Anthony Braxton Four Compositions (GTM) 2000 CD

To paraphrase the old stock brokerage commercial: "When Anthony Braxton plays, people listen". And they have been doing so for decades, through dozens of recordings spanning an evolution that is remarkable for its independence and virtuosity. Braxton's f

Personnel: Anthony Braxton (soprano, alto, baritone, bass & contra bass saxophones; flute); Keith Uehlinger (piano, melodica); Keith Witty (bass); Noam Schatz (percussion).
Personnel: Anthony Braxton (soprano & alto saxophones, clarinet, contrabass clarinet); Alex Hurwitz (vocals).
Recorded on October 30 & 31, 2000.
Personnel: Anthony Braxton (flute, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, bass saxophone); Kevin Uehlinger (melodica, piano); Noah Schatz (percussion).
Liner Note Author: Steve Loewy.
Recording information: 2000.
Photographer: Michael Wilderman.
In a sense, Four Compositions (GTM) 2000 is a homecoming for Anthony Braxton. This 2003 release reunites the avant-garde reedman with Delmark Records, where he recorded his first album, 3 Compositions of New Jazz, in 1968. Braxton was only 22 at the time, and he turned 57 in 2002. Some musicians mellow with time, but not Braxton; after all these years, the Chicago native is as uncompromising as ever. Like so much of his previous work, Four Compositions (GTM) 2000 has to be accepted own its own terms -- and those terms certainly aren't terms of the conservative "bop police." This is complex, abstract, dissonant, highly cerebral music that never goes out of its way to be accessible -- the sort of music that appeals to intellectuals in Sweden. That isn't to say that only Swedes listen to Braxton, who has a small following in the United States -- only that albums this left-of-center are a hard sell in the U.S. and that intellectuals in Sweden and other European countries have been consistent supporters of Braxton. Four Compositions (GTM) 2000 won't be a pop hit, but those who are daring enough to go along for the ride will find that Braxton is in excellent form on four extended pieces (one of which lasts 20 minutes). This time, he plays several instruments (including flute and various saxophones) and leads a cohesive quartet that includes pianist Kevin Uehlinger, bassist Keith Witty, and percussionist Noah Schatz. Many non-avant-garde musicians have had difficulty comprehending Braxton's work, but these sideman obviously understand where he is coming from and serve him well on this inspired addition to his sizable catalog. ~ Alex Henderson

The Wire (5/03, pp.53-4) - "...Braxton's fruity saxophone and Uehlinger's probing piano suss out this clandestine terrain with incisive ingenuity..."