A big-batch of Braxton to be savored and appreciated....
James Lamperetta | Upstate, NY | 03/31/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"4 ½ Stars.
Touted by Braxton as "The point of definition in my work thus far," this set provides plenty for fans of the iconoclastic composer and instrumentalist to sink their teeth into.
Recorded live- with surprising warmth and presence- at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City during a rare four-night engagement in March `06, these tunes represent the final works in his Ghost Trance Music Series.
Comprised of nine CDs (which clock in at nine-and-a-half hours) and a performance/documentary DVD, Braxton debuts one new composition on each disc- each one dedicated to an artist as referenced on the final page of the highly-informative and very interesting fifty-page booklet which accompanies and annotates the set.
Each composition was performed without interruption and is presented as such on the CDs. As a matter of convenience and practicality track numbers have been added to the discs to help listeners index the performances.
The last few decades have seen Braxton actively exploring the crossroad where classical music composition intersects jazz and more specifically the avant-garde. Along the way he has also increasingly informed and imbued his compositions with numerous specific world-music influences. Having honed his craft to a point of remarkable fluency, this set provides compelling evidence of his ability to combine these seemingly disparate worlds into a singular whole.
And while Braxton has undoubtedly become a master of long-form composition, equally as important is his knack for matching music with his featured ensemble- in this case the 12+1tet. With everything from his own alto, soprano, and sopranino saxophones, clarinet, and Eb contralto clarinet to electric guitar, tuba, euphonium, viola, and piccolo (plus about a dozen other instruments) at his disposal, he conjures up an amazing variety of colors, textures, and moods.
Sometimes something is lost in the translation from "live" music to a recorded medium. Yet these performances remain evocative and retain a visceral vitality, particularly as the aural landscape moves, shifts, and morphs at the composer's whim. Wielding his group like an instrument, Braxton has crafted intricate works which sashay from expansive ensemble sound to intimate, focused small-group segments. Drama and nuance abound as the group rumbles and roars from explosive cacophony to passages of introspection and delicate beauty.
Having had the set for a week, I have absorbed all nine discs and the DVD over the course of six-nights. Needless to say that after just one-time through, I have just skimmed the surface- and still I am sated, yet eager to tackle the set in its entirety again starting in a few days. One could (and should) easily spend weeks and months digesting and experiencing this music. Themes, sub-themes, small instrumental dialogues, inspired solos, interesting compositional techniques, passages of jarring juxtapositions, moments of sheer cerebral beauty- all of these are to be had in abundance with a capital A.
The DVD runs about two-hours and provides context and visuals to accentuate those which Braxton's music invariably generates. The documentary finds him discussing the origin, dynamics and execution of Ghost Trance Music at Columbia University and is interspersed with performance footage from the Iridium shows.
Also presented is Composition 358 in its entirety. This was the last performance of the run. After four-nights the band is remarkably tight, highly focused and seems to be just getting warmed up. There are no signs of fatigue or burn-out as they work with Braxton to breathe life into another one of the composer's musical epics.
One criticism leveled at Braxton is that he is too prolific. Those interested in exploring his music don't know where to start, while those who follow him find it hard to keep up. Certainly a ten-disc set will do little to quell this quibble, but ultimately the question is: To buy or not? For fans of Braxton's work the answer is a resounding yes. Scrimp and save if you must, but this is an indispensable document which represents the culmination of four-decades of work.
To the curious and uninitiated the answer is also yes. Approach the set with open minds and ears and you will be both rewarded and enriched for your time and listening attention. These are the works of a master at the top of his game."
Cool album
dimitri mahler | los angeles CA | 10/04/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"great stuff, kick back and enter the slipstream. lot's of subplots. ahead of our time? that's silly, it's here now, grab a hold and enjoy!"
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1