20 STANDARDS

Okay, the first time I ever tried to listen to this record I stopped after the first song. The tune ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE clocks in at just over 20 minutes. Uh…the shortest tune on the record is 8 minutes; I don’t have this kinda time right now. This was 2003 during one of my record buying binges and ANTHONY BRAXTON’S – 20 STANDARDS was on the list. The fact that it was a four CD set should have set my expectations for the length but I guess I just didn’t pay attention at the time. And it was a record full of standards- we’ve been here before.

The entire recording clocks in at just less than 5 hours. It’s not background music; you will actively listen and attempt to digest it all.

I promised myself that I would spend this year searching for new artists. But I was going thru a crate and rediscovered this recording again. I had a long day ahead, sitting at my workstation and decided that this would be a chance to listen to this recording to keep my sanity because of the tedium I was about to embark upon.

On this date Braxton’s quartet didn’t include a piano. But he never had an opportunity to lose the melody due to the Guitar play of Kevin O’Neil.

I had a special affinity toward the tune, ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET. Although this was arranged for this quartet, it is the same arrangement that my high school jazz band played. Those years are when I first learned to love this song. Over the years, I’ve heard many arrangements, but I love this one most.

While listening to APRIL IN PARIS, it struck me how deft a sax player Braxton is. Of course ballads are much harder to play because of the tempo; the improviser is much more exposed. But without missing a chord change he hangs in there with much bravado.

I’m not sure which axe he is using on the tune FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE. I can’t really tell if it’s a Soprano or Sopranino. He improvises throughout in the highest register of the horn and it almost sounds like a varitone of some sort. I’m not sure that I can really appreciate his play on this song. The interpretation of the melody from the beginning wasn’t immediately recognizable to me and just didn’t really like the output. But of course, I stand by my assessment of his ability and deftness.

As Braxton improvises throughout this record, he touches all jazz sensibilities. He does everything from swinging as hard as possible to the percussiveness associated with avant-garde or free form jazz.

The breadth and depth of this recording will make it necessary to listen too more for years to come. I know that I don’t have the ability to digest all the music here in one sitting. Maybe if I had started in 2003 I would just about have it now.