18.9.05
Como já foi amplamente noticiado, no passado dia 4 de Junho, o multi-instrumentista / compositor / escritor / professor / “Genius” da MacArthur Fellowship, ANTHONY BRAXTON completou 60 anos de idade e 38 de carreira. Foi em 1967 que A. Braxton se estreou em disco, com uma participação em Levels And Degrees of Light, de Muhal Richard Abrams, pontapé de saída para uma carreira discográfica de qualidade e quantidade impressionantes, a rondar os 250 títulos.
Esta será uma excelente oportunidade para conhecer ou aprofundar a conhecimentos sobre a música de um dos maiores criadores deste e do século passado. A propósito, quem sabe se é agora que os álbuns da fase Arista regressam ao convívio dos admiradores do compositor, discos cujas cópias circulam por aí clandestinamente e em abundância entre os traders, facto que Braxton não ignora e inclusivamente incentiva.
Entretanto, prosseguem as actividades do festival ANTHONY BRAXTON AT 60: A CELEBRATION, que cobre os meses de Setembro, Novembro e Dezembro, dividido em três partes. Sexta-feira passada, dia 16, no WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND MUSIC DEPARTMENT, ouviu-se a Composition 103 for 7 Trumpets, em estreia mundial, peça interpretada pelo Braxton Trumpet Ensemble: Taylor Ho Bynum, Tim Byrnes, Peter Evans, Sam Hoyt, John McDonough, Kelly Pratt, Nate Wooley, seguido de Diamond Curtain, pelo Wall Trio: Anthony Braxton (sopros e electrónica), Tom Crean (guitarra) e Taylor Ho Bynum (trompete e fliscórnio).
Um “hardcore fan” de Anthony Braxton, que assina mstfreejazz, mandou-me as suas impressões do concerto que abriu as comemorações:
I attended the Braxton at 60 concert last night. This was my first time seeing AB live after many years of being a hardcore fan. He didn't let me down.
Composition 103 for 7 Trumpets received its world premier. The piece reminded me somewhat of Comp 96 with its overlapping layers of sound. It also had a taped intro of Spainsh music that Talor Ho Bynum soloed over at the start. The combinations of sounds and textures generated by 7 trumpets (each with 4 or 5 trumpet mutes) was astounding and nothing like I have ever heard. The composition is one of the Ritual pieces and all musicians were dressed in Spanish/Latin costumes with AB conducting. All of the trumpet players made impressive contributions to the piece. What a variety of sounds!
After the intermission the US premier of the Diamond Curtain/Wall Trio took place. Interesting to note, AB only played his large saxophones and electronics. (Contra-bass, baritone and one in-between). Tom Crean has an entirely unique way of playing guitar and stringed instruments. I haven't listened to much Derek Bailey, but I imagine that Crean is influenced by Bailey with his non-traditional fingering. Several passages almost had some hard rock fingering which was amusing to see AB in this context. Taylor Ho Bynum played multiple brass (tr, flg, tb) and he is an up and coming major player. I have never seen anyone get the variety of sounds from a trumpet. As far as the music, I don't know how to describe it. It is unlike anything Braxton has ever done. Electronics are used but are supportive to the music and not front and center. As far as I could gather, the electronics are used in the backgound and also to signal transitions in the compositions. The sounds and textures created by Crean lay a foundation that AB and Bynum improvise over. My overall impression of the Diamond Curtain/Wall musics was favorable although the composition was a little flat at the end of the piece. I expect that these musics will evolve quickly like the GTM series has.
Tonight is the Ghost Trance Twelvtte with Electronic Components. I can't wait!
posted by eduardo chagas
@ 18.9.05 Entretanto, prosseguem as actividades do festival ANTHONY BRAXTON AT 60: A CELEBRATION, que cobre os meses de Setembro, Novembro e Dezembro, dividido em três partes. Sexta-feira passada, dia 16, no WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND MUSIC DEPARTMENT, ouviu-se a Composition 103 for 7 Trumpets, em estreia mundial, peça interpretada pelo Braxton Trumpet Ensemble: Taylor Ho Bynum, Tim Byrnes, Peter Evans, Sam Hoyt, John McDonough, Kelly Pratt, Nate Wooley, seguido de Diamond Curtain, pelo Wall Trio: Anthony Braxton (sopros e electrónica), Tom Crean (guitarra) e Taylor Ho Bynum (trompete e fliscórnio).
Um “hardcore fan” de Anthony Braxton, que assina mstfreejazz, mandou-me as suas impressões do concerto que abriu as comemorações:
I attended the Braxton at 60 concert last night. This was my first time seeing AB live after many years of being a hardcore fan. He didn't let me down.
Composition 103 for 7 Trumpets received its world premier. The piece reminded me somewhat of Comp 96 with its overlapping layers of sound. It also had a taped intro of Spainsh music that Talor Ho Bynum soloed over at the start. The combinations of sounds and textures generated by 7 trumpets (each with 4 or 5 trumpet mutes) was astounding and nothing like I have ever heard. The composition is one of the Ritual pieces and all musicians were dressed in Spanish/Latin costumes with AB conducting. All of the trumpet players made impressive contributions to the piece. What a variety of sounds!
After the intermission the US premier of the Diamond Curtain/Wall Trio took place. Interesting to note, AB only played his large saxophones and electronics. (Contra-bass, baritone and one in-between). Tom Crean has an entirely unique way of playing guitar and stringed instruments. I haven't listened to much Derek Bailey, but I imagine that Crean is influenced by Bailey with his non-traditional fingering. Several passages almost had some hard rock fingering which was amusing to see AB in this context. Taylor Ho Bynum played multiple brass (tr, flg, tb) and he is an up and coming major player. I have never seen anyone get the variety of sounds from a trumpet. As far as the music, I don't know how to describe it. It is unlike anything Braxton has ever done. Electronics are used but are supportive to the music and not front and center. As far as I could gather, the electronics are used in the backgound and also to signal transitions in the compositions. The sounds and textures created by Crean lay a foundation that AB and Bynum improvise over. My overall impression of the Diamond Curtain/Wall musics was favorable although the composition was a little flat at the end of the piece. I expect that these musics will evolve quickly like the GTM series has.
Tonight is the Ghost Trance Twelvtte with Electronic Components. I can't wait!
