Anthony Braxton - Six Monk's Compositions (1987) (Black Saint, 1987)

This post is by Dan

Anthony Braxton (as); Mal Waldron (p); Buell Neidlinger (b); Bill Osborne (d)

Recorded June 30 and July 1, 1987

Anthony Braxton meets Thelonious Monk. What might we expect from a Monk program interpreted by the iconoclastic composer, conceptualist, and multi-reedist? Whatever the expectations, the results are delightful but not surprising. Braxton, for all his originality and esoteric musical syntax, has never turned his back on jazz tradition. He's released a surprising number of standards albums and worked with "inside" players such as Hank Jones. 

Six Monk's Compositions (1987) features two of the most technically challenging pieces in the Monk canon ("Brilliant Corners" and "Skippy"), as well as two of Monk's most familiar and lovely compositions ("Reflections" and "Ask Me Now"). Braxton sticks to alto sax and is joined by Mal Waldron at the piano, a player deeply steeped in Monk's music. The rhythm section are experienced players, perhaps less well-known than others, but completely up to the task at hand. 

The album kicks off with "Brilliant Corners," which Art Lange's sleeve notes describe as Monk's "multi-tempoed torment." I had no concerns about Braxton's ability to navigate the complexity that so many others have struggled with. I worried more about Waldron keeping up, but he's a master at rising to challenges by staying with his strengths. Essentially, when the tempo shifts into overdrive on this tune, Waldron plays less - a few notes, a chord here and there - all of which fit magically with the frenetic pace set by the other rhythm players. Waldron plays the same way on "Four in One," following Braxton's pyrotechnics with a very Monk-like solo filled with pauses, repetition, and figures within a limited range of the keyboard. And nothing seems awkward or out of place. 

Waldron stars again on "Played Twice" where his solo is a model of saying more with less. It's a great study in development, dynamic tension, and soul. He does not completely work around fast tempos; on "Skippy" he plays sparingly during Braxton's long solo but ramps up the pace on his own solo. Obviously, Waldron is making conscious choices about how much to play, not compensating for limitations. 

Braxton greets each of the Monk tunes with reverence. On the two ballads, he honors the compositions by keeping his variations close to the original. He plays with a sweet-sour tone, especially on "Ask Me Now." On the hot tempos, he plays with exuberance, devouring the challenges with his enormous technique. He shows how open Monk's compositions can be to different interpretations, whether imagined by the composer or not. 

Monk's music always sounds fresh, despite its age. There are few more refreshing visits to this music than Braxton's Six Monk's Compositions (1987).