Braxton was unique in the AACM-centered avant jazz world for any number of reasons, not the least of which was his avowed admiration for white saxophonists of the "cool" school such as Warne Marsh, Paul Desmond and Lee Konitz as well as for the music of Marsh partner Lennie Tristano, whose compositional style was a clear influence on Braxton's more boppish pieces with their intervallic leaps and rapid, slippery rhythms. Given that since his earliest recordings Braxton had done works "in the tradition", it might be a bit surprising that he didn't pay explicit homage to Tristano until 1989, but the results were well worth waiting for.
Recorded in Hollywood, he made use of two "locals", ROVA baritonist Jon Raskin and the brand new and exciting pianistic voice of Dred Scott. Along with the stellar bass/drums combo of Cecil McBee and Andrew Cyrille, this was a quintet to be reckoned with. Eight Tristano compositions (one, "Victory Ball", with two takes) and another by Marsh ("Sax of a Kind"), all performed in a direct, straight ahead manner, even the solos somewhat reined in, but all joyous and overflowing with imagination. Braxton, sticking to alto and sopranino, is in fine, ebullient form throughout, notably in a duet with Scott on "Dreams". And Scott! I believe this was his first recording of any note and he was something of a revelation, a kind of cross between Tristano and Don Pullen, replacing the former's more acerbic aspects with the latter's down home richness. I recall expecting great things from this musician which, sadly, as near as I can tell, haven't eventuated (though he's still playing), but do check out his work here. Raskin is an excellent foil, strong and gutsy and it's tough to think of a better suited pair then McBee and Cyrille to anchor, in a beautifully loose way, this music which surges and bends in unpredictable fashion.
Works like "Lennie's Pennies" just explode from the disc, Braxton's alto blossoming with exquisitely controlled abandon, a perfect lead-in to the contained chaos of the finale while the Marsh composition receives a more chamber music approach, with just the horns and piano, gently caressing and probing the melody, ending up in an area not unlike some of the wonderful "dirges" that Braxton penned in the 70s. As the group closes out the album with a rousing version of "April", the listener has experienced not only an extraordinarily strong set of songs by a superb ensemble, but a compilation of "historic" material that leaves most work by the so-called "new traditionalists" of the 80s and beyond, way, way back there in the dust.
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