Search - Anthony Braxton, Milford Graves, William Parker :: Beyond Quantum

Beyond Quantum

Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 08/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One disc approximately 62 minutes. Excellent sound. Recorded and mixed by Bill Laswell. This recording continues to prove that Anthony Braxton(saxophones) continues to make music that matters. To anyone with knowledge of this genre of music the three players on this disc need no introduction. Braxton,of course,has been recording for many years. I can remember when he would hustle chess matches to pay for some of his concerts when his style of music had fallen out of favor.



Luckily for us all he is now a much revered musician and teacher. Milford Graves (percussion)has been in the avant garde scene for many years as well. His understanding of percussion work is outstanding-sometimes it sounds almost telepathic. Along with Sonny Murray (another drummer not on this recording) he has consistently stayed true to his style of music. William Parker,(bass)while not as well-known,has also made quite a name for himself in "outside" jazz circles. Together the music that they create is truly wondrous.



Spread over five "meetings",the music on this disc ebbs and flows with a combination of big city grit and sounds that might have eminated out of Africa. The first track,at medium tempo and fairly dense,begins immediately with no real build-up or statement of theme,and continues to increase in density to it's final resolution. This track sets the tone for most of the other tracks. On the second track is where the African feel comes into play. Voices are used in conjunction with the three instruments and the wordless vocals add a fourth instrument into the mix. To often with music of this type the instrumental inter-play are the only sounds used to create what the players want to achieve. The use of vocalizations is very refreshing and gives this track a real organic feel. This track also benefits by a slow build-up to it's eventual climax.



The third "meeting" is dense and very involved,with few spaces between notes. While it's nice it is nothing out of the ordinary. The fourth"meeting" starts out slowly with an ebb and flow between the instruments which gives this track a real identity. Graves' percussion touches are very apparent and hold the track together and keep the music from winding out of control. The fifth and final "meeting" is very dense from the get-go. Braxton is wailing away with Graves not far behind. There are two horns on this track,playing over and with each other. Parker's bass is the grounding element throughout these sides,and though it's understated,his bass-playing holds everything together. Together,Braxton and Graves weave a sonic blanket that's very satisfying.



This,of course,is the type of music that begs to be listened to over several days. Each time something new will pop up and will reward the listener with added delights. The sound is warm and organic feeling with good spatial qualities between the instruments. One can only hope that these three people will continue playing(and recording)together in the future for the benefit of us all."

Top-notch free jazz

Anthony Cooper | Louisville, KY United States | 12/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John Zorn got the idea to bring together three big players in free jazz and see what happens. Anthony Braxton has a very varied resume - he can thoroughly work out a standard, but is most known for his complicated and unique compositions. William Parker has played with about every free jazz musician, but is also known for his melodic original jazz albums. I'm least familiar with Milford Graves, but he's a pioneering free jazz drummer. Broken up into five songs, "Beyond Quantum" is mostly fast-paced and mostly very good music. Anthony Braxton plays a few different saxophones, from the high-pitched to the low-pitched. The three play in a very concentrated manner -- I don't interpret much of it as noodling or playing standard free jazz tricks. Parker's melodicism seems to keep everything fairly accessible. For "Fifth Meeting", William Parker plays a horn, and the result sounds other-worldly.



Free jazz fans should get this, or anyone wanting to dip their toes in Anthony Braxton's discography (I'm not ready to get too deep myself)."

Album of the Year

AJS | 04/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is quite simply an inspired record in every sense of the word. All three players are performing at the absolute peak of their abilities, and considering the players involved, that's saying quite a lot indeed. Anyone interested in great musicianship or improvisational excellence should show their support and buy this record. Special mention should be made for the pristine quality of the recording itself. Needless to say, I wasn't surprised when I learned that Bill Laswell handled the mix. When music is this challenging, this adventurous, this plain good, words happily fail. So listen."