise artists of Wolf Eyes. Who in turn recognize a kindred sonic artist in Anthony Braxton. While the musical territory is frequently dark and prone to a language of amplified harshness, there is a striking common ground explored here. Wolf Eyes and Anthony Braxton both share an uncanny sense of formal shape. The noise exploits here are only an arrival from a journey through surprisingly delicate textures. Ultimately, this too-short set states a powerful argument for creativity that transcends stylistic barriers.

William Parker Double Quartet: Alphaville Suite: Music Inspired by the Jean Luc Godard Film. 2007. Rogue Art: 0010.

William Parker: bass
Rob Brown: alto saxophone
Lewis Barnes: trumpet
Hamid Drake: drums
Mazz Swift: violin
Jessica Pavone: viola
Julia Kent: cello
Shiau-Shu Yu: cello
special guest -

Leena Conquest: vocals

A composed jazz suite inspired by the dystopian story put on screen by Jean Luc Godard. A soundtrack composed and performed more than forty years after its cinematic inspiration. Pointing toward a strong artistic tendon that flexes over large swaths of time. Oblivious to the marketing machine limited to the present and its disposable fare. The two "Natasha's Theme," which feature Leena Conquest on vocals, are fleeting, hook heavy songs within an ocean of swirling comprovisation. The augmentation of the jazz quartet with a 2-cello string quartet adds a richness to this sound that expands well beyond any "plus strings" arrangement. The improvisational chops of Mazz Swift, Jessica Pavone, Julia Kent and Shiau Shu Yu playing along side the rhythm section of Parker and Drake offers up a sound where the demarcation between improvisation and composition is evenly distributed throughout this large ensemble. Experienced within a single sitting as a feature-length work, this music churns through a wide swath of thematic materials without ever losing its edge.

Jason Kao Hwang / Edge: Stories Before Within. 2007. Innova: 689.

Jason Kao Hwang: violin, viola, composer

Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet

Andrew Drury: drum set

Ken Filiano: string bass

Jason Kao Hwang is first and foremost an amazing composer and arranger. It is upon this foundation that such a significant accomplishment as the music found on Stories Before Within is possible. He also happens to be an accomplished improviser and performer on the violin and viola. Throw in the talents of Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet and the rhythm section of Andrew Drury and Ken Filiano and Hwang has a perfect vehicle for exploring a startling synthesis of Asian musics with contemporary jazz and improvisation. The silken threads that binds this music together works flawlessly with the comprovisation approach to a music that blurs not just boundaries between global identities, but between pre-composed and improvised materials. Music that works on so many levels as this is rare and deeply compelling. Jason Kao Hwang's compositional prowess is one to watch for while his recorded output offers plenty to savor that reveals more detail with each repeated listening.

HurdAudio Rotation: Ghost Trance Razumovsky

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 6]. 2007. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Composition No. 355 - Dedicated to the multi-instrumentalist/composer Gino Robair
The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: alto saxtophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, E-flat contralto clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell

Anthony Braxton is a conceptualist of the highest order. His music makes enormous demands upon the creative musician as well as upon the creative listener. The startling thing is how much this music gives back in return for one's efforts. A fully realized sonic universe that synthesizes a staggering array of ideas and sources. It's the kind of place these ears seek to inhabit. These ghost trance compositions are even more exciting. Each one presenting a 60-minute slice of altered beauty. Composition No. 355 builds upon layers of thematic development realized by one of the finest ensembles Anthony Braxton has ever assembled. Each disc within this box set is both interconnected and self-contained. Shedding new light upon different angles of a singular pocket of this Tricentric universe.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 5]. 1994. The International Music Company: 205299-305.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Symphony No. 7 in A Major (op. 92)
Barry Wordsworth: conductor

Symphony No. 8 in F Major (op. 93)
James Lockhart: conductor

The reason for listening to these works (or any works, for that matter) is to develop one's relationship with the music. To understand and discover the ideas that make this music tick. Somehow, it becomes more challenging to do this with the Beethoven Symphonies because there is already a passing familiarity with them. A false sense of already "knowing" them. It takes a few times through the rotation to develop a fascination with the sequence of materials. Particularly in the seventh and eighth symphonies. There's an infallible sense of form at work well beyond the familiarity (these pieces both will and will not surprise these ears). And the seventh symphony is surprisingly loaded with contrapuntal mischief. It's clear why so many have emulated this material through this medium in the wake of these thunderous works. And the eighth symphony doesn't even begin to foreshadow the devastating impact the ninth would later have.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Quartets [disc 4]. 1994. Delos: DE 3034.

The Orford String Quartet
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello

String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 ("Razumovsky")

String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95 ("Serioso")

A dip into the middle and late periods of Ludwig van Beethoven's considerable works for string quartet. A body of music that is both rich and not burdened with the excessive familiarity that comes with the fetishized symphonies. Juxtaposed like this, one can trace the creative journey that bridged the Classical and Romantic eras. The "Serioso" quartet hinting mildly at the excesses of Romanticism that would follow a generation or two later. But it is the middle period - and these "Razumovsky" quartets in particular - that hold the greatest fascination for me. The breaking away from the polite regularity of early Classical music's cadence structures and composing a new elasticity into the form. The focus shifts toward the development and Beethoven's uncanny sense of order. This particular performance of the Op. 59 No. 2 positively soars as a transcendent work of art.

HurdAudio Rotation: Sonic Monuments

Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach Edition [disc I-1]. Recorded in 2006. Brilliant Classics: 93102/1.

Concerto no. 1 in F major BWV 1046 (Brandenburg Concerto 1)
Musica Amphion
soloists:
Remy Baudet: violin, piccolo, leader
Frank de Bruine: oboe
Tennis van der Zwart: horn
Erwin Wieringa: horn

Concerto no. 2 in F major BWV 1047 (Brandenburg Concerto 2)
Musica Amphion
solists:
Remy Baudet: violin, leader
William Wroth: trumpet
Frand de Bruine: oboe
Pieter-Jan Belder: recorder

Concerto no. 3 in G major BWV 1048 (Brandenburg Concerto 3)
Musica Amphion
solists:
Remy Baudet: violin, leader
Sayuri Yamagata: violin
Irmgard Schaller: violin
Staas Swierstra: viola
Marten Boeken: viola
Mariette Holtrop: viola
Rainer Zipperling: cello
Richte van der Meer: cello
Albert Bruggen: cello

I'm sure nearly every sentient being has been exposed to the Brandenburg Concertos at some point either consciously or unconsciously (or both) at some point. They project an aura of sophistication and are frequently used as such as accompaniment. As works of art experienced as their own focal point the enduring qualities of this music is nearly overwhelming. In particular, my ears became fascinated with the use of repetition in this music. The carefully measured dosages and harmonic sequencing that gives this music such an organic quality. These are propelled by the pulsating, music-box like rhythmic quality of these Baroque gems. One can hear the enlightenment coursing through the veins of this music. Beyond that, the harmonic sequences jump out at me. So much contemporary music has this material at its roots. I can hear traces of punk and minimalism in this material. This music is a genuine wonder.

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 4]. 2007. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Composition No. 353 - Dedicated to the composer Butch Morris
The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, E-flat contralto clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sporanino saxophone
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell

The dedication to Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris is fitting. The art of "conduction" - or conducted group improvisation - is very much within the DNA of Composition 353 as well as much of Anthony Braxton's ghost trance musics. Part sublimation of creative effort into a communal whole and part social/spiritual ritual, this music soars through multiple dimensions. Leaving behind hour-long slices of a brilliant eternity. A sonic glimpse of the impossible.

The more I listen to these 9 Compositions (Iridium), the more I am struck by the intense qualities of this ensemble. The individuality that emerges as I get to know these players both within and outside of this music. This is a music that is democratically shaped even as it shapes everyone involved (listeners included). These 12+1 players represent a creative village of 26 active ears. A village I am lucky to inhabit one hour at a time.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 3]. Recorded in 1995 and 1994. The International Music Company: 205298-305.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Symphony No. 4 in B flat major (op. 60)
Barry Wordsworth: conductor

Symphony No. 5 in C minor (op. 67)
Claire Gibault: conductor

Why listen to the Beethoven symphonies? Perhaps because they are transcendent. The first movement of the fourth symphony was particularly so for me this time. Reasons not to listen to the Beethoven symphonies? They've been pounded into the ground. I was less than thrilled with the fourth movement of the fifth symphony simply because it is both too familiar and such an obvious point of reference for much of the worst excesses of film scoring of the last half century. But it is unfair to attribute such sins to their obvious source. These are both amazing works and there is much to learn from each of them even if so many have over learned their thematic qualities. Beethoven had the distinction of perfecting formal progression. He could compose an introduction, a theme and development and a coda like no one else. Contemporaries who have borrowed from Beethoven have stripped this music of its formal qualities. It's good to have an aural reminder of how this music works when it's composed with a sense of time to go along with its arrangements.

HurdAudio Rotation: Standards and Opuses

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 3]. 1996. Music and Arts: CD 849.

Anthony Braxton: piano
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet
Joe Fonda: bass
Arthur Fuller: percussion

I've returned to this recording more than a few times now and it's finally possible to hear beyond my disappointment with this music. The Braxton recordings of jazz standards have always been a mixed bag from an artist who is normally brilliant beyond belief in his composing and recording life. Having the master reeds player playing the ivories for this outing adds a new wrinkle to the experience. While this isn't one of his better projects, he does clearly state the case that his own creative endeavors are part of the same wellspring of music found along the full jazz continuum. These interpretations are jarring, surprising and performed with enormous passion and musicality. And Marty Ehrlich does an impressive take on Strayhorn's "Lush Life."

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 2]. 2006. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Composition 351 - dedicated to the composer/scholar Harvey Sollberger.

Anthony Braxton: composer, conductor, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet, E-flat contralto clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell

This box set is practically an infinite opportunity to take in the brilliance of Braxton's ghost trance musical structures combined with an outstanding ensemble of creative improvisers. The totality of this offering (as with the totality of Braxton's recorded output) nearly shatters human dimensions. The hourglass measures out the temporal dimensions of a sonic texture that could easily expand indefinitely. The hour long slice provided on this disc representing the second set of the 12+1tet's week long residency at the Iridium in 2006. The gentle direction of Anthony Braxton's direction is barely audible even as the musical language is clearly his own. The fact that such a large collection of musicians fluent in the sounding universe that has taken a lifetime to realize is a testament to both the staying power of Braxton's ideas and his abilities as a mentor.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 1]. Recorded in 1994. The International Music Company: 205294-305.

Symphony No. 1 in C major (op. 21)
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Barry Wordsworth: conductor

Symphony No. 2 in D major (op. 36)
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
James Lockhart: conductor

It's difficult to imagine these works having tweaked the sensibilities of their day. Historical accounts indicate that they did. Even these tame, deeply Haydn inspired classical works were already creating friction with the established formal constraints of the turn of the nineteenth century. The second symphony featuring a Scherzo movement where the Minuet would be. The cadences that stretch on and on (okay, it's not difficult to hear how his endless cadences would strike the ears of any era). It's even more difficult to imagine these works as being new and unfamiliar. Ingrained as they are in the symphonic repertoire and even passively as copyright free "background" music for so much media and public space. Though a focused listening does reveal that the durability of this music is no accident. I'm struck by how aggressive the writing is for the wind instruments.

HurdAudio Rotation: Dance in Thy Soul

Anthony Braxton/Taylor Ho Bynum: Duets (Wesleyan) 2002. 2002. Innova: 576.

Anthony Braxton: sopranino saxophone, soprano saxophone, F alto saxophone, E-flat alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, E-flat clarinet, B-flat clarinet, contalto clarinet
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, trumpbone, shell, mutes

Getting lost within an Anthony Braxton improvisation is one of life's great indulgences. His long and astonishingly prolific recording career offers up enormous opportunities to indulge. Getting lost within his compositional constructions offers up yet another dimension for plunging into the maze of Braxtonian logic. With these duets we have the addition of hearing a sonic dialogue between a mentor and one of his clear musical progeny. Taylor Ho Bynum as student has already graduated through the conceptual hurdles with his own voice intact. Leaving this impressive and at times stunning recording in his wake. These duets are well worth revisiting time and again.

Dave Douglas: Charms of the Night Sky. 1998. Winter & Winter: 910 015-2.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Guy Klucevsek: accordion
Mark Feldman: violin
Greg Cohen: bass

From the opening notes of the title track this CD sweeps in like an old friend that sits squarely in the category of discs I can't imagine not having in this life. The most striking thing about this collection of eastern European tinged material is how much Dave Douglas alters his tone with this quartet. His playing is so delicate and fragile while never sounding tentative. Weaving seamlessly between the lines of accordion and violin. Mark Feldman's cadenza at the opening of "Dance in They Soul" is a jaw dropper.

Elliott Sharp/Terraplane: Blues for Next. 2000. Knitting Factory Records: KFW-285.

Elliott Sharp: electric guitars, console steel guitar, National steel guitar, tenor saxophone
Sim Cain: drums, electronic percussion
Sam Furnace: alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
David Hofstra: electric bass, acoustic bass
with:
Dean Bowman: vocals
Eric Mingus: vocals
Hubert Sumlin: electric guitar

This one is another familiar friend in the rotation. The Blues for Next has its roots deep in the blues tradition as it grows outward from it with a disc featuring guest vocals and guitar and a disc focused just on the quartet itself. And through it all on this listening these ears are drawn to the drumming of Sim Cain. What a great force on skins, membranes and cymbals.

HurdAudio Rotation: Three Live Crews

Thomas Chapin Trio: Anima. (re-issued as disc 2 of Thomas Chapin: Alive box set in 1999). 1991. Knitting Factory Records: 35828-02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute, alto flute, voice changer, laff box
Mario Pavone: bass
Steve Johns: drums
with Michael Sarin: drums, cowbells, whistles, ray gun (on selected tracks)

A live documentation of why this explosive trio was such a favored vehicle for Thomas Chapin's compositions and improvisational energies. Each member propels this sound further while still circling around back to its funky underpinnings. Mario Pavone has several moments of jaw dropping excellence on this set.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 1]. 1996. Music and Arts: CD 849.

Anthony Braxton: piano
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, sporano saxophone, clarinet
Joe Fonda: bass
Arthur Fuller: percussion

I have some of the most Braxton sympathetic ears to be found anywhere and generally regard him to be a genius with an improbable number of recordings that support such high regard. This one really isn't one of those recordings. And yet I can't stop listening to and obsessing over this enormously flawed outing. Aside from the focus on jazz standards - which is an important dimension of Braxton's abilities as a performer and an improviser - there is also the oddity of Braxton as a pianist. He is much better as a reed player. The ten-thumbs approach to the instrument can become troubling at time. Particularly through long, fortissimo solos. But the way the outstanding musicians play through this material, even during the onslaught of heavy handed piano pounding, is fascinating. Anyone as prolific as Anthony Braxton is going to have a few duds out there. But even his duds are worth listening to.

Grex: Live at Home. 2010. SUA: 003.

Karl A. D. Evangelista: guitar, voice, etc.
M. Rei Scampavia: keyboards, winds, voice, etc.

The decision to record the pieces on this disc live preserves the fragility of this music to a startling extent. All the more surprising given the more obvious temptation to realize fully over-dubbed and polished realizations of this material. Karl Evangelista and M. Rei Scampavia deserve credit for recognizing the the qualities that emerge from the rehearsed effort of getting these down in a single take along with the vibrancy of this music as a live experience. Hearing this music live has built up an interest in taking it home and living with it that this recording addresses nicely. It's a body of works that has a life of its own, with a connecting tissue that links it to Erik Satie, the Bloodhound Gang and jazz standards in a way that gently consumes (or is consumed) by the way it veers beyond mere reference at unexpected turns.

Extended Notation and Interpretation Strategies

sfSound: Matthew Sperry Memorial Festival @ 21 Grand, Oakland, California
Saturday, June 5, 2010

Matthew Sperry: Wadadaism (1991)
Cornelius Cardew: Autumn 60 (1960)
Matthew Sperry: Veins (1995)
James Tenney: Swell Piece #1 (1967)
Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 292 (2001)

Tom Dambly: trumpet
Tom Djll: trumpet
Shayna Dunkelman: percussion
Heather Frasch: flutes
Philip Gelb: shakuhachi
Matt Ingalls: clarinets
James Fei: saxophones
Angela Hsu: violin
John Ingle: saxophones
Christopher Jones: bassoon
Dylan Mattingly: cello
Hadley McCarroll: keyboard
Kjell Nordeson: percussion
Emily Packard: violin
Tim Perkis: electronics
Dan Plonsey: saxophones
Gino Robair: percussion
Monica Scott: cello
John Shiurba: guitar
Damon Smith: bass
Scott Walton: bass
Sarah Willner: violin
Theresa Wong: cello

Any concert that concludes with an hour-long interpretation of an Anthony Braxton ghost trance piece is already an above average experience. The 12-tet assembled to plunge into Composition 292 brought exactly the right mix of understanding, feeling and Braxtonian spirit to keep the trance-state bristling with the multiplicity of layers that walk a fine line between structural intent and collective improvisation. The initial sound that erupted from the ensemble sounded so much like Anthony Braxton's recordings (particularly compositions 290 - 299 found on the 9 Compositions (Iridium 2006) box set) that I nearly expected Braxton and his hourglass to appear at the conductor's position before the ensemble. The absence of a conductor facilitating and coordinating the inter-ensemble structures became a prominent quality of this particular performance as sub groups tended to form where players had easy proximity to each other or when good sight lines could be established between performers. The ability of the collective working together without a social hierarchy was a testament to just how well organized anarchy can sound. The pulse structure of the piece remained clear through the swinging lines delivered in remarkable rhythmic unison while still allowing for plenty of deviation and the inclusion of materials from other Braxton compositions to keep the overall texture fluid.

The first half of the concert presented works that draw upon wide interpretive freedoms through the use of alternate notation. The co-mingling of music from Matthew Sperry, Cornelius Cardew and James Tenney tracing a clear outline of sonic ideas from three composers sadly missed. Swell Piece #1 offered up a dynamic outpouring of sustained sounds from a large ensemble that revealed startling details over the course of the simple shape of its overall form. Likewise, Veins offered up a similar transparency of construction that erupted into a beautiful din of joy. The feeling of love for the composer being remembered was clearly audible. The lineage connecting Sperry's music to that of Cornelius Cardew giving a sense of continuity between creative minds.

Placing these particular works along side each other made this concert something more than a collection of "new music" compositions. This music was played with a lot of heart without softening the edges of a sonic world that embraces both consonance and dissonance. These were pieces that invite the performers to collaborate both with the composer's intentions and with each other. And on this particular evening many of them brought their best.

HurdAudio Rotation: Does It Swing?

Splatter Trio & Debris play Anthony Braxton: Jump or Die: 21 Anthony Braxton Compositions 1992. 1994. Music & Arts: CD 843.

Compositions 40E(+40D) + (40P + 69Q) + 40(O)
Dave Barrett: alto saxophone, saxcello
Keith Hedger: cornet
Curt Newton: drums
Gino Robair: drums
Steve Norton: soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone
Myles Boisen: guitar/bass doubleneck
Arthor Weinstein: mandola, casio, guitar

Composition 48
Dave Barrett: saxcello
Tom Plsek: trombone
Gino Robair: vibes
Keith Hedger: cornet
Myles Boisen: bass
Curt Newton: drums

Composition 23D(+108A)
Steve Norton: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
Gino Robair: vibes, toy piano, mandolin
Myles Boisen: guitar/bass doubleneck
Curt Newton: drums

Composition 50(+53)
Dave Barrett: saxcello, tenor saxophone
Gino Robair: synth, electronics
Myles Boisen: conductor
Steve Norton: alto saxophone, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone
Arthor Weinstein: synth, electronics, bongophone

Composition 142
Dave Barrett: tenor saxophone
Randy McKean: clarinet
Tom Plsek: trombone
Myles Boisen: bass
Curt Newton: drums
Steve Norton: baritone saxophone
Keith Hedger: cornet
Arthor Weinstein: guitar
Gregg Bendian: vibes
Gino Robair: conductor

Composition 15
Randy McKean: clarinet
Myles Boisen: guitar
Gino Robair: conductor
Keith Hedger: cornet
Curt Newton: drums

Compositions 69L + (122+69I) + 69D
Dave Barrett: tenor saxophone, saxcello, alto saxophone
Keith Hedger: cornet
Arthor Weinstein: guitar
Curt Newton: drums
Steve Norton: baritone saxophone
Myles Boisen: guitar/bass doubleneck
GIno Robair: drums, conductor

Composition 74 C
Steve Norton: bass clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
Gino Robair: vibes, toy piano, mandolin

Compositions (120D + 90) + (23C + 133)
Dave Barrett: alto saxophone
Keith Hedger: cornet
Tom Plsek: trombone
Myles Boisen: bass
Curt Newton: drums
Steve Norton: bass clarinet
Randy McKean: clarinet, alto saxophone
Arthor Weinstein: pressure-treated cello
Gregg Bendian: xylophone, vibes, glockenspiel
Gino Robair: conductor

The sheer scope of Anthony Braxton's music is astonishing. His music is like an open embrace of the world and all its possibilities with another outstretched arm looking to take in the universe. On this particular subset of Braxton compositions we have works that feature fully notated materials, open improvisation structured around graphic notation and any other number of methods to instigate improvised music. The interpretive latitude extended toward performers takes on multiple dimensions as the possibility of mixing and matching different compositions and playing them simultaneously in collage gives each performance the potential toward becoming something utterly unique. This is the first recording of Braxton's music performed by players other than Anthony Braxton. The sonic insight into the startling possibilities of interpretive freedoms is a testament to the approach taken by these outstanding players as well as a hint at the limitless discovery yet to be explored.

While this disc has been a favorite with these ears for a long time now, increased familiarity with Anthony Braxton's oeuvre definitely enhances the experience. It also reinforces my own impression of just how substantial this music is.

Terry Riley & Michael McClure: I Like Your Eyes Liberty. 2004. Sri Moonshine: 002.

Terry Riley: piano, electronics
Michael McClure: poetry, voice

I've encountered more than a few composers who dismiss Terry Riley's music as "hippie bullshit." I Like Your Eyes does little to dispel this pronouncement. Terry Riley providing spontaneous, improvised accompaniment to Michael McClure as he reads poetry. Each done in one take. It does take on the quality of a beatnik bar with MIDI adornments. The Riley-esque charms are not as strong for me with this one. The poet and musician do create these textures as equal partners - which is a rare feat with this kind of expression. Yet I can't help wishing this material would draw me in more than it does.

Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers: Paris 1959. [DVD] 2006. Impro-Jazz: IJ 517.

Art Blakey: drums
Lee Morgan: trumpet
Wayne Shorter: tenor saxophone
Walter Davis Jr.: Piano
Jymie Merritt: bass

live at Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Paris, France. November 15, 1959

The black and white footage isn't always in focus, the sound is mono and the mix is a bit rough. Even with all the rough technical edges this is one incredible live performance. Lee Morgan's unaccompanied solo on "A Night in Tunisia" is completely devastating in its soul-drenched creativity. Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers crawl up inside this music and swing so hard that I forget to be put off by the head-solo-solo-solo-head form and instead anticipate what flights of fancy the next front man will bring to the table. There aren't nearly enough opportunities to hear Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan playing together like this. Archival quality footage that is a gift to behold.

HurdAudio Rotation: Untraceable Intermission

Roof: The Untraceable Cigar. 1996 (2000 re-edition). Red Note: 4.

Tom Cora: cello
Luc Ex: bass
Phil Minton: vocals
Michael Vatcher: drums

Hearing this music, or Skeleton Crew or Third Person or early Curlew or any of the Tom Cora collaborations with The Ex leaves an overwhelming sense of loss. Tom Cora's cello sound and the playful/serious approach he brought to his music was silenced far too soon. It's hard not to miss Tom Cora. Recordings like The Untraceable Cigar are a gift to the ears not just for the record of his one-of-a-kind cello improvisation. But the sonic spaces that opened up through his creative collaborations. Phil Minton's extended vocal techniques folded in with Luc Ex (of The Ex) finding such a common vibration between punk and free improvisation. The surprisingly faithful rendition of Harry Partch's The Letter, a setting from a hobo friend, is right on target with the tone and delivery of its original voice. This is music from a time to be hungrily devoured without missing the joy that exudes from its living sound.

Anthony Braxton/Evan Parker/Paul Rutherford: Trio (London) 1993. 1994. Leo Records: CD LR 197.

Anthony Braxton: reeds
Evan Parker: reeds
Paul Rutherford: trombone

So much of Anthony Braxton's career has grown out of a failure early in his creative output. A solo concert where he discovered that he could not sustain his improvisational ideas over an extended period of time. From that time forward he has developed an extensive sonic language to prevent that failure from repeating itself. And became a master improviser in the process. With that ability to stand on his own for any length of time comes the additional pleasures of extended collaboration with fellow travelers along the road of creative improvised music. Evan Parker and Paul Rutherford are clearly equal forces as this live performance from almost exactly 17 years ago to the day evidences. How many triple wind instrument ensembles could hold their own like this? Satisfyingly cerebral and emotionally charged. An inventive dialogue between artists across the Atlantic.

Morton Feldman: Complete Works for Two Pianists. 2002. Alice Musik Produktion: ALCD 024.

Kristine Scholz: piano
Mats Persson: piano

Vertical Thoughts 1
Intermission 6
Projection 3
Intermission 6
Two Pieces for Two Pianos
Piano (Three Hands)
Intermission 6
Piano Four Hands
Work for Two Pianists
Ixion
Intermission 6
Two Pianos

The additional pair of hands doesn't necessarily add to the density of Feldman's sparse textures - though occasionally it does. It does add more reach along the instrument's register and an independence to explore longer patterns. These are particularly evident in the languid polyrhythms of Work for Two Pianists. But it is the consistency of sound and the qualities that carry over from the solo works that is striking. There is a rare compositional purity to Feldman's music that happens to also make for music that satisfies on so many different levels. The instrument still paints along a blank canvas with brush strokes that drip in a Feldmanesque manner. Aided by an additional pair of hands.

HurdAudio Rotation: Magnum Opuses

Harry Partch: Delusion of the Fury: A Ritual of Dream and Delusion. 1971 (re-released in 1999). Innova: 406.

Danlee Mitchell: conductor

Still the definitive recording of this too rarely performed work. This exclamation point on the end of Harry Partch's creative output. And sadly an incomplete documentation of the full corporeal experience that Delusion of the Fury is when experienced in person. The sense of story telling relies upon the dance, costume and the mystical presence of these amazing instruments on stage. The music itself relies on few words in an of itself. An interesting destination for an uncompromising aesthetic motivated by the natural harmonic and rhythmic contours of spoken word.

Anthony Braxton 12+1tet: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 - disc 7. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Recorded live: March 18, 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 7 = Composition 356 - dedicated to the writer/scholar Noam Chomsky

As ghost trance music, this one is clearly a trance inducing performance. One can hear the moment when the ensemble steps through the improvised texture and into a collective state of singular flow. The sonic material ripples through the late hour of the performance and into a creative zone that shimmers in a near suspended state. The alert listener is drawn into this same state as the sequence of sounds follows a an intuitive logic like neurons firing in just the right sequence to conjure up lost memories and ideas. Then the whole ensemble settles into a well crafted - yet spontaneous - coda that restores the mind to its normal state. Collective improvisation shaped and formed by one of the masters.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies [disc 6]. Recorded in 1994. The International Music Company: 205299-305.

Symphony No. 9 in D minor (op. 125)
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Raymond Leppard: conductor
Soloists: Gilian Webster, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Martin Hill, Robert Hayward
The Ambrosian Singers
John McCarthy: choirmaster

Possibly the largest juggernaut in the symphonic canon. The best way to set this one aside is to indulge from time to time. The turn toward choral writing at the tail end of the final symphony is startling. It also fits as a gesture toward how much Beethoven changed symphonic writing - particularly after this piece. It's much easier to understand the Romantic era after internalizing the bombast of the Ninth.