Today’s Sounds: Anthony Braxton

Record:

Anthony Braxton, Alumni Orchestra (Wesleyan) 2005 (Braxton House)

It is virtually impossible to think of a musical tradition not embraced by multireedist and composer Anthony Braxton. Emerging out of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians in the mid-’60s, he has spoken enthusiastically of everything from the doo-wop of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers to the various sax stylings of Desmond, Marsh and Coltrane, to the outer-limits of Stockhausen’s electro-acoustic compositions. Aside from his immediately recognizable brand of avant-jazz, he has recorded dozens of sides of jazz standards, a noise rock record with Wolf Eyes and the Trillium opera. His music is cumulative, in the sense that new works (“primary territories”) usually contain snatches of previous compositions (“secondary territories”) creating collages of colliding ideas.

Winning a MacArthur “Genius” award in 1994, Braxton used the funds to start his own Braxton House label, with downloads easily available online through his Tri-Centric Foundation website. Braxton’s output is like the 80 bus: you never need to wait long for the next one, they often come in bunches and they offer reliable (musical) transportation.

Alumni Orchestra completely re-works two hour-long 1992 modern classical compositions. Braxton has previously complained about insufficient rehearsal times and indifferent orchestras leading to substandard performances of works for larger ensembles. Composition 165 was previously recorded by a student orchestra, justifying such complaints, while 164 was more sharply played by a group of avant-jazz all-stars.

Regardless, Braxton has moved on, recently creating series of “Ghost Trance” (long strings of insistent eighth note melodies) and “Falling River” (based on graphical scores) music, these newer forms inserted here to startlingly refreshing results. The 32-member Alumni Orchestra consists mainly of former Braxton students, who attack the music with precision and gusto. Of special note is the participation of Pheeroan akLaff on percussion, Michael Attias, Steve Lehman and James Fei on reeds, and Walter Frank on piano.

Both 164 and 165 are similar in overall feel. The original liner notes reveal the programmatic nature of 165: two young boys find patterns in the skies, musing that “… these clouds give off friendly vibes! You can see whatever you want if you let your mind drift.” The somewhat nebulous and innocent formations of the earlier take are replaced here by menacing and unpredictable post-climate change storms, and the boys must let the music guide them home.
 

Track:

Main Attrakionz, “Do It for the Bay” feat. DaVinci

 
Here’s a new one by this Oakland crew, playing the Expérience MTL festival on Saturday, Sept. 1. Do it.

 

Video:

The Luyas, “Fifty Fifty”

The local band’s third album Animator is out Oct. 16 on Paper Bag/Dead Oceans. Here’s a visual taste.