Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Anthony Braxton: Four Compositions (GTM) 2000

Anthony Braxton: Four Compositions (GTM) 2000

By Jerry D'Souza
October 7, 2003
Sign in to view read count

Anthony Braxton: Four Compositions (GTM) 2000

Anthony Braxton is an enigma. His music has always been challenging and he has never compromised. Consequently, some of his compositions have been too far serrated or too densely layered. Nevertheless, in the overall scheme of his musicianship he has elevated his concepts to a dazzling level. He nails the latter sensibility here, and it is all to the good that he has players who rise to the challenge brilliantly. What makes it all the more striking is that they saw only one composition in advance of the recording.

The first tune is quirky. A march beat has Braxton sailing into the atmosphere on the airy fulminations of the flute. The rhythm shifts and he blows convoluted whorls on the sax before it shifts into a march again. The spectre of his vision brings in minimalism, an intuitive conversation within the quartet, a flurry of notes and, glory be, a very discernible and becoming melody. Each shift is smooth and articulate, but there is no guessing which way they will go. Surprise is a becoming element!

The last tune is a slow burner. Braxton’s squiggles and plops and then wafts on elongated lines. Fragmentation and circumspection explode, the soundscape is in constant shift, describing trajectory and dip, and motion is the child of intuition and invention. Braxton and his band come up with a soul stirring and mind jiggling experience.

Visit www.delmark.com

Track Listing

Composition 242; Composition 243; Composition 244; Composition 245

Personnel

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds

Anthony Braxton

Album information

Title: Four Compositions (GTM) 2000 | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Delmark Records

< Previous
Rick Braun: On The Road

Next >
RKM Music

Comments

About Anthony Braxton

Instrument: Woodwinds

Tags

For the Love of Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.