Compositions No.10 & No.16 (+101)

It has always been baffling why the work of certain contemporary composers like Anthony Braxton, whose work spans the jazz and classical genres, has not been more widely performed by musicians outside of their own immediate sphere as "standards" of modern repertoire. After all, pieces by modern composers of the generation prior to his, like Ornette Coleman or Charles Mingus, are routinely covered by performers in and outside of jazz. One would think that Braxton's more overtly jazz-oriented and bop-inflected compositions would be natural vehicles for improvisation. But with certain scattered exceptions (the Jump or Die album by members of the Splatter Trio and Debris and the occasional cover version by Roscoe Mitchell or James Carter), one searches in vain for elaboration on and interpretations of his work. Thus, writer and arranger Art Lange's decision to record two of Braxton's more abstract works comes as a very welcome effort and, moreover, results in a superb and lasting performance.

Crucial to the success of his conception, Lange enlisted the aid of five outstanding musicians from Chicago's vibrant late-'90s scene, players with a range of experience across many fields including jazz, contemporary classical, electro-acoustic improv, and rock. The two pieces chosen ("Composition 10" is performed twice, with two wildly different outcomes) each use graphic notation and generalized musical commands necessitating a great deal or interpretation and input from the performers; happily, this group is more than up to the task. The rich palette utilized (clarinets, vibes, hurdy-gurdy, and accordion, among others) makes for delicious and warm textures and is deployed with wondrous imagination throughout. The Argentinean reedmaster Guillermo Gregorio is especially enjoyable, his dry, airy tone providing an ideal foil for the lower range clarinets and deep arco bass patterns generated by Michael Cameron. The general feel of both pieces is one of considered calm and sustained, thoughtful ruminations, where turmoil bubbles to the surface here and there, unpredictably, but is subsumed into the larger, more serene flow. The lines between improvisation and composition are utterly blurred.

Composition 10 & 16 (101) is easily the most successful interpretation of Braxton's music not done under the direct supervision of the composer. Art Lange has performed an enormous service, not only for the beautifully realized project at hand but also for demonstrating that Braxton's work can be taken just as seriously as compositions by other, more recognized, modern masters and that his music deserves its place in the "standard" contemporary repertoire. This disc is very highly recommended to both longtime Braxton fans as well as to listeners interested in the best of late-20th century "serious" music.