Search - Anthony Braxton :: Trio (Victoriaville) 2007

ANTHONY BRAXTON'S FAR OUT AVANT-GARDE TRIO WITH MARY HALVORS

RBSProds | Deep in the heart of Texas | 01/31/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Five EXCELLENT Stars! Welcome to the leading edge of fascinating, experimental, far out, avant-garde music! "Trio (Victoriaville) 2007" was recorded live at the 'Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville' in Quebec Canada. And it features the legendary composer, virtuosic musician, philosopher Anthony Braxton's latest musical incarnation: the Diamond Curtain Wall Trio, consisting of the leader playing a mind-boggling number of unusual reeds, woodwinds, and software; cutting-edge, creative guitarist Mary Halvorson; and highly inventive brass artist Taylor Ho Bynum (of the Fully Celebrated Orchestra). Plus a Macintosh computer running SuperCollider, no less. Jazz visionary Braxton, a winner of the lucrative MacArthur "genius" fellowship, has produced over 100 albums and over 300 compositions in continuing his relentless exploration of jazz and idiomatic avant-garde compositional forms, musical structures, and improvisation groups. Mr Braxton, entered our jazz consciousness decades ago as a member of the super group Circle with Chick Corea and as an associate of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), playing both conventional jazz and experimental music.



The one 'song', 59 minute "Composition 323c" is apparently built on written themes with free-flowing jazz improvisations and commentaries between the three musicians (and the Mac computer) with Mr Braxton switching to an impressive number of instruments (probably the only place in the world, short of a classical orchestra, where you will see the very large "lowest-pitch possible" contrabass sax, the smaller but 'still a handful' bass sax, soprano sax, F alto sax, and sopranino: the contrabass sax had to be wheeled to forefront. Mr Bynum switches to an imposing number of trumpets, cornets, mutes and a trombone). Ms Halvorson plays one of the widest guitar sonic palettes I have heard. The sounds they create are flat-out amazing, with colorful dynamics and symmetry. Some would say it is not music, just interaction. Well, the CD reveals these are master musicians interacting on A.B.'s music. There is no conventional pulse and it doesn't swing, conventionally, but there are moments of great beauty, intrigue, and overwhelming improvisational energy & emotion, especially at the musical 'power points'. It ends as it began with Braxton, Halvorson, and Bynum (and the Mac) in moments of tranquility, with many stormy moments in between. The audience in Quebec certainly enjoyed it, shouting their approval. Please evaluate the Amazon.com music sampler first. I enjoy avant-garde 'music from the edge' & I give this performance my Highest Recommendation. Encore! Five CUTTING-EDGE Stars!! (Import, Audio CD, 59:36, an Amazon.com purchase that arrived surprisingly and quickly from England.)"