Anthony Braxton

Recorded live before 1,500 spectators at the 2003 Jazzfestival Willisau in Switzerland, jazz innovator and master musician Anthony Braxton’s adventurous set come across vividly. For over an hour, Braxton coaxes the most wondrous sounds from his alto saxophone, shifting to and fro between anarchic skronks and romantically rendered melodies. On "NO. 328 c,” Braxton comes out blasting, a wall of guttural industrial buzz filling the air with aggressive fury. Conversely, "NO. 344 b” is a moodier piece driven by emotional persistence and is subsequently more human. "NO. 328 a” too is warmer, begging for the camaraderie of an ensemble by charmingly leaving space for harmony and response. An interpretation of Jerome Kern’s "All the Things You Are” is similarly dynamic, though it adheres to structure no more than any of the aforementioned titles. Braxton’s mechanical and physiological manipulations are a hallmark of his work and Solo Willisau is a succinct accounting of his contributions to jazz thus far.