Anthony Braxton 12+1tet, "9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006"

[RaiderEleven]

Wonderful, beautiful, challenging avant garde music. The cooperation between musicians is remarkable, like the across-the-stage cooperation between Braxton and Taylor Ho Bynum's trumpet and the side-by-side cooperation between Nicole Mitchell on flute and the bassoon player figuring out their entrance points. A fascinating performance of Braxton's beautiful Ghost Trance Music.

[MyBetty111]

I love the over intellectualization of what is essentially mayhem and anarchy--a mess, in short.

[MyBetty111]

Oh my God. oh my gosh, this is genius, this is ultimate, this is so chic and avant garde, this is so New York, oh my God, this is so East Village circa 1989, this is so cool, oh my gosh my life is changed forever, oh my God!!!!!

[vacuumtube1954]

Outstanding Video ! Thank you again restructures for posting this one. Anthony Braxton is a pioneer and visionary of our time. Please keep the videos coming for all us.

[DustyCatty]

Why would I want to read Lee Konitz's comments? Braxton's music is far more interesting than his ever was.

[TsalagiTech]

This is not music. This is like throwing piss at a canvas and calling it art. Listen to his thought patterns when he speaks. He is not crazy. He's just stupid. Physicalness. Is that a word? Oh because he says it, it's a word. My word!

[koreankayagum]

Sad days, friends, sad days...

[gwalkron]

Great stuff! Why do people get so offended about what is in reality, just a set of wiggling air molecules?

[vulvatronic]

when i first came up with braxton i wasn´t quite sure whether he´s for real or  a charlatan...i gave the music a chance and it got it...braxton rocks!

[walckstephine]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO THANK YOU

[Poochinnie]

Please someone tell me what is the name of the composition they are playing at the begining of the video I LOVE IT!!!! For Real

[restructures]

It's the beginning of Composition No. 358.

[JimmyKissMyAss]

King of Geeks.

[neuburgn]

Hi. Just wondering: is the alto player seen at roughly 3:51 Steve Lehman?

[restructures]

Yup - Steve on the left, Andrew Raffo Dewar on right.

[neuburgn]

Cool! Thanks for the killin' video.

[madpop17]

Theres moments when I really dig this then theres moments whn I really dont. The concept is real interesting, but the music can be very distant (especially if your not seeing this live.

[gepokomaru]

You should read Lee Konitz's opinion about A. Braxton's playing.

[restructures]

You can find Konitz's comments on Braxton's standards playing starting on page 217 of Andy Hamilton's book on Konitz, which you can find on Google Books.

However, since the 12+1tet does not play standards, Konitz's comments are not relevant in this context.

[HK83IE]

but who really cares what konitz says about braxton. i like a lot of konitz and some of braxton's standards. Konitz comments won't change my view on braxtons approach to monk or tristano's work. konitz has the right to dislike braxton's works despites brax's praise of him. in fact i think it rather good that someone might be disliked by their hero. it shows that they are not a hero worshipper nor an imitator. they are merely a fan.

[vulvatronic]

@gepokomaru

Actually he just hated the way Braxton interpreted one Tristano-song...

And he put it little harshly. he says he doesn´t like braxton´s sound (well, i like) and he that braxton can´t play a beautifull melodyline, but admits that´s not what he´s trying to do and that he can do other stuff. So what´s the matter?

[restructures]

I don't have any charts - sorry.

What is SCO?

[nakim55]

I have listened to Braxton since 1970, complete genius. Does any one know, are the charts on this video in BASS CLEF?

[restructures]

"Any GTM piece can be performed by any combination of instruments, facilitated by the fact that the music is notated in Braxton's diamond clef, which can be read as any clef (treble, bass, alto, etc), in any transposition." --James Fei, liner notes to Composition No. 247 (Leo Records)

[nakim55]

Thanks man. I studied music with Roscoe Mitchell in the 70's, had all of Braxton's early charts from SCO, whole book was stolen! Into oblivion. I love this music.

[nakim55]

I still have "Nonaah" and "Snurdy Mcgurdy gets her dancing shoes," if you want to trade charts, contact me. Some other original charts by sco, also.

[BusterMudd]

Saying "Anthony Braxton doesn't swing!" is about as meaningful and relevant as saying that "Gustav Mahler wasn't a head-banger!" ...or, "Buddy Rich was a lousy trombonist!"

[domlash]

Yes!! Exactly

[nuclearRabbit123]

...mahler was a headbanger...

[awareh]

Does anyone know where this master's compositions can be bought? I have the "TriAxium Writings" & the "Notes on Composition", but I fail to get a hold of his actual pieces, the scores - please help!

[rootpepper]

Does Anthony like Jean-Luc Godard's films?

I couldn't help but smile with the first 18 seconds of this video

[restructures]

Glad you recognized it. Thought I'd do something different for this "trailer" (it's not on the DVD), so I had some Godardian fun with the titles. Not sure what (if anything) Anthony thinks of JLG. Would think he'd dig "Alphaville".

[AVHeimerski]

"if you are playing my music exactly right, then you are playing my music exactly wrong."

i love this guy! AB rules!!

[davidhariri]

nice movie

[PhuckHue]

"if everything works, its probably not right"

pure genius.

[AVHeimerski]

or even better... if everything works, everything does not. agreed!

[vvnest]

Good movie. Braxton good as usually.

[kalokagathon69]

*usual (not usually...)

[jimlennon88]

me rompe la cabeza braxton, tiene una forma de tocar q te saca de la realidad y te vas a un lugar en donde las emocones se presentan multiplicadas por 1000. es muy fuerte, mucha gente no lo entiende yo lo vi en vivo y hubo una gran desercion en el espectaculo

[edcerc]

I should aslo add that his instrumental and compositional technique is impecible. He is the empitomy of a true visionary

[edcerc]

Braxton is the best of the best

[mmlight]

What the world sounds like to a drunk man- loopy.

[Celloluv]

All these Braxton's are fairly new, I been looking for them. This music is the most unpublicized music, beside avant garde classical, sad to say, don't think Eric Dolphy, etc had this trouble, more popular in Europe. I been into it since a teen. I also been looking for Billy Bang and Leroy Jenkins, etc. Thanks so much for so many!

[nedmanxxx]

anthony really makes that sopranino talk...it says,"PLEASE PUT ME BACK IN MY NICE WARM CASE." maybe a quadruple dose of metamucil might help him some.

[jackdelawack]

I agree with you for the most part save for the contrabass sax......Ihaven't seen anyone else play it.

[aselmerius]

Great! Braxton: for me he's the New Jazz!

[nedmanxxx]

i've checked braxton out through the decades.never heard him play pretty.never really heard him really swing,,,matter of fact,what i always hear is an unfocused tone and a bunch of high-falooting running of his mouth and stupid criptic song titles, this is certainly not a cat for a real alto student to even consider emulating.this little emperor never fooled me. LOOK! THE LITTLE CAT AIN'T GOT NO CLOTHES!

[cleomagoolando]

Braxton's aesthetic is not about out-'cattin' other players and I certainly don't think he's trying to fool you or act highfalutin. I suppose all of his song titles should be female names or assorted plays on terms like cat, strut, bop, toot, blow, soul, and blues, but I suppose he thinks outside of that box. Now, please, stop being a jazzbo cancer and get lost.

[bobmag56]

bravo!!!!!!

[randykawasaki]

sounds like the problem is with your lack of imagination. check out the Braxton IMPRESSIONS clip on here and then tell me he don't swing.

[nedmanxxx]

yes , as i said ...i've looked in on him through the decades and NO... he DOESN'T swing...and again...his tone quality is far from anything special...he appeals to suckers who don't know c' mhere from sic'm...why not listen to a real alto player like ...awe schucks...phil woods to name just one...? or jackie...guys that are soulful and REALLY swing....not big fakes like ab !?here's a fact.. ab just don't play pretty... and if u think he swings...well, i don't know what to tell ya...yer nuts

[randykawasaki]

the thing is ned you're not comparing like with like. Its different from Phil Woods, not better, not worse. And the difference is musical language and approach, not technique. Although Braxton has phenomenal technique IMHO. Peace.

[hotdog5505]

Thank you so much for posting this. More people need to know of this music/man. Peace

[flanissimo]

"take a chance. if everything works, it's probably NOT right." I like that one. He's a genius. Too bad it'll take me a lifetime or more to appreciate some of his stuff. Live, in a small group, he is pure magic, playing staight ahead or totally out -- it does not matter.

[nycic]

Badass? I'll say. Dude performed with Wolf Eyes.

[knucmo]

Braxton's a twonk to suggest that "the whole last 2000 years" have been nothing but sonata form. He should know better than to dismiss the works of many of his heroes (Stockhausen) like that.

[restructures]

Since I took that quote out of context, I can understand how you might misinterpret it that way. But as you will see on the DVD, Braxton emphasizes his profound admiration for and inspiration from Stockhausen, along with composers like Xenakis, Ra, & Ellington.

[knucmo]

Yeah, that was what I found ironic, given that he somewhat aped the serialist guys early on in his career. But still, the last 2000 years have been more than first-movement form. I mean, music before it was, and music after it was. Don't get me wrong, I admire the guy, and his whole idea behind GTM.

[gwohl1]

I'm VERY excited for this release. I was at a few of these shows - they were really something...

[mendali]

what a badass