Anthony Braxton Composition No. 169 + (186 + 206 + 214) CD

Recorded live at The Ljubijana Music Festival, Slovenia on June 28, 2000.
This is a huge work, lasting just over an hour and a half and utilizing a string orchestra plus four saxophonists, including Anthony Braxton. Much of it sounds like modern classical music, except for the occasional improvisational interludes. But classification has never been what Braxton is about, and this sprawling concerto, as with much of his compositional output in the 1990s and beyond, builds on styles and techniques that the composer and alto saxophonist has gradually developed. There is a static quality to much of the piece (which is divided over two CDs), characterized by pulsating, thrusting strings. The timbre of the strings actually softens the blows, making this more listenable than some of the composer's other assemblages. Braxton's dense, indecipherable prose describes the piece as one that "demonstrates staccato line (logic) distribution strategies with intervallic (focused) sub-plane manipulations (interjection) strategies." Regardless, the fine work of the Slovenia Radio Orchestra, coupled with some excellent soloing from Braxton and his saxophonist colleagues, gives this a serious, if somewhat difficult demeanor. There are the usual flashes of brilliance, the complex rhythmic patterns, and the repeating quarter tones, though this is extremely difficult to listen to in one sitting. Whether the work coalesces as a whole is a matter of debate. At least for the moment, it's best to side with the view that this is a substantial work, if only because of the music's considerable depth and originality. ~ Steven Loewy

This 2-CD set was recorded live at the Ljubljana Music Festival in Slovenia, June 28, 2000. "Composition No. 169" was arranged for four saxophonists (Anthony, James Fei, Chris Jonas & Jackson Moore) & strings from the Slovenia Radio Orchestra. In additio