I just got the book and it looks as wonderful as AB said it was.
John Szwed, author of Space Is The Place
As Francesco warned us, it has more info on AB than we will ever want to know. On the other hand, it has much of the info we do want to know.
It's also a lively book, with quite a few good jokes in it - how many discographies can you say that of?
Robin Kinross on the Jazz Lovers' List
This morning, I received Francesco Martinelli's new and very complete Anthony Braxton Discography. He's done a wonderful job--it's a handsome book, a valuable tool and a must for all confirmed Braxophiles.
There's considerable drool-value for those items we relative completists have never been lucky enough to grab (like some of those early Circle things, in my case!). Highly recommended!
Brian Olewnick on the zorn-list
The Braxton Discography is fantastic. I started reading it and could not stop. It ruined my day because a lot of things were neglected. Yet, what a pleasure to read such a book.
Leo Feigin, letter to the author
An especially vivid section of Lock's book concentrates on Braxton's image in the media, which is bound up in so many stereotypes that it takes on a noble, if unfortunate, comedy of its own. In his ANTHONY BRAXTON: A Discography (Bandecchi & Vivaldi, 217 pages, $25), author FRANCESCO MARTINELLI acknowledges this image in his commentary throughout the book. In an opening disclaimer, for example, Martinelli asks for the reader's patience for the occasional error, due to the fact that he may have gotten "carried away by the music and forgot to take notes.... which must be attributed only to the cold, uninvolving music created by Mr. AB."
Covering every commercially issued record (and then some) featuring Braxton as either composer or performer, the book runs from Muhal Richard Abrams' 1967 Level And Degrees Of Light through Kevin Norton's 1999 For Guy Debord (In Nine Events). Each entry (one to a page) gives the customary discographical information, plus individual track times, reproductions of album and magazine covers, and rare photos. What makes the book doubly valuable for the Braxton fan are the various comments on each of the recordings at hand. Citing reviews (from international sources), liner notes, interviews, books, the Internet, and material newly written for his discography, Martinelli sometimes makes hilariously incisive editorial remarks on the commentary. All of this enhances one's appreciation of the subject, and makes for essential reading.
Larry Nai, Cadence, August 2000
Oh, Mr Braxton what a extraordinary life's work this beautiful mountain of music has become. Put on something like 1976's Quartet date from Dortmund, Germany, which Hat Art released in the early 1990's, and then start to flick through the pages of Francesco Martinelli's new Anthony Braxton discography; Mr Braxton's alto horn turns full circles with George Lewis' unison trombone demon . Move on through the duets (the early stuff with Derek Bailey is killer bee territory), keep Mr Martinelli's book open on the lap, ears and eyes wide apart. Try the Richard Cook and Brian Morton quote from the Penguin Guide that Mr Martinelli uses to describe the Northwest Creative Orchestra's spellbinding execution of "Eugene (1989)" on Black Saint. These three, are almost random examples, but they begin to illustrate both the enormity of the vision and the sheer virtuosity of the man. To attempt to set out a clear discography of Anthony Braxton's extensive recorded output is not for the faint hearted. The fact that this labour of love has been achieved in such a manner as to produce a source book that has the dual role of being informative, as well as entertaining, is to Francesco Martinelli's great credit.
Entertaining? Yes I know it is a difficult word, and I do not mean that either the central musician, or the chronicler of his recorded career are somehow, Saturday night at the movies. What I do mean is that Francesco Martinelli's layout is not simply a long list. Each recording is accompanied by a selected quote from a writer (sometimes more than one) in relation to each particular recording. Over a hundred scribes are quoted which means that the reader is allowed a very large window into the world of sound and comment. We move from Graham Lock's highly knowledgeable analysis of the Braxton canon, taking as many twists and turns as the music itself, right through to Terry Martin's comments about "Seven Standards 1985, Vol.1", where the poor man writes as if he has suddenly been confronted with a slice of sound which might permanently damage his ears. Give that guy the red wine quickly! How about this 1985 statement from Roger Riggins, writing about "Royal Vol.1" on Incus; "What is essentially presented here is a means to no apparent end." I guess it was difficult back then, I would like to think that in the space of the last fifteen years, Mr Riggins has had the chance to make a reassessment.
The presentation of this discography is excellent. CD/album artwork, magazine covers and photographs are all placed in the relevant places throughout the text. Some of the photography is new to me. The visuals take you to the music. There is a historic, very intense, monochrome photograph of Mr Braxton on soprano and his mentor, Muhal Richard Abrams playing piano, which speaks more volumes than any words. Another picture is of Dave Holland, complete with woolly hat, engaged within a bass dialogue with the leader, illustrating the "Circulus" recording from 1975. The contrabass saxophone is such a monster instrument, it is almost as good just to look at it, than listen to the big horn's deep, deep bottom. Francesco Martinelli details instrumentation, track listings, compositions and is prepared to get into extensive detective work when required. Pieces do not always start and finish as stated on the sleeve notes. Mr Martinelli gets close up to his speaker cabinets and dissects what is happening. I like that. Francesco Martinelli is a man who cares. I did spot a few hicc-ups. I wrote the sleeve notes to the 14 Compositions (Traditional) 1996 not Mr Lock, at least I think I did. Elementary my dear Martinelli, this is a splendid addition to all things Braxtonian. My copy of the book is already looking well used. Francesco Martinelli keeps right on working, he is currently engaged in "a complete Chronology of Evan Parker's records, tapes and live concerts"! Christ, that's a task as awesome as putting together a discography of Professor Braxton.
Steve Day, Avant, England, issue 15, Spring 2000
Francesco Martinelli's extended discography - in English - covers all the recordings where Anthony Braxton appears as performer or composer. Martinelli is a record producer, promoter and man about jazz in Italy.
When I received a copy of the volume, I e-mailed the author and mentioned that greater Braxton experts than myself might locate omissions. He replied in block capitals "WHAT DO U MEAN, OMISSIONS?" I take it from this response that there aren't any, in what is a beautifully-produced volume - certainly I haven't found one.
This is not a sessionography. Instead, Martinelli has listed all published recordings by recording date, because there has been almost no mixing up of them in reissues. Previously Martinelli has produced more
orthodox discographies of Evan Parker and Mario Schiano. What makes this more than just a discography are the pertinent and often quite lengthy critical comments the author presents, taken from reviews and
books on Braxton or sometimes previously unpublished. He sometimes adds technical comments of his own about instrumentation and personnel.
Martinelli refers ironically in his introduction to the pleasures of listening to the "cold, uninvolving music created by Mr AB" and sure enough, under Record No. 2, Three Compositions of New Jazz, is the
comment by one Will Smith that Braxton's music is "cold, detached, and somewhat static". But mostly the critical selections are positive and informed, taken from a wide range of writers. There's also an extensive bibliography and details of websites. The book is plentifully-illustrated, with many previously unpublished photographs.
It's interesting to be reminded of just how many albums Braxton recorded with Chick Corea's Circle, during the latter's free jazz period around 1968-70 (six in fact). Under Circulus comes the very apt comment from
Milo Fine that "Chick Corea has always been sort of a lightweight. At times, during the session on the double LP set, he has been a heavy lightweight, but a lightweight nonetheless". Braxton himself is quoted
as saying that the band broke up because of Corea's adherence to the scientological principles of L. Ron Hubbard.
The performances of Braxton compositions by other artists includes the rare No Place To Go But Around by Frederic Rzewski on Finnadar. Among the more bizarre recordings Braxton has appeared on is Dave Brubeck's
All The Things We Are from 1974, where he plays with Lee Konitz. The experience may have been formative for Konitz. In one of his Compiler's contributions, Martinelli reminds us of an infamous attack by Phil Woods in a blindfold test in 1971 - a later and if anything more memorable one by Lee Konitz in 1999 appeared too late to be mentioned.
I found many of the critical comments very enlightening. For instance, Steve Lake remarks that "Braxton's initial resistance to total improvisation - a concept he may have felt he'd outgrown with the
passing of the Creative Construction Company - is completely broken down in the course of the European experiences" with Derek Bailey et al. Among the less enlightening comments are some by yours truly - it's
always embarrassing when ones early work gets quoted back. But generally this is a thoughtful and highly informative volume, and not just for Braxton aficionados. An essential resource book about an
essential figure in contemporary music.
Andy Hamilton, Jazz Review, England