| Discography of Joe Fonda | 1997 |
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Lineup
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Recorded live at Yoshi's, August 1997.
Released March 2005 by Leo Records [LR 420/421]
q.v. Vol. 1, Vol. 2 (with liner notes by Steve Day), and Vol. 4
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CD Reviews
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May 30, 2005 by John Eyles for One Final Note Anthony Braxton Professor Anthony Braxton will be 60 on June 4, 2005. Here are two releases recorded when he was 52 and 58, respectively. On the defunct website for Braxton's own Braxton House label, it still advertises as releases "in preparation": Ghost Trance Festival (Oakland) 1997 (12 CDs) and Ghost Trance Festival (New York) 1997 (10 CDs). Yeah, right. In reality, those twelve CDs from Oakland are emerging two at a time, courtesy of Leo records; here is the third double CD (of six, finances permitting) from his six nights recorded at Yoshi's, in August 1997. (I don't think the New York stuff has been sighted yet, has it?) This third volume will not surprise anyone who has heard either of the previous volumes or other releases of the Ghost Trance Music. That is the essence of GTM; it is not designed to surprise you. It is rigidly structured. It gets into a groove and then stays there for a long time, often an hour or longer — probably far longer if Braxton really had free rein! Yes, there are solos on top of the repeated patterns that define each composition, but that is where they are — on top. Solos are largely irrelevant to the forward impetus of the music, as is group interaction. Each of the nine players — six reeds, electric guitar, bass, percussion — has a part to play in the ensemble, seemingly irrespective of the others, making for a multi-layered, kaleidoscopic sound that toe-tappers can toe-tap to. The ensemble sections alternate with slower, pastoral sections featuring duos or trios, but the ensemble is never far away from returning to march things forward. In truth, within this there is a rich tapestry of detail to appreciate; every listening reveals something fresh and novel. It was not by chance or for crass exploitative reasons that Braxton House was going to release this music in ten- and twelve-CD sets. It is obsessive music, designed to be heard in large quantities, so let's thank Leo records for getting so much of it out. And if you are tempted to purchase this, take a tip: buy lots of it, go for total immersion and surrender to it. It's the only way. [Point to ponder: What's in a name? To label music is to alter forever how it is experienced. Names do make us hear things differently. Punk. Grunge. Soul. Jazz... How would this music be regarded if it hadn't been labelled "Ghost Trance Music"? Is the name trying to describe it or suggest to us how to experience it?] The duo album on Emanem is definitely post-Ghost Trance Music, although Braxton retains clear traces of his GTM period; he now seems to structure his own playing over longer time scales, with greater repetition as an integral part of it. The album features 66 minutes of music improvised in real time and (in typical Emanem style) presented in its entirety. As on the label's other recent releases by Milo Fine (a duo with Derek Bailey and a double CD of encounters from his visit to London in 2003), he proves to be an interesting partner in a duo, especially when paired with a true heavyweight. The album makes a strong case for sets like this being presented as a whole; the changing dynamic between Fine and Braxton makes fascinating listening. Initially, Fine makes frequent switches between piano, drums, and clarinets, and his contributions on their own do not have any great substance or coherence to them. He certainly does not sound like a player who takes an idea and then explores it in depth or at length, more like one with a short attention span who flits around. That would be a criticism if Fine were playing alone, but this is duo playing and he complements Braxton's saxophones well, adding embellishments and contrast. Braxton is the main course, as intense and focused as ever, Fine is the garnish. Gradually, that relationship changes; Fine's playing becomes more substantial and the two become more a duo of equals. The peak of the album comes in parts 8 and 9 (for ease of use, the continuous performance is indexed into eleven parts). On the former, Fine plays piano for a sustained period, giving a virtuoso display; in response, Braxton fires off an intense burst of alto sax, fierce and fiery with a tone as harsh and brutal as anyone's. Awesome. On the latter, Fine plays drums while Braxton gives a far more reflective, melancholy performance, his tone soothing and beguiling, in total contrast to the preceding violence. As Braxton enters his seventh decade, he remains as prolific, diverse, inspired, and intriguing as ever. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 One Final Note and John Eyles. |
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June 10, 2005 by Dave Madden for Splendid At the risk of sullying my reputation, I must confess that I'm not quite sold on Anthony Braxton's work. Despite his near-deity status and numerous contributions to music in the last 40 years, many of his compositions and improvisations leave me feeling disoriented and confused, wondering whether I missed something. However, judging from the number of times Braxton has switched musical gears over the course of his life, his career is one founded upon unrest and a continual search for his ever-changing voice. This double disc features a pair of compositions from Braxton's famed stint at the Oakland-based club Yoshi's, both examples of a "next level" of his work that he refers to as "Ghost Trance Music". Braxton explains this technique as "development of composed and improvised themes over figures that repeat with relatively minor variation, after the manner of ritual and spiritual music worldwide", summing it up with the words "more galactic". "Composition N. 211" (disc one) begins in a soggy aggression; Professor Braxton and his cunning team lay into a throbbing flutter accentuated with a recurring ostinato, allowing the "wrong" instruments to take charge (read: double-reed instruments manning a beat equals a sloppy pulse) while percussionist Kevin Norton ticks his hi-hat and floats, barely audible, on a wash of toms that could be the melody. As this perpetual motion continues through most of the work, Braxton takes time to nod to legends Charlie Parker and Monk (another aspect of "Ghost Trance"), incorporate pointillistic elements (though he realizes it with microtonal glee), and form an alliance of Eastern and Western techniques from the last 100 years. Although the sutures might be light-years away, Kevin O'Neil's fingers flying over the frets in a near metal (sans distortion) manner, the ostinato returns regularly throughout the piece to provide a surprisingly cohesive form. The second disc picks up where "Composition N. 212" leaves off. The band harps on the same groove, slowly expounding and cultivating this universe through an increase in tempo, speed of gestures and density of textures. Somewhere around the fifteen minute mark of "212" (both works are over 55 minutes in length), something clicks and you're hooked, a type of catch where everything fades away and the previous hour of music suddenly makes sense. It's very difficult to explain without providing actual examples from the disc, but perhaps this is the spiritual experience of which Braxton speaks. Logically, it follows a Lamonte Young aesthetic and John Cage's idea that something obtuse and unappealing, repeated a sufficient number of times, will turn from blasé to boring to intriguing. Braxton's prolific work (I stopped counting after 35 releases) has alienated his professors, label execs, fans and peers, but he'll go down in history as one of the giants of music — after all, what truly great progressive and chameleon-like artist is recognized and understood in his lifetime? As mentioned, I still doesn't quite get what he does, but I respect him and know that either his level of performance and composition is beyond my understanding, or he's the greatest imposter in the world. Either way, his message and craft are impressive. Ninetet is an inimitable slice of Braxton history in the making; as always, he seems to be a few paces ahead of everyone else. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 Splendid and Dave Madden. |
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Bruce Lee Gallanter for Downtown Music Gallery This is the third double disc set to come from Braxton's 6 Night Ghost Trance Festival at Yoshi's on the west coast in August of 1997. Each of the two discs contains one composition, No. 221 and No. 212. Mr. Braxton's controversial "Ghost Trance Music" is often misunderstood and under-appreciated. On the surface, it appears as if the 9-piece ensemble is playing a certain line over and over, when they begin. Soon that line is transformed as subgroups work together, developing different themes simultaneously, yet there is a connecting pulse that runs throughout. Sometimes the pulse is apparent, sometimes it is buried beneath the surface, but it always reappears. After about ten minutes, everything slows down to a dream-like pace as noted are delicately stretched out over the space. There are some magical combinations of players throughout, one sections features some marvelous flute-work for 2 or 3 flutists. With six strong reed players, there is too much fascinating playing and varied combinations of players to comment on here. The rhythm team is also extraordinary, each exploring different terrain and textures, whether supporting, navigating or soloing. There is a section where there are a few clarinetists playing together at once and I swear I hear an accordion in there!?! Could it be the ghost of Ted Reichman, who has also played on a few of the earlier Ghost Trance discs? Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 Downtown Music Gallery and Bruce Lee Gallanter. All reviews written by Bruce Lee Gallanter:
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Joaquin Villaverde for Tomajazz Poco a poco van apareciendo los distintos discos que se grabaron en el Yoshi's por Anthony Braxton. Anunciados en primer lugar como caja dentro de su sello Braxton House, imagino que el fracaso (o congelación) del sello, llevó a la venta de los masters a Leo Records, que va poco a poco editando el material. Este es el tercer doble disco que ha aparecido de un total de doce anunciados. Como Braxton se ha convertido en uno de los músicos más editados por Leo Records es de esperar que en breve se puedan ver editados el resto de discos anunciados. En fin, que ocho años después de ser grabadas aparecen estas sesiones, que ven a Braxton inmerso dentro de la Ghost Trance Music. Aquí no hay concesiones como en obras más recientes que combinan la ghost trance music con composiones superpuestas. En los últimos años Braxton se ha rodeado de un amplio grupo de músicos que participan en sus formaciones de manera intermitente y aquí estan casí todos. La formación es de autentico lujo. Han pasado los años y todos ellos han pasado a engrosar la lista de los mejores músicos de la actualidad. Desde un apasionante Kevin Norton, o las primeras apariciones de Kevin O'Neil y unos vientos en los que cada uno tiene su propia personalidad. Una pena que el libreto no sea un poco más explícito en cuanto al orden de los solos. Por cierto, el libreto es muy interesante como una especie de diario en torno al disco desde que se le pide la reseña hasta que la entrega. Un disco recomendable. Como toda la GTM, es música infinita. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 Tomajazz and Joaquin Villaverde. |
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June 5, 2007 by Luca Canini for All About Jazz Italia Si potrebbe iniziare con una semplice equazione: il materiale registrato dal nonetto allo Yoshi's sta al Braxton degli anni Novanta, come i tre album registrati dal quartetto "classico" (Crispell, Hemingway, Dresser) durante il tour inglese (London, Coventry, Birmingham) stanno al Braxton degli anni Ottanta. Medesimo lo spirito enciclopedico che anima i due titanici progetti discografici; molto simile l'atmosfera da "punto e a capo" che si sente vibrare all'interno delle registrazioni; equivalente, infine, il valore periodizzante che i sei doppi, ovviamente editi dalla benemerita Leo, ricoprono nella carriera di uno dei giganti della musica creativa contemporanea. È l'agosto del 1997 quando il ninetet di Braxton approda allo storico Yoshi's di Oakland, California. Vi resterà per sei giorni consecutivi, infilando due set di poco meno di un'ora ciascuno per ogni serata e cimentandosi con ben 12 inedite composizioni, ovviamente in senso braxtoniano, del leader: per l'esattezza dalla 207 alla 218 (Mozart è ancora lontano a quota 626, ma, vista la stupefacente prolificità, non si sa mai che prima o poi Mr. Braxton riesca ad acchiapparlo). L'occasione, assai preziosa, è di quelle che capitano raramente, soprattutto a formazioni numericamente cospicue come questa: un'intera settimana di prove ed esibizioni pubbliche al servizio della Ghost Trance Music (GTM), l'ultima fantomatica ossessione partorita dalla vulcanica mente del polistrumentista di Chicago. Il terzo volume edito dalla Leo a partire dalle registrazioni effettuate durante quell'irripetibile settimana, contiene l'intero concerto del 21 agosto: due composizioni di 55 minuti ciascuna (211 e 212) restituite in formato doppio ed in traccia unica nella loro mastodontica eloquenza. L'intricato ordito intessuto dal gruppo rispetta pienamente il canone ormai consolidato della migliore GTM: incedere ipnotico e pulsante; sovrapposizioni reiterate ed imprevedibili di brevi pattern; improvvise rarefazioni seguite da imprevedibili accelerazioni; circolarità ossessiva delle soluzioni ritmiche ed armoniche. Una musica sempre uguale a sé stessa, eppure sempre diversa. Una musica caratterizzata dall'apparente tendenza all'entropia, eppure attraversata da una fredda lucidità matematica. Una musica dal carattere assolutamente collettivo e panteistico, eppure nobilitata da folgoranti passaggi solistici. Il consiglio, comunque, è quello di evitare il giochetto del "chi sta suonando cosa" e concentrarsi sui colori e le sfumature, sul fascino perverso delle imponenti masse sonore e sul continuo rigenerarsi dell'improvvisazione, sull'infinito brulicare dei dettagli e sulle complesse architetture innalzate da Braxton e compagni. Detto questo, una menzione d'onore spetta senza dubbio a Kevin Norton e Kevin O'Neil: fedeli e infaticabili servitori della GTM, è riservato a loro il compito arduo di reggere ritmicamente il flusso magmatico dei sei fiati, riuscendo allo stesso tempo ad introdurre elementi stranianti e dirompenti. Il batterista-vibrafonista, in particolare, non finisce mai di stupire per l'imprevedibile versatilità e l'enorme intelligenza del tocco. Un'ultima considerazione. Come i lettori più attenti avranno notato, la pubblicazione del terzo volume arriva a coprire giusto la metà di quanto proposto in quei sei giorni: che la Leo abbia davvero intenzione di arrivare al sesto? Aspettiamo fiduciosi. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2007 All About Jazz Italia and Luca Canini. |
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