Search - Anthony Braxton :: Six Compositions (Gtm) 2001

Bravo! A Monumental Achievement!

x | USA | 09/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Besides being a great bargain for the price, Six Compositions (GTM) 2001 presents profound examples of Anthony Braxton's challenging and intriguing Ghost Trance Music. This music definitely has the power, spirituality, and complexity to change the way that a listener views conventions in contemporary creative music. The music is occasionally thick in texture, but that is nothing new to creative music. These are musicians who dare to think new thoughts, to push the boundaries of concepts and expand the ramifications of the music. Anyone interested in progressive, creative music should listen to these discs. They are marvelous. Anyone interested in the relationship between theory and culture should listen to these discs. The set delivers on a very consistent basis. I disagree with some critics who claim that Six Compositions (GTM) 2001 is not the ideal place to experience Mr. Braxton's music for the first time. Why not? The GTM, including this set, is as much a product of Mr. Braxton's thoughtfulness and creative powers as any development in which he has ever participated (and yes, I love the Arista stuff too). It is as good as a place to learn his music as any,and I would also include Trillium R and Comps. 173 and 174 in the discussion as well. Again, why not? Even though the GTM has been well documented over the years, the musical investigations that comprise the GTM, while arguably sharing similar "DNA," are of themselves unique and compelling. There is probably a GTM for everyone; people just need to find what suits them best at the moment. The great benefit of Six Compositions (GTM) 2001 is that the combinations of large and small ensembles will serve as a great introduction to and lead to an appreciation of the wonderful possibilities that are the Ghost Trance Music. Also, the liner notes are perfectly readable and offer a great introduction to the music. Mr. Braxton likes to use compound nouns. It is really no problem once you just get used to his style."

Absolutely BREATHTAKING!!!

L. filosa | Chandler,Az | 03/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Polytimbral,polyrhythmic,multi-syncopated music reaching across the ages allowing for limitless mental and perceptual/emotional gratifications commensurate with the listener's attendance. Or,put more simply,the more you give,the more you get.
This was my first exposure to Braxton's ghost trance music,though I've been a fan of his since 1973,(when I was an on-and -off student of drummer/percussionist Barry Altschul).I have since gotten many more GTM cd's.If you give it time and attention,this music can help you alter your perceptions and provide alternative life solutions.
I don't want to disservice Mr.Braxton by analysing or describing his sound logic- it would be limiting ,it is my perception,not his.But this is exciting stuff,the performance feels impassioned and the ensemble is top-notch.Mr.Braxton is in fine form,lovers of his playing will find plenty to enjoy.(remembering of course that he is not soloing over jazz standards-duh.)
The tentet is 2 cd's long,and dedicated to Max Roach.277 to harry partch,287 to joe frazier(both quintets),the trio to shostakovitch,quartet to betsy jolas,and the guitar/sax duet to don van vliet(captain beefheart).I find that these dedications have no small significance.This is rich,challenging music and,for me, one of the most gratifying cd's of the last twenty years.Thank you,Mr.Braxton!!"

Ghost Trance Music

Christopher Forbes | Brooklyn,, NY | 09/04/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Anthony Braxton is a musician who's every thought on music is important to hear. So this 4 disc set of compositions is an important release. This ensemble is one that Braxton has worked with for a while, based around current and former students from his courses at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. And I represents a genre of music that Braxton has created, called Ghost Trance Music, which has been underrecorded. The six pieces range in ensemble from a guitar and reed duo, to the longest piece on the album for tentet of 5 reeds, 3 brass, guitar bass and percussion. The variety of sonic resources should make for an interesting album, and it does, with some drawbacks.The biggest problem with the album is in the genre of Ghost Trance Music itself. The notated sections of these pieces tend to a sameness of texture, which can make listening a bit numbing, if you don't devote alot of attention to the works. If you do, though, there are many sections of brilliant, but cerebral improvisation, some wonderful horn effects that harken back to the early jazz greats like Bubber Miley and Tricky Sam Nanton, and an overall ritual feeling, which is undoubtedly the effect that Braxton wished to create. But this is not an album that is an easy listen straight through. I find that I can only take, at most, two discs at a sitting. The longest piece on thealbum, the tentet, is also the most impenetrably for me. The Ghost Trance Music notational patterns can seem relentless in this work. Briefly stated, the Ghost Trance Music tends to block chord ensembles which march forward in steady pulses, and then change abruptly to faster and slower pulses...all with the same block chord texture. This is not Braxton's multi-line music...at least there's not much of it. As a result, the texture can wear a bit. However, the improvised sections have much to recommend them, and are at times, quite lovely. The other pieces on the album fare better, in my opinion. They are shorter, and there is more focus on contrasts of texture. Standouts include Composition 287 for quintet, which has some marvelous piano work by the percussionist, Gino Robair; Composition 276 for trio, with marvelous electric guitar work by John Shiurba, and Composition 289 for saxophone quartet. All of this is worth hearning, and repays repeated listening. I've gotten more out the fifth time I've listened to the works than I did out of the first!Don't expect much help from the album's liner notes by Braxton. Mr. Braxton is a very smart man...much smarter than I am I think! But his notes are so full of jargon that he has created himself, as to be almost unreadable, at least in the original form. To approach Braxton's musical ideas more fully, I find I have to go to interpretors, like Graham Lock. Without that help, I'm completely lost, though it is obvious to me that there is deep compositional, intellectual and spiritual thought behind the music. That being said, this is not the album I'd start with if I were new to Braxton. A better choice for the novice might be Three Compositions of New Jazz, from early in his career, or Two Compositions (Jarvenpaa) with the Ensemble Braxtonia from 1988. The later particularly is one of my favorite of all Braxton sets. The work is amazingly varied and the playing is intense."