Six Compositions (Gtm) 2001

Colossal 4-CD set of Anthony Braxton works, as performed by ensembles of mostly Bay Area folks. Each composition is long; one of them takes up the first TWO discs!

This is Braxton's recent "ghost trance" music, made up of strict, strident beats like a drunk happy marching band. It's not as repetitive as it sounds at first, and the players are allowed some free-jazz soloing to add some variety. The music has a bright, playful sound -- it's nothing like, say, Phillip Glass' ominous droning. And John Shiurba adds squealy guitar to some tracks for a noisy, non-academic sound.

Tracks do have a particular organization and logic, so to excerpt a track, it's best to just start at the beginning so you catch the "head" followed by soloing.

DISK 1:
1* - Insistant stomping beat with pre-written "stumbles" for some unpredictability
2* - Gentler, with weird warbly singing

DISK 2:
1- March-like segments juxtaposed with free swirling
2*- Returns to the pulsing theme, then speeds up dramatically

DISK 3:
1- Boisterous, then long floaty improv
2**- Slinky Egyptian feel. Nice scattery piano toward the end.

DISK 4:
1*- Playfully sparse. Small curled bursts.
2- Slow stagger
3*- Fast pecking.