Anthony Braxton – The Complete Braxton (Vinyl 2LP | DE Reissue | 1976)

Anthony Braxton – The Complete Braxton is a double album by saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton on Freedom. It was recorded on 4 and 5 February 1971 at Polydor Studios in London, while Braxton was in town with the group Circle; it was produced by Freedom founder Alan Bates, with Carlos Olms as engineer. Instead of titles, the pieces bear Braxton's graphic composition codes and range from a duo with Chick Corea and the quartet with Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul to a piece for five tubas and solo pieces for multi-tracked soprano saxophone and contrabass clarinet. The album was first released in 1973. On offer is the 1976 German stereo reissue on Freedom / Spiegelei (cat. no. 28 459-6 Z/1-2) as a double LP in a gatefold sleeve.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Freedom – 28 459-6 Z/1-2; Spiegelei – 28 459-6 Z/1-2
• Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo
• Pressing: DE Reissue
• Country: Germany
• Released (this pressing): 1976 (first release: 1973)
• Genre: Jazz
• Style: Free Jazz
• Sleeve type: Gatefold sleeve

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: NM-
• Cover: NM- (small punch hole in the cover)

Condition graded to the Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the copy on offer.

Tracklist

Side A

1. N 508-10 (4G) (Anthony Braxton)
2. J-572 (431) (Anthony Braxton)

Side B

1. 67M F-12 (Anthony Braxton)
2. ZM-F-K (Anthony Braxton)

Side C

1. R76-4 (Anthony Braxton)
2. 3-24 (Tuba Realization) (Anthony Braxton)

Side D

1. JNK 4° (Anthony Braxton)
2. 4-16 CJF (Anthony Braxton)

Personnel

Duo (N 508-10, JNK 4°): Anthony Braxton (soprano saxophone), Chick Corea (piano).

Quartet (J-572, 67M F-12, R76-4): Anthony Braxton (alto and soprano saxophone), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet, flugelhorn), Dave Holland (bass, cello), Barry Altschul (drums, percussion, bells).

Solo: ZM-F-K (Braxton, four overdubbed soprano saxophone parts), 4-16 CJF (Braxton, contrabass clarinet). 3-24 (Tuba Realization): The London Tuba Ensemble – Paul Lawrence (C tuba), Geoffrey Adams, James Anderson, John Fletcher, Michael Barnes (E♭ tuba).

Production: Alan Bates; engineer: Carlos Olms; liner notes: Richard Williams; photos: Valerie Wilmer.

Frequently asked questions

What do the track titles mean?
Braxton names his compositions with graphic codes made up of numbers, letters and drawings. On the record they are rendered as character strings such as N 508-10 (4G). Incidentally, the album title was chosen by producer Alan Bates; Braxton himself did not like it.

Is this the first edition?
No. On offer is the 1976 German stereo reissue on Freedom / Spiegelei with catalogue number 28 459-6 Z/1-2. The album was first released in 1973.

What does Media NM- / Cover NM- mean?
NM- (Near Mint minus) for the record means: almost as new, with at most minimal signs of wear. The cover is graded NM-; note that this copy has a small punch hole in the cover. We explain all grades on our Vinyl Grading page.

How many records does the album come on?
This edition contains two vinyl LPs with four record sides in total, in stereo.