Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Anthony Braxton (Splasc: Small Ensemble Music (Wesleyan) 1994

190

Anthony Braxton (Splasc: Small Ensemble Music (Wesleyan) 1994

By

View read count
Anthony Braxton (Splasc: Small Ensemble Music (Wesleyan) 1994
Anthony Braxton’s Small Ensemble Music (Wesleyan) 1994 was recorded at “Wesleyan University’s - Center for The Arts - as the great saxophonist unearths some of his older compositions and partakes in a series of “Duo and Trio based improvisations along with the extended piece titled, “Three Compositions For Sextet”. On “Trio Improvisation” we hear Braxton toggle between five different woodwind instruments along with saxophonist Andre’ Vida and Brandon Evans who performs on oboe, shenai and bass clarinet. Here, the musicians weave distinct fabrics of sound augmented by chamber-esque characteristics and explicit yet at times delicate lines that perhaps indicate spontaneous conversation accented by various levels of intensity and emotion.

Braxton utilizes his sopranino saxophone on “Duo Improvisation” with drummer/percussionist Eric Rosenthal as the drummer expounds upon a horizontal plane with spurious inventions amid his – snap, crackle and pop style of execution. With this piece, Braxton pursues linear and at times fragmented lines yet it is “Three Compositions for Sextet” that is the showstopper! Along with veterans such as bassist Joe Fonda, drummer/vibraphonist Kevin Norton and others, the saxophonist steers the band through multihued themes and textures surrounded by complex and hypnotic choruses yet an underlying sense of continuity prevails. During these three compositions, i.e. N 44 (1080+96) + 168, N 136 and N 43 + (96) + 168, we hear microtonal passages, mood shifts and heated flurries yet on the final sequence (N 43...) the band coalesces for punctual unison choruses and modern classical style motifs. Throughout, the musicians spew forth-fascinating themes that often convey a sense of fragility or innocence yet with Braxton, we tend to gaze in wonderment at the end results.

* * * * (out of * * * * *)

Personnel

Anthony Braxton
woodwinds

Anthony Braxton; Woodwinds: Brandon Evans; Bass Clarinet, Oboe & Shenai (Track 1): Andre Vida; Baritone & Tenor Sax (Track 1): Jeanne Chloe; Piano (Track 2): Roland Dahinden; Trombone (Track 2): Eric Rosenthal; Percussion (Track 3): Jason Wong; Violin (Track 4): Ted Reichman; Accordion (Track 4): Mike Heffley; Trombone (Track 4): Joe Fonda; Bass (Track 4): Kevin Norton; Drums & Vibes (Track 4).

Cadence North Country distributes

Album information

Title: Small Ensemble Music (Wesleyan) 1994 | Year Released: 2000

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.