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
Mexican Pavilion, New Orleans 1884 cover

Mexican Pavilion, New Orleans 1884

Ramiro González Jazz Trío
I Have the Room Above Her cover

I Have the Room Above Her

Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano
Dark Day cover

Dark Day

Fred Anderson Quartet
Onecept cover

Onecept

David S. Ware
Ding Dong. You’re Dead. cover

Ding Dong. You’re Dead.

Hedvig Mollestad Trio
Dialectic Soul cover

Dialectic Soul

Asher Gamedze
Vibes from the Tribe cover

Vibes from the Tribe

Phil Ranelin, Emanative
Be Still cover

Be Still

Dave Douglas, Aoife O'Donovan
Surrendered cover

Surrendered

David S. Ware
Kwanza cover

Kwanza

Archie Shepp