Almarecordings
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Click
covers to hear and/or
buy...Eugene
(1989) (Black Saint CD
120137-2) (Anthony
Braxton with my Northwest Creative Orchestra)
One of
Braxton's finest records, and certainly the most
accessible of the larger-group recordings, this features
eight compositions dating from 1975 to the present day,
and was recorded in Eugene, Oregon during a "creative
orchestra" tour of the Pacific Northwest. Much of the
credit for the project has to go to trombonist Mike
Heffley, who originally proposed and subsequently
organized the tour.
The
Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP and
Cassette (London, review with highest rating of four
stars)
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Eugene
(1989), with the Northwest Creative Orchestra, will probably
raise comparisons with Creative Orchestra Music
1976, Braxton's previous record of big-band pieces
and one of his most celebrated albums, thanks in part to
a peerless lineup that included Roscoe Mitchell, Leo
Smith, Kenny Wheeler, George Lewis, Dave Holland and
Muhal Richard Abrams. The NCO can't match that pedigree,
but they're close to matching their predecessors'
performance on this scintillating swing through big-band
avant-garde.
Jazz--The
Magazine (London)
Eugene
(1989) finds the conventional big band instrumentation
broken and recombined in unusual configurations, as
colors constantly change, moods emerge and withdraw.
Guided by Braxton's dramatic organization, the eight
pieces follow the musicians' involvement to
self-determined design; much of the individual rhythmic
impetus is jazz-oriented, but the melodic bent is
frequently atonal--a cross-breeding of components with
spiraling unisons, savvy solos, and a fresh view of big
band possibilities.
Down
Beat (review with highest rating of five stars)
Picture
yourself in a perfect jazz world where every city with
100,000-plus inhabitants has a resident orchestra that
can play the music of visiting composers like Anthony
Braxton, Carla Bley, or George Russell. Sound unlikely? I
thought so too until I heard Eugene's Northwest Creative
Orchestra with Anthony Braxton. . . What an amazing
realization of a dream this record is. Trombonist Mike
Heffley deserves a gold star for the perseverance it took
to make this project possible.
Earshot
Jazz (Seattle)
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Small
Ensemble Music (Wesleyan)
1994
(Splasc[h] Records, World Series CDH
801.2)
(Anthony
Braxton, Brandon Evans, André Vida, Jeanne Chloe,
Roland Dahinden, Eric Rosenthal, Jason Hwang, Mike
Heffley, Kevin Norton, Joe Fonda)
The
great saxophonist unearths some of his older compositions
and partakes in a series of "Duo and Trio based
improvisations along with the extended piece titled,
"Three Compositions For Sextet". On "Trio Improvisation"
we hear Braxton toggle between five different woodwind
instruments along with saxophonist Andre' Vida and
Brandon Evans who performs on oboe, shenai and bass
clarinet.
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Here,
the musicians weave distinct fabrics of sound augmented
by chamber-esque characteristics and explicit yet at
times delicate lines that perhaps indicate spontaneous
conversation accented by various levels of intensity and
emotion.
Braxton
utilizes his sopranino saxophone on "Duo Improvisation"
with drummer/percussionist Eric Rosenthal as the drummer
expounds upon a horizontal plane with spurious inventions
amid his -- snap, crackle and pop style of
execution. With this piece, Braxton pursues linear and at
times fragmented lines yet it is "Three Compositions for
Sextet" that is the showstopper! Along with veterans such
as bassist Joe Fonda, drummer/vibist Kevin Norton and
others, the saxophonist steers the band through multihued
themes and textures surrounded by complex and hypnotic
choruses yet an underlying sense of continuity
prevails.
During
these three compositions, i.e. N 44 (1080+96) + 168, N
136 and N 43 + (96) + 168, we hear microtonal passages,
mood shifts and heated flurries yet on the final sequence
(N 43...) the band coalesces for punctual unison choruses
and modern classical style motifs. Throughout, the
musicians spew forth-fascinating themes that often convey
a sense of fragility or innocence yet with Braxton, we
tend to gaze in wonderment at the end
results.
Glenn
Astarita, Cadence
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