Ran Blake & Anthony Braxton

[Jazzrook]

Ran Blake will be 80 this year and Anthony Braxton 70.
They came together in Vienna in 1988 to record some inspired duets.
Here's one of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p10dksJ73Nw

[Beef Oven!]

Thought you jazzers didn't like Braxton?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

this jazbo does not; the In Vienna album was often referenced on the old boreds; centrifuge and KingKennyTone were fans of Anthony ... i find him somewhat arid and in a straight jazz context, rather inconsequential ... Ran Blake on the other hand is a major artist who deserves far wider appreciation

[Ian Thumwood]

Thought you jazzers didn't like Braxton?

I would have to admit that this is a really good performance yet it confounds your opinions as to who is the most outside. Blake's re-harmonisation is hugely impressive and he sounds far more radical, at least from a harmonic point of view, than Braxton who comes across as bring pretty conservative. There is another duet on Youtube where they play "just friends" which is probably even more outside albeit Blake still manages to sound more challenging than Braxton.

It's a shame that this wasn't posted as a blindfold test as I think some of the prejudice against Braxton's jazz approach would have been muted. I find it interesting to hear him in this context as it is not unpleasant or unengaging. I agree with Calum's comments about Blake whose piano is demonstrably the most interesting thing about this duet. It would still be the most interesting element in a duet with practically anyone else! I don't think Braxton is a convincing bopper and I'm not entirely convinced that he is as technically accomplished as I had supposed. Certainly this duet is far from being inconsequential and is a country mile away from the rank quartet recording of standards that Braxton made a few years back where the guitarist was the best thing about the group.

Throwing a spanner in the works, it is worthwhile noting just how many Braxton acolytes can now be considered to be at the very forefront and amongst the most significant musicians in jazz:- Nicole Mitchell, Taylor Ho Bynam, Mary Halvorson , Tyshawn Shorey, etc.