Anthony Braxton: Seven Compositions (Trio) 1989

Braxton's spiraling passages consist of variances in pitch, tone and metrics, while Oxley jabs, spars and provides accents atop Roidinger's booming bass parts. On the standard "All The Things You Are," the trio generates pop, sizzle and blistering trajectories of sound, accelerated by Braxton's ricocheting alto sax statements. Yet the seven compositions are woven into three primary parts, where mini-motifs intersect amid free-form breakouts and torrid bop phrasings.

The band's innumerable thematic developments spawn a hodgepodge of mood-evoking exchanges. Oxley is a supreme colorist, whether the musicians temper the storm via introspective and somber narratives, or when they reheat matters into a stewing boil. At times, Braxton whips matters into an exhilarating frenzy with his arsenal of woodwinds, but adds a whimsical element on "Composition 40J," due to his endearing and wily clarinet lines.

The trio's masterful improvisation is marked by a highly-entertaining and rather scholarly slant, as the best of many worlds coalesce into a cohesive entity. Moreover, previously undetected musings breathe life on subsequent spins. Braxton is at the pinnacle of his artistry throughout this mesmeric program.

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