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
Perpetual Void cover

Perpetual Void

Chris Tordini, Marta Sánchez, Savannah Harris
 Tap: Book of Angels, Vol. 20 cover

Tap: Book of Angels, Vol. 20

John Zorn, Pat Metheny
Even the Sounds Shine cover

Even the Sounds Shine

Myra Melford Extended Ensemble
Soused cover

Soused

Scott Walker, Sunn O)))
Life Goes On cover

Life Goes On

Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow
The Sublime And cover

The Sublime And

Tim Berne's Science Friction
A Love Supreme cover

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane
Sahara cover

Sahara

McCoy Tyner
Stars Have Shapes cover

Stars Have Shapes

Exploding Star Orchestra, Nicole Mitchell, Rob Mazurek
Urban Bushmen cover

Urban Bushmen

Art Ensemble of Chicago
Northernsong cover

Northernsong

Luke Norris