| Discography of Joe Fonda | 1997 |
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Lineup
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Recorded live at Yoshi's, August 1997.
Released December 2007 by Leo Records [LR 500/501]
q.v. Vol. 1, Vol. 2 (with liner notes by Steve Day), and Vol. 3
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CD Reviews
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John Eyles for All About Jazz Recorded over five days in August 1997 at Yoshi's in Oakland, California this recording is from the early phase of reed player/composer Anthony Braxton's Ghost Trance Music (GTM) period. Originally planned to be released as a 12-CD box set on Braxton's own (now dormant) Braxton House label, these ninetet recordings have instead slowly emerged, two discs at a time, on Leo. Given that the climax of the GTM period, the 2006 Iridium club 12+1tet recordings, came out all at once as a nine-CD box set in 2007, it seems a little odd only now to be reviewing this music — as though discussing an early part of a story of which the end is known. GTM went through several distinct phases, culminating in the so-called Accelerated GTM of the Iridium set; the Yoshi's recordings exemplify its first "species." As this release is the fourth volume of the Yoshi's recordings, it seems unlikely to attract listeners who have not already heard the previous volumes. The scored music is entirely consistent with those preceding releases; highly structured and rhythmically tight, it gets into a groove and then stays there for a long time. There are solos on top of the repeated patterns that define each composition, but that is where they are — on top. With soloists of the quality of reed players J. D. Perran, Brandon Evans, James Fei (all Braxton regulars) plus the professor himself, there is an ever changing kaleidoscope here to savour. However, solos are ultimately largely irrelevant to the forward impetus of the music, as is group interaction. The ensemble sections alternate with slower, freer sections featuring duos or trios, but the ensemble is never far away from returning to march things forward. One day, when all of the GTM recordings are out (for instance, Braxton House advertised a ten-CD set recorded in 1997 in New York that has never, so far as this writer knows, emerged in any form) we will be able to have a proper overview of its variations, twists and turns. Until that day arrives, let's just revel in the sheer pleasure of this music....which is Anthony Braxton at his quirky, unpredictable best. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2008 All About Jazz and John Eyles. All reviews written by John Eyles → Overview of all CD/LP reviews and liner notes |
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Guillaume "Grisli" Belhomme for dMute Cinq soirées passées au Yoshi's d'Oakland en 1997 permirent à Anthony Braxton de développer son concept de Ghost Trance Music. Sur ce quatrième volume de la rétrospective publiée par Leo Records : deux compositions au programme et évocations de transes amérindiennes sur Composition N°213 et Composition N°214, rendues à la tête d'un ensemble de neuf musiciens — section rythmique assurée par Joe Fonda et Kevin Norton. Ici, la progression instable, souvent précipitée, des instruments à vent ralentis soudain par la guitare à contre-emploi d'O'Neil, les cacophonies minuscules déposées sur résonances, et les entrelacs spécieux évoquant une version revue et étirée du Hat and Beard de Dolphy. Morceau que l'on pourrait aussi bien retrouver là : Composition N°214 aux graves imposants, portant aux nues le trio flûte / alto / guitare avant le retour implacable d'un duo assuré : contrebasse et clarinette basse. Inspirés et insistants, Braxton et son groupe, sur cet autre souvenir d'un passage mémorable au Yoshi's. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2008 dMute and Guillaume Belhomme. All reviews written by Guillaume Belhomme → Overview of all CD/LP reviews and liner notes |
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Bruce Lee Gallanter for Downtown Music Gallery The fourth double CD documenting the legendary five-day residence of Anthony Braxton's ninetet at Yoshi's in 1997. These performances at Yoshi's happened to be a milestone for Anthony Braxton in developing his concept of GTM (Ghost Trance Music). The line-up of musicians is the same as on previous volumes, the liner notes provided, as before, by Steve Day in the form of a listening diary. As a big fan of Braxton's 'Ghost Trance Music', I look forward to each installment of the continuing journey of that repeating line, over and over and over again. "Composition No. 213" starts with just the one repeating line yet it soon includes a layer of twisted solos from one of six reed players or guitarist Kevin O'Neil. The piece slows down and mutates into a strange, unpredictable direction until the repeating ("ghost trance") line returns again. Different combinations of musicians create sub-groups (duos & trios) that play one line while another sub-group also plays an inter-connected series of lines. Some of these repeating lines take on an organic quality-like pulse, similar to the way the our blood pumps energy and a liquid force through our veins and thus we have a heartbeat in the center of our being. It feels like we are watching or listening to a few stories simultaneously, so we must concentrate to take it all in and go for our ride. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2007 Downtown Music Gallery and Bruce Lee Gallanter. All reviews written by Bruce Lee Gallanter → Overview of all CD/LP reviews and liner notes |
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Vincenzo Roggero for All About Jazz Italia Quello in esame è il quarto doppio CD che documenta la settimana di permanenza al leggendario Yoshi's, di Oakland in California, della formazione di nove elementi con la quale Anthony Braxton sviluppò ai massimi livelli il concetto di Ghost Trance Music [per leggere la recensione del Volume 3 clicca qui]. Sei fiati, una chitarra un contrabbasso e percussioni varie costituiscono una forza d’urto tremenda che nella mente e nelle mani di Braxton si trasforma in una formidabile possibilità di creazione e manipolazione sonora. Le due lunghe composizioni - una per CD - si caratterizzano per l’andamento ipnotico ma affatto statico, nel quale si alternano momenti di caos organizzato e momenti di calma apparente. L’intera famiglia delle ance e dei clarinetti sfodera le proprie risorse timbriche, ora in movimenti contrappuntistici che ricordano un quartetto d’archi, ora in incroci pericolosi ad alto tasso adrenalinico. Il tutto sotto il controllo ferreo del leader che organizza il materiale sonoro con la consueta precisione maniacale e valorizza il risultato d’insieme piuttosto che le voci soliste. Anche se non possiamo non menzionare due musicisti che emergono quasi controvoglia dal incandescente magma braxtoniano. Il chitarrista Kevin O’Neil è una sorta di liquido di contrasto al denso fluire sonoro; l’approccio puntillistico della sua sei corde elettrica proietta la musica in una dimensione rarefatta e surreale. Mentre Kevin Norton, soprattutto con marimba e vibrafono, introduce minimali linee melodiche che in qualche modo consentono di alleggerire gli immancabili grovigli di suoni predisposti da Mr. Braxton. Quella presente in Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997: Volume 4 è musica che, pur non prevedendo variazioni particolari nel suo impianto generale, è di una ricchezza straordinaria, non suona mai uguale a se stessa e ascolto dopo ascolto svela nuovi filoni nella miniera musicale organizzata da Braxton. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2008 All About Jazz Italia and Vincenzo Roggero. |
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