Konsertrecension: Jazzlegendaren Anthony Braxton is still a virtuoso

Anthony Braxton is a legendary musician who has not been in Sweden for many years. He has his reputation because of his role in the american many free jazz: a sprawling but long-term very significant genre in which a range of quite different individuals reacted to a trend in jazz in the early 60's, to break with accepted norms and create an avant-garde at the same time as being referred to something original and deep follow. It is not a bad background to this concert in the avsakraliserade skeppsholms church, now the Eric ericson hall, under the auspices of the Fourth edition of the festival for other music.

become a bit on in years and ought reasonably not to raise as much as, for example, in 1968, where he, among other things, recorded the world's first disc for just a saxophone. On the other hand, he is in a high degree also a composer, so the performance is based not so much on his physical stature to his sensual presence. In practice, opens it out in two extended pieces: the first with the Tri-Centric Project Ensemble, an orchestra that on its own manages Braxton's music, and the other with his own octet including a stunningly well-preserved Braxton, still a virtuoso with his instrument of choice altsaxen.

it is contradictory music. Partly hear Braxton to the frijazzmusiker who placed the closest to the european art music, and its, from an american perspective, imported pretensions. First, there is a notationsunderlag and a dirigentfunktion in the repertoire, which is already the modern jazz musicians in and with bebopen opposed. And perhaps most importantly: Braxton appears to have never been able to decide whether he should go on a sense or intellect.

Nevertheless, to appear just feeling in the splendor of the old church. Of course, this is due not least to Braxton, legend, is actually in place. But also the music at times is extremely pregnant and beautiful. The problem is instead more general. In none of the two paragraphs, it is as if the music really found its form, whether stylistically or dynamically.

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