Jazz Articles about Anthony Braxton

About Anthony Braxton

Album Review

James Emery / Anthony Braxton: Articulations

Read "Articulations" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
August 29, 2026

Thirty-four years is a long time for a tape to sit in a drawer, but jazz history is littered with such delays, and Anthony Braxton's discography in particular has always unspooled out of chronological order. Articulations, a duo session with guitarist James Emery recorded in Florence on June 19, 1992, finally surfaced this year on Emery's own Bandcamp imprint, self-released and produced by Emery with Ed Petersen. The reasons behind the gap are not spelled out in the credits, and ...

Album Review

Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985

Read "Quartet (England) 1985" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic

by Mike Jurkovic
June 10, 2025

Though Leo Records has previously documented Quartet (London) 1985 (1988); Quartet (Birmingham) 1985 (1991); and Quartet (Coventry) 1985 (1993), Burning Ambulance Music is proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the tour with this set of previously unreleased recordings from Liverpool, Sheffield, Leicester, Bristol, Southampton, Leeds, and Huddersfield. Set to be digitally released exclusively on Bandcamp on what would have been Braxton's 80th birthday, (June 4, 2025), Quartet England (1985) is an unhinged glory from start to finish.

Album Review

Anthony Braxton Saxophone Quartet: Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022

Read "Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro

by Alberto Bazzurro
December 2, 2024

A mezzo secolo esatto dal suo primo esperimento in materia, la “Composition 23A" (rombo-30-EGN-KBM-78, secondo la connotazione grafica tipica delle pagine braxtoniane dell'epoca, che qui non possiamo per ovvi motivi riprodurre nella sua completezza) datata fra il 27 settembre e il 16 ottobre 1974 e riunita poi con altre cinque di diversa natura in New York, Fall 1974, dove, al sopranino, si univa all'alto di Julius Hemphill, al tenore di Oliver Lake e al baritono di Hamiet Bluiett, prefigurando quello ...

Album Review

Anthony Braxton: Solo Bern 1984 First Visit

Read "Solo Bern 1984 First Visit" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro

by Alberto Bazzurro
November 18, 2024

A quarant'anni esatti dalla sua esecuzione (per l'esattezza il 7 luglio 1984), ecco arrivare questo live svizzero, di ottima fattura sotto il profilo dell'incisione (non è sempre stato così, nei molti inediti braxtoniani spuntati fuori come funghi nel corso degli anni), nonché largamente esaustivo dei procedimenti messi in atto in concerto dal grande musicista chicagoano (anche stavolta concentratosi sul solo sax contralto). C'è un po' tutto il suo bagaglio, strumentistico nonché di scrittura (qui arriviamo alla composizione numero ...

Interview

My Conversation with Anthony Braxton

by AAJ Staff
August 16, 2024

This article first appeared on All About Jazz in September 2001. In Puccini's Tosca, the lead heroine sings “Vissi d'arte" in the second act. It is with passion and anguish then that the audience understands the opera singer Floria Tosca is asking the heavens why she has suffered so much for her art when she has devoted herself entirely to music. “Vissi d'arte" rings closely to my soul because I know artists suffer. I know jazz artists suffer ...

Album Review

Anthony Braxton Saxophone Quartet: Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022

Read "Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
July 17, 2024

Anthony Braxton's music can often be compared to that reoccurring dream many people have where they have an upcoming university exam. Still, they neither attended the classes nor studied for the test. The reason may be that his graphic notations along with his scores can be formidable and downright indecipherable. Listeners recognize the great man is operating on a higher plane, one which can often be quite daunting. If anyone identifies with the above description, his Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022 ...

Album Review

Anthony Braxton: Solo Bern 1984 First Visit

Read "Solo Bern 1984 First Visit" reviewed by John Eyles

by John Eyles
June 24, 2024

Following hot on the heels of Cecil Taylor Unit's Live At Fat Tuesday's February 9, 1980, First Visit (ezz-thetics, 2024)--the inaugural release of ezz-thetics' First Visit series--comes another never-before-released live album. This one dates from July 7th, 1984, and was recorded live at Altes Schlachthaus, Bern, Switzerland. It features a thirty-nine-year-old Anthony Braxton alone, playing alto saxophone versions of sixteen pieces, twelve being Braxton compositions and four standards--Coltrane's “Giant Steps" and “Naima," Arthur Schwartz' “Alone Together" from the '30s Broadway ...