Anthony Braxton lights up The Lantern
Friday, January 23, 2015
Persistence paid off on Tuesday night for Todd Wills, Bristol Colston Hall’s Head of Programming, when Anthony Braxton took the stage with his Diamond Curtain Quartet in The Lantern, the smaller of the city centre venue’s two halls.
“I’ve been trying to book him for years” explained Wills in response to a question about how he’d managed to lassoo the newly endowed NEA Jazz Master for this sole UK date on a rare foray outside the US and, according to the band, his first visit to these shores since 2004. “I just kept asking” said Todd and a capacity audience in The Lantern were pleased he did, judging by the rapturous reception at the end of two sets, each one long, unbroken piece. Wills, known to many in the jazz world for his years at London’s Vortex, is fast establishing The Lantern as a space with an eclectic but adventurous programme, pushing boundaries in all directions and attracting healthy audiences in the process.
Expect the unexpected might be sage advice for someone purchasing a ticket to a Braxton performance. He’d brought with him regular collaborators guitarist Mary Halvorson, reed player James Fei and brass player Taylor Bo Hynum. Apart from Halvorson, there was a constant rotation of instruments as shifting registers and textures were demanded. Braxton’s recognition by America’s National Endowment for the Arts with the Jazz Master award was, according to Braxton in other interviews, a big surprise as he sees his music as extending beyond the boundaries of jazz. He names ensembles for the systems he uses to create the music and direct the band. Diamond Curtain Music uses pre-recorded sounds controlled by programmes that respond to what the bands are doing and there were plenty of ringing, metallic noises and drones laced through the squalls of notes and rumbles from the band. Ghost Trance Music made an appearance too with streams of notes and looping episodes, orchestrated by the occasional wave and gesture from the leader.
The evening was an adventure in listening as well as playing and if the size and attentiveness of the audience for this gig is an indication, Todd Wills is on a winning streak with his programming. Mr Braxton was excited too. As the music came to an abrupt halt, he leaned to the mic, thanking everyone for coming and declaring "I love UK, its one of my favourite countries!"
– Mike Collins
– Photos by Chris Cooper / Shotaway