Quartet (Santa Cruz) 1993 cover

Quartet (Santa Cruz) 1993

Released

Braxton formed this quartet — with pianist Marilyn Crispell, bassist Mark Dresser, and percussionist Gerry Hemingway — in the mid ’80s; a UK tour was documented in Graham Lock’s Forces In Motion, one of the best books about a jazz musician ever written. Close to a decade later, the four were still making incredible music together, combining his complex but evocative compositions into 30- to 40-minute collages/medleys that’ll spin your head around but good. There’s nothing dry or intellectual about this music; it’s raucous and exultant, and Hemingway’s drums boom like depth charges.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
The Codona Trilogy cover

The Codona Trilogy

Collin Walcott, Codona, Naná Vasconcelos, Don Cherry
Sacred Ceremonies cover

Sacred Ceremonies

Bill Laswell, Wadada Leo Smith, Milford Graves
Revés / Yosoy cover

Revés / Yosoy

Café Tacuba
Arrivederci le Chouartse cover

Arrivederci le Chouartse

Michel Portal, Léon Francioli, Pierre Favre
The News cover

The News

Andrew Cyrille Quartet