Flotation Device 2025-06-08 - Braxton at 80

Flotation Device 2025-06-08: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Creative music [0:00]
1. [1:26] Anthony Braxton: Opus 23B. From New York, Fall 1974 (Arista, 1974) with Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet), Dave Holland (bass), Jerome Cooper (drums), Tony May (recording engineer)
2. [10:18] Anthony Braxton: Trillium Prague - Act 2: Voyage to the New World, Act 3: The Three Sisters (excerpts). From Trillium X (PMP, 2025) with Hildegard Kleeb (piano), Eva Esterková, Aleš Janiga, Elmaz Mrkvičková, František Sliž, Jana Vondrů, Martin Kotulan, Michael Robotka, Anežka Matoušková, Andrea Pietrová, Vojtěch Šembera, Barbora Jirásková, Štěpán Janoušek (voices), PMP Orchestra, Roland Dahinden (conductor), Jakub Hadraba (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live at the world premiere, August 1, 2023 at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague
3. [15:04] Richard Teitelbaum, Anthony Braxton: Crossing (excerpt). From Time Zones (Freedom, 1977, reissued 1996 by Black Lion as Silence/Time Zones) with Anthony Braxton (sopranino saxophone), Richard Teitelbaum (modular Moog and Micromoog synthesizer), Bill Warrell (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live June 10, 1976 at Creative Music Festival, Mt. Tremper, NY
4. [17:56] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 58. From Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (Arista, 1976). Solos: Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), George Lewis (trombone), Anthony Braxton (clarinet), Jon Faddis (piccolo trumpet). Ensemble: Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone, clarinet), Seldon Powell (alto saxophone, flute), Ron Bridgewater (tenor saxophone), Bruce Johnstone (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet), Roscoe Mitchell (bass saxophone), Kenny Wheeler, Cecil Bridgewater (trumpets), Jon Faddis (trumpet, piccolo trumpet), Leo Smith (trumpet, conductor), George Lewis, Garrett List (trombones), Jack Jeffers (bass trombone), Jonathan Dorn (tuba), Dave Holland (bass), Karl Berger (glockenspiel), Warren Smith, Barry Altschul (snare drum), Frederic Rzewski (bass drum), Philip Wilson (marching cymbals)
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SET 2: Bird, Braxton and beyond [24:42]
1. [26:35] Voice break with Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 106d
2. [28:21] Anthony Braxton in conversation with Michael Schell. NOTE: Video is at https://tinyurl.com/AnthonyBraxton
3. [50:55] Anthony Braxton Sextet: Klactoveedsedstene. From Anthony Braxton's Charlie Parker Project (Hat Hut, 1995) with Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone), Ari Brown (tenor saxophone), Paul Smoker (trumpet, flugelhorn), Misha Mengelberg (piano), Joe Fonda (bass), Han Bennink (drums), Peter Pfister (recording engineer). NOTE: Tune by Charlie Parker. Recorded live October 21, 1993, Rote Fabrik, Zürich
4. [59:19] Outro with Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Leicester) 1985
5. [1:01:14] Anthony Braxton: Composition 115. From The Locals Play the Music of Anthony Braxton (Discus Music, 2020) with The Locals: Pat Thomas (piano), Alex Ward (clarinet), Evan Thomas (electric guitar), Dominic Lash (electric bass), Darren Hasson-Davis (drums). NOTE: Recorded 2006 at Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf
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SET 3: Trans-idiomatic music [1:06:54]
1. [1:08:22] Anthony Braxton: Opus 23C. From New York, Fall 1974 (as above) with Anthony Braxton (flute), Kenny Wheeler (muted trumpet), Dave Holland (bass), Jerome Cooper (drums), Tony May (recording engineer)
2. [1:11:34] Anthony Braxton: Dedicated to multi-instrumentalist Jack Gell (8A). From For Alto (Delmark, 1969) with Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone)
3. [1:12:12] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 134. From Eugene (1989) (Black Saint, 1991) with Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone, conductor), Northwest Creative Orchestra: Todd Barton (synthesizer), Carl Woideck, Mike Curtis, Thom Bergeron (reeds), Mike Vannice (reeds, piano), Ernie Carbajal, John Jensen, Rob Blakeslee (trumpet), Mike Heffley, Tom Hill (trombone), Joe Robinson (guitar), Forrest Moyer (bass), Charles Dowd (vibes), Tom Kelly (percussion), Mark Gordon (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded January 31, 1989 at Beall Hall, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
4. [1:22:25] Max Roach, Anthony Braxton: Tropical Forest. From Birth And Rebirth (Black Saint, 1978) Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet), Max Roach (drums), Carlo Martenet (recording engineer)
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SET 4: Composite reality [1:27:30]
1. [1:30:51] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 40F (excerpt). From Quartet (Dortmund) 1976 (hatART, 1991) with Anthony Braxton (clarinet), George Lewis (trombone), Dave Holland (bass), Barry Altschul (drums, percussion). NOTE: Recorded live October 31, 1976 at Jazzfestival "Jazz Life", Dortmund
2. [1:39:49] Anthony Braxton: N 508-10 (4G) [Composition No. 6K]. From The Complete Braxton 1971 (Arista, 1977) with Anthony Braxton (sopranino saxophone), Chick Corea (piano). NOTE: Recorded February 1971 at Polydor Studios, London
3. [1:44:20] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 169 (excerpt). From Two Compositions (FONT) 2007 (New Braxton House, 2011). Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet), Nate Wooley (trumpet), Mark Taylor (French horn), Reut Regev (trombone), Jay Rozen (tuba), Anthony Braxton (conductor), Jon Rosenberg (recording engineer)
4. [1:49:45] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 274. From The Anthony Braxton Project (Cuneiform, 2020) with Thumbscrew: Mary Halvorson (guitar), Michael Formanek (double bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums, vibraphone), Nate Campisi (recording engineer)
5. [1:55:56] Outro with Anthony Braxton Quartet: I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together from Quartet (Standards) 2020

Photo credits: Quartet 1985 at Stonehenge (AB, Mark Dresser, Marilyn Crispell, Gerry Hemingway) by Nick White, AB and Epistrophy by Edu Hawkins, AB in 2007 by Michael Hoefner, AB in 1976 by Tom Marcello, Standards 2020 (Neil Charles, AB, Stephen Davis) by Edu Hawkins, AB drawing by Ian Johnson, Chick Corea via the artist, Thumbscrew (Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Tomas Fujiwara) by Amy Touchette, Richard Teitelbaum with afro by Dennis Luzak, AB and Dave Holland via Qwest TV, Composition 115 by AB, Max Roach and AB via Inconstant Sol