Anthony Braxton + Evan Parker

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I swung by the used bins at The Last Record Store today, between dances, and found that the Don Byas Chron Classic I spotted there last time was gone... but under the Bs I found an album with Anthony Braxton/ Evan Parker/ Paul Rutherford, "Trio (London) 1993." Wow! This is not only a great album, but the chemistry between Braxton and Parker is incredible! For much of it, they don't sound all that much like themselves, actually, but what they do come up with is terrific, and very easy to hang with -- cooler and less shrieky than one might expect, and very much attuned to each other. I half expected two such strong stylists to get in each other's way, but here they feed off each other very sympathetically. Only had a chance to listen once, so far, but this might be one of the better albums by either of these gentlemen that I have!

I know there's a duo album from the same concert (or festival -- zero liner notes, so I'm not sure), and I'm ordering that tonight, sight unseen and sound unheard, hoping for more of the same.

Any thoughts on either of these two albums?

Any other collaborations between these giants? And if not, WHY??

Braxton+Parker is not a collaboration that would have come readily to mind for me -- the results on this trio album have to be counted as a very happy surprise!

[Martin]

> Any other collaborations between these giants? <


Recordings featuring both Braxton and Parker include:


(1) Pearls
(Globe Unity Orchestra And Guests; recorded November 1975)

(2) Jahrmarkt/Local Fair
(Globe Unity Orchestra; recorded November 1975 and June 1976; Braxton on 1975 session only)

(3) Company 2
(Parker/Bailey/Braxton; recorded August 1976)

(4) Company 5
(Smith/Altena/Bailey/Honsinger/Braxton/Lacy/Parker; recorded May 1977; Braxton playing in septet and in trio with Parker and Honsinger)

(5) Company 6
(Smith/Altena/Parker/Lacy/Honsinger/Coxhill/Braxton/Beresford/Bennink/Bailey; recorded May 1977; Braxton not playing with Parker in the same groupings)

(6) Company 7
(personnel and recording date see above; Braxton playing in duo with Parker and in quartet with Lacy, Parker and Coxhill)

(7) Zurich Concerts
(London Jazz Composers Orchestra; recorded November 1987 and March 1988; Braxton on 1988 session only)

(8) Ensemble (Victoriaville) 1988
(Braxton/Parker/Naughton/Léandre/Hemingway/Smoker/Lewis; recorded October 1988)


(1) and (3): oop
(2): probably still available on vinyl
(4), (7) and (8): available on CD
(5) and (6): partly re-released on CD

[Nate Dorward]

I haven't got the trio album but the duet album is indeed quite remarkable. It's cooled-out counterpoint for the most part, with touches of Braxton's sense of humour (pinched squawks & squeaks start one track) but otherwise quite austere; Parker mostly leaves out the circular breathing cadenzas with which he's associated. If you like it you should also get the very fine duo album with Parker & Joe McPhee on Okkadisk, which is similarly inclined (though a little more consistently sombre as the players stick to tenor throughout).

[Captain Hate]

Unfortunately I don't have the EP and Brax recordings but one of my favorite of EP's is Chirps, duets with Steve Lacy. In it EP plays just like Lacy; in fact it's initially difficult to tell one from the other, although FMP helpfully provides info on who's in which channel (I didn't know that at first, fortunately I passed the blindfold test). This disc isn't universally raved up (Reynolds has badmouthed it before) but I find it fascinating; which I think posters to this thread should enjoy.

[Dan G]

I'm not sure why you would see a Parker/Braxton pairing as strange. Braxton's worked off and on with many of the European crowd for years (duos with Bailey, a band with Tony Oxley, appearances with Globe Unity, plus having Parker and Joelle Leandre in his group for a Victo performance, etc). And though they may not always be the best work that any of them have done, they've been interesting at least.

And I think that both Parker and Braxton are good enough that they have the ability to adapt to most situations that arise. I can't think of many people whose output is as diverse as either of them. Granted, I don't see Braxton as that much of a free improviser these days, but he's proven over and over that he can do it. And the duo disc that you jsut ordered is a good example of it working well.

[Pete C]

Originally posted by Captain Hate
(Reynolds has badmouthed it before)

That's enough for me. It obviously sucks.

[Jon Abbey]

I saw Parker and Braxton play a very nice duo set during Parker's 50th birthday shows here a while back (that same week, WKCR played every record Parker was ever involved in chronologically, I believe they did a whole week of just Parker, thanks to Ben Young).

I'm not so crazy about the duo CD, but I'm almost never a fan of multiple horn improv discs with no other instruments, Rova and the WSQ never did much for me, for instance...

[frankpop1]

i agree with reynolds, these suck. especially the trio Anthony Braxton/ Evan Parker/ Paul Rutherford. i had a tape and listened over and over then i finally threw i t away or gave it away. the duo is ok, but it sounded like something they could accomplish on any given day. no surprises here. and some of the least imaginative 'snappy' cover art.


also worthy of criticism

[stonemonkts]

Originally posted by Jon Abbey
I saw Parker and Braxton play a very nice duo set during Parker's 50th birthday shows here a while back (that same week, WKCR played every record Parker was ever involved in chronologically, I believe they did a whole week of just Parker, thanks to Ben Young).

I adore that radio station, and while I wouldn't be surprised if they played Evan Parker all day, I find all WEEK hard to believe! If that's true, then my estimation of that station just ratcheted up several notches. They must be richly endowed to be able to broadcast such outrageously un-commercial programs.

I'm waiting to find out if my regional cable company is willing to connect me, that will enable me to have high speed net access. My first priority will be to stream WKCR (moved away from NY area year ago).

[Uli]

talking about Braxton duos, has anybody heard the new Wadada/Braxton on Pi?
the record blurb on the pi site sounds like steven could have written it approvingly "changin the dou sound as we know it...".

[walto]

I've got 2 & 8 from Martin's list and like them both OK, but 8 more.

[Jon Abbey]

Originally posted by stonemonkts
I adore that radio station, and while I wouldn't be surprised if they played Evan Parker all day, I find all WEEK hard to believe! If that's true, then my estimation of that station just ratcheted up several notches.

ok, I've further investigated this for you, it actually ran for six days, 24 hours a day, at the end of May 1994, according to Ben Young.

They must be richly endowed to be able to broadcast such outrageously un-commercial programs.

I'm pretty sure they never run commercials, it's a college-funded station.

[Jon Abbey]

I have an even foggier memory of this, but I believe sometime shortly after I graduated from there in 1988, they played Sun Ra exclusively for around two weeks.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Martin: Thanks for the great list, which I will copy.

DanG: I didn't say I thought the pairing was strange, I said it didn't come readily to mind. For one thing, I wasn't aware of all the collaborations Martin mentions. But I think even more it was that the few Braxton duo and trio collaborations I have (with George Lewis, Mario Pavonne and a young John Lindberg) seem to me to be Braxton albums (even the one with Lewis, which I like a good deal), rather than co-equal collaborations. Captain Hate cites the Lacy album as another example of Braxton adapting rather than shaping the music.

[Martin]

> Thanks for the great list, which I will copy. <

Steve, you're welcome. It's just a few snatches into my record collection. Despite its monumental scope I still know in an instant where to go when I'm looking for any particular item.


> Captain Hate cites the Lacy album as another example of Braxton adapting rather than shaping the music. <

Parker adapting, that is. The "adapting vs. shaping" (or "lead vs. follow") question seems to be an interesting issue for horn duets in general. For instance, things are completely different on the recently reissued duo recording by Evan Parker and George Lewis. Although an extraordinarily strong musical personality himself, Lewis follows Parker's lead for much of the time.

[stonemonkts]

Originally posted by Jon Abbey
ok, I've further investigated this for you, it actually ran for six days, 24 hours a day, at the end of May 1994, according to Ben Young.



I'm pretty sure they never run commercials, it's a college-funded station.

Thanks for taking the time to check that out. Truly remarkable radio station. Certainly unique, perhaps none other like it anywhere worldwide (I'm guessing).

Aside from their wonderful format, the LP collection in that building must be a mind boggling thing to behold. Shrugs would enjoy browsing there, I bet.

[walto]

FWIW, Harvard radio (WHRB) does those kind of orgies twice a year. Love 'em.

[Rob C]

I haven't heard the trio record SqD refers to, but I'm a little surprised to see the negative comments on the duo record. I like it a lot (despite two-horn duos also not being one of my favorite formats--though I prefer them to single-horn solos). I think both Braxton and Parker are in excellent form, and it's interesting to hear them play like they do on that record--lower key and maybe a little less abstract than usual for either of them, but still sounding like themselves.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Now that I have the duo album, too, I'm at a loss to know why it's not universally loved by Braxton and Parker fans. It seems to me to be an extraordinarily sympathetic musical conversation between the two, with some beautiful duo passages, and some startling pyrotechnics.