25 August 2019

DAVE HOLLAND QUARTET & ANTHONY BRAXTON QUARTET "ANTIBES '74 & CHATEAUVALLON '73"


Two excellent concert films. (maybe the two shows aren't complete but surely worth your attention)

The first group is obviously the quartet which recorded the wonderful album "Conference of the Birds" for ECM. The album was recorded on November 30, 1972 in New York. So the concert in France was more than a half year later. Several themes of the LP are easily discernible.
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For the second ensemble I've found the following description.

Details from Coda 12/73 p.34.
"They played a suite especially written for this occasion. A piece that showed some of the aspects in the music of the multidirectional Anthony Braxton. Wheeler and Braxton matched each other beautifully, Wheeler is a musician who has much in common with Braxton, an intellectual player with a cool sound and a good ear for Braxton's intricate written lines. Their performance ended with a bebop-like tune, and drummer Bobo Shaw (from Black Artists Group from St. Louis, BAG) who throughout the piece had revealed himself as a very musical and inventive drummer, kept the music on fire." (Ib Skovgaard Petersen)

[Some discographies claim other days (23rd f.e.) for the Braxton Quartet but I stick with what's given in the TV production, although the menu gives 1974 which is - obviously - incorrect]

During this concert we have the first performances of Braxton's "Composition No. 23B" and "Composition No. 23D".



Dave Holland Quartet - Antibes, Juan-Les-Pins, 1974

Anthony Braxton, reeds
Sam Rivers, reeds
Dave Holland, double bass
Barry Altschul, drums

Recorded July 25, 1974.

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Anthony Braxton Quartet - Chateauvallon, 1973

Amthony Braxton, reeds
Kenny Wheeler, trumpet, flugelhorn
J.F. Jenny Clarke, double bass
Charles Bobo Shaw, drums

Recorded August, 25, 1973

12 comments:

  1. Invaluable contribution, Ernst. Greatly appreciated.

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  2. Many thanks, Ernst. It’s good to see Jenny Clarke with Braxton. So far as I’m aware there’s no other document of them playing together.

    The Cecil Taylor Unit’s performance at that year’s Chateauvallon festival was also filmed. It used to be on YouTube but I can no longer find it.

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  3. This is fantastic. I am really enjoying the Holland 4tet video right now - just wonderful. Thank you so much!!

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  4. Amazing Ernst.
    Looking forward to watching this footage.

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  5. Really makes you wonder, if all the different camera footage from the Holland Quartet date still exist in a warehouse or vault somewhere, or if only the broadcasted portion is still around?
    It would be interesting to see the raw footage.
    Some of that 60's and 70s editing gives me mini seizures.
    .... But any footage of this amazing quartet is a revelation for sure.
    The Braxton date, is just hands down amazing!
    When he picks up that alto sax after the contrabass clarinet part. Wow.....
    Electricity.
    Shaw's continuation of that sole through Clarke is quite beautiful also.
    I miss Kenny Wheeler.
    A great player, and amazing foil to Braxton during their time together.
    ....Just like George Lewis.
    Phenomenal.
    Made my day, Ernst.
    Thank you

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  6. Many thanks for sharing these fantastic gems!!! Two pieces of music history!!!
    On November 3, 2015 I shared on Dime the Holland Quartet, no longer on the tracker.
    Here is my info file:

    DAVE HOLLAND Quartet

    Anthony Braxton: alto sax, sopranino sax, clarinet, contrabass clarinet
    Sam Rivers: flute
    Dave Holland: double bass
    Barry Altschul: drums, percussion

    Antibes Juan-les-Pins, Pinède Gould, July 25, 1974
    "Jazz à Juan" Festival de Jazz à Antibes Juan-les-Pins

    1. Q & A (Dave Holland)

    Total Time 0:25:34

    Lineage: ORTF (French Television) archives > ? > DVD received in trade > HDD

    Pro PAL DVD
    Menu, no chapters

    Video attributes:
    colour
    compression mode: MPEG-2
    TV system: 625/50 (PAL)
    aspect ratio: 4:3
    picture resolution: 720x576
    frame rate: 25
    bitrate: 8648 Kbps

    Audio attributes:
    sampling rate: 48 kHz
    bitrate: 384 Kbps
    mono

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  7. Friends, I'm wondering if there is a way to extract the music from these films. best + thanks to all the contributors!

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  8. Loving this. These are gems. Thank you so much.

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