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.