The most amazing facet of Braxton’s work as a leader is how often he was able to put together and lead for a time fellow musicians who could actually pull this off. Who could know not only several hundred compositions but their components and know them well enough to understand how they related to each other. Not only that but musicians who, in the course of a performance, could creatively juxtapose one component of one composition against another composition or component. And who could do all of this within interchangeable understandings of quartet interactions ranging from Dixieland (simultaneous improvs) to bebop (soloist,rythym section) to modern classical (long written passages for the group or subgroupings). It is a remarkably high ideal for group/individual interaction and it is amazing how often Anthony Braxton was able to put together such groups.
It helped, of course, that he is such a mighty composer.
One of the great strengths of composers like Anthony Braxton and Henry Threadgill is that they love all musics. And they want to write within many of those traditions. Anthony Braxton composes marches, dirges, bebop melodies, modern classical compositions and trance music. Perhaps the most amazing thing about him is that he is both profuse and profound.
This is great music coming from a rich period of Anthony Braxton’s career where he was about to achieve on some of his most remarkable accomplishments within the context of his 'classic' quartet w/ Hemingway, Dresser and Crispell. - Greg Taylor
Tracks
1. Part I
2. Part II
RAY ANDERSON trombone
THURMAN BAKER percussion, xylophone, gong
JOHN LINDBERG double bass
ANTHONY BRAXTON alto & soprano saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet
Recorded live at Jazz Festival Willisau ’79 on Saturday September 1st, 1979
hat ART CD 6044 / hatHOLOGY - 610