Anthony Braxton Music

WILLISAU is a stunning encapsulation of the musical universe of Anthony Braxton, recorded with what many consider his finest ensemble, consisting of pianist Marilyn Crispell, percussionist Gerry Hemingway, and bassist Mark Dresser. Braxton's music, with its shunning of traditional harmonies and reliance on overlapping melodies (and overlapping compositions!) is definitely not for everyone, and if you're new to his material, you might be advised to start with his more accessible mid-seventies albums (most unavailable on CD, unfortunately). If you want to plunge in headfirst, however, this massive four-disc collection is the perfect place to start.

Come on, Hat Hut. This set sells for ridiculous prices second hand. It has been out-of-print for way too long. This 4 CD set features the best recordings of the "classic" 80s/early 90s Braxton quartet with Braxton/Dresser/Crispell/Hemingway. Interestingly, a few of the compositions that this quartet play were also recorded in other versions back in the 70s by Braxton's other classic quartet (Braxton/Altschul/Holland/Wheeler). It is intriguing to compare the similarites and differences between the different versions performed by these incredbile groups.

Hat Hut needs to re-release this as soon as possible. They also need to re-release other Braxton gems such as Seven Compositions (Trio) 1989, A Memory Of Vienna, and Charlie Parker Project 1993. Very few people care about avant garde music; however, the few that do are currently paying a ridiculous premium to obtain the Willisau set and other out-of-print recordings. Come on, Hat Hut. Wake up, start the presses, and watch the cash roll in.

Anthony Brxton Qurtet is FEIBULOS on this records

WILLISAU is a stunning encapsulation of the musical universe of Anthony Braxton, recorded with what many consider his finest ensemble, consisting of pianist Marilyn Crispell, percussionist Gerry Hemingway, and bassist Mark Dresser. Braxton's music, with its shunning of traditional harmonies and reliance on overlapping melodies (and overlapping compositions!) is definitely not for everyone, and if you're new to his material, you might be advised to start with his more accessible mid-seventies albums (most unavailable on CD, unfortunately). If you want to plunge in headfirst, however, this massive four-disc collection is the perfect place to start.

Come on, Hat Hut. This set sells for ridiculous prices second hand. It has been out-of-print for way too long. This 4 CD set features the best recordings of the "classic" 80s/early 90s Braxton quartet with Braxton/Dresser/Crispell/Hemingway. Interestingly, a few of the compositions that this quartet play were also recorded in other versions back in the 70s by Braxton's other classic quartet (Braxton/Altschul/Holland/Wheeler). It is intriguing to compare the similarites and differences between the different versions performed by these incredbile groups.

Hat Hut needs to re-release this as soon as possible. They also need to re-release other Braxton gems such as Seven Compositions (Trio) 1989, A Memory Of Vienna, and Charlie Parker Project 1993. Very few people care about avant garde music; however, the few that do are currently paying a ridiculous premium to obtain the Willisau set and other out-of-print recordings. Come on, Hat Hut. Wake up, start the presses, and watch the cash roll in.

Anthony Brxton Qurtet is FEIBULOS on this records

This is a Braxton dream quartet-Anthony Davis on piano,Mark Helias on bass,and the incredible Ed Blackwell on drums.A great introduction to Braxton's music,the compositions between five and nine minutes long.Recorded not long before he formed his long-standing quartet with Crispell,Hemingway,Dresser,this is an essential recording from Braxton's classic period,although with the new live recording coming in April,he seems to have found his muse again.

"Composition No. 40B" is a great piece with a furious alto sax solo - it wouldn't sound out of place on Dave Holland's "Conference of the Birds". "Composition 40A" is a little more abstract and sounds nothing like "40B"; I wish I understood Braxton's numbering system so I could understand the relations of one work to the next. The rest of the recording finds Braxton working his way through an arsenal of woodwinds accompanied by Anthony Davis on piano, Mark Helias on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. The songs (composed between 1974 and 1976) are quirky and abstract - but not too much so; this recording is a good introduction to Braxton's music.

I just wanted to bring attention to the fact that the previous review seems to be referring to the other 'six compositions' collection and that this CD appears to be the one that features Marilyn Crispell on piano, John Lindberg on bass and
Gerry Hemingway on drums.

One disc approximately 62 minutes. Excellent sound. Recorded and mixed by Bill Laswell. This recording continues to prove that Anthony Braxton(saxophones) continues to make music that matters. To anyone with knowledge of this genre of music the three players on this disc need no introduction. Braxton,of course,has been recording for many years. I can remember when he would hustle chess matches to pay for some of his concerts when his style of music had fallen out of favor. Luckily for us all he is now a much revered musician and teacher. Milford Graves (percussion)has been in the avant garde scene for many years as well. His understanding of percussion work is outstanding-sometimes it sounds almost telepathic. Along with Sonny Murray (another drummer not on this recording) he has consistently stayed true to his style of music. William Parker,(bass)while not as well-known,has also made quite a name for himself in "outside" jazz circles. Together the music that they create is truly wondrous. Spread over five "meetings",the music on this disc ebbs and flows with a combination of big city grit and sounds that might have eminated out of Africa. The first track,at medium tempo and fairly dense,begins immediately with no real build-up or statement of theme,and continues to increase in density to it's final resolution. This track sets the tone for most of the other tracks. On the second track is where the African feel comes into play. Voices are used in conjunction with the three instruments and the wordless vocals add a fourth instrument into the mix. To often with music of this type the instrumental inter-play are the only sounds used to create what the players want to achieve. The use of vocalizations is very refreshing and gives this track a real organic feel. This track also benefits by a slow build-up to it's eventual climax. The third "meeting" is dense and very involved,with few spaces between notes. While it's nice it is nothing out of the ordinary. The fourth"meeting" starts out slowly with an ebb and flow between the instruments which gives this track a real identity. Graves' percussion touches are very apparent and hold the track together and keep the music from winding out of control. The fifth and final "meeting" is very dense from the get-go. Braxton is wailing away with Graves not far behind. Parker's bass is the grounding element here and though it's understated,his bass-playing holds everything together. Together,Braxton and Graves weave a sonic blanket that's very satisfying. This,of course,is the type of music that begs to be listened to over several days. Each time something new will pop up and will reward the listener with added delights. The sound is warm and organic feeling with good spatial qualities between the instruments. One can only hope that these three people will continue playing(and recording)together in the future for the benefit of us all.

This is one of the most challenging disks I've bought recently, but one that's all the more rewarding as a result of the tests it puts you to as a listener, if you give it the chance. The bricolage technique employed here (Braxton has his own term for it which I cannot remember just now), involving using elements of several different compositions simultaneously, makes for very dense, constantly shifting music. However, the quartet (featuring Marilyn Crispell's Cecilesque turns) creates out of this collision many beautiful and even funny passages. More aggressive-sounding than the also-excellent Coventry recording by the same group, this is one of Braxton's best small-group recordings. If you liked the 1970s Arista stuff, you'll love this record.

In addition to the great music inside, is this not one of the coolest album covers ever?

This is an essential jazz purchase. A full album of duets between reeds and drums simply do not come around very often, and certainly not of this magnitude (David Murray/Milford Graves - "Real Deal" recalls this recording). Though I love Braxton's soloing, this is definitely a Roach album. His drumming goes beyond "inventive." It amazes and astounds with explosive subtlety. On "Birth and Rebirth" one wonders if the drum may have been invented just for Roach. Okay, enough of the superlatives - throughout Braxton is also amazing and most often plays alto sax, but switches to clarinet and sopranino sax for a few cuts. Though the two title cuts ("Birth" and "Rebirth") that book-end the set are intense listens, the pair lighten up on the gem "Softshoe."