Anthony Braxton – Quartet (England) 1985 (1985/2025; Burning Ambulance Music) – Avant Music News

Early in my exploration of Anthony Braxton’s discography (say, about 32 years ago), I came across three releases that documented his now-legendary 1985 tour of the U.K. These were released by Leo Records as Quartet (London) 1985, Quartet (Birmingham) 1985, and Quartet (Coventry) 1985. Featuring one of his most iconic lineups, Marilyn Crispell on piano, Mark Dresser on bass, and Gerry Hemingway on drums, it was an ear-opening introduction to Braxton’s singular “improvised compositions.” This tour was the topic of Graham Locke’s Forces in Motion, a compelling road diary that lets the reader get a first-hand glimpse of Braxton’s musical and personal quirkiness.

I had no idea that there was unreleased material from that tour until earlier this year. Apparently, Braxton and company played 12 cities, and recordings from four more of these (Sheffield, Leicester, Bristol, and Southampton) are now available in full. And by full, I mean two 40-minute-plus sets per city plus a few soundchecks. Thus, we have Quartet (England) 1985, released last month by Burning Ambulance Music.

As best I understand it, Braxton’s works of this period could be combined with one another in various ways. Before each show, he would hand the group sheet music that would mix up rhythmic and melodic structures, often requiring them to sight-read and/or transpose the notes in real time.

The recordings could be described as raw, “good bootleg” quality, with Dresser occasionally low in the mix. But any concerns rapidly melt away within seconds due to the sheer intensity and energy of each set. The Sheffield performance opens with 40 minutes of blistering, labyrinthine chamber jazz. To be clear, this first set is absolutely devastating and relentless.

All sets draw from the same musical toolbox, but the tools within are diverse, and no two sets sound quite alike. Some unfold through extended periods of relative sparseness before gradually building in force. Others showcase the group’s ability to craft fluttering and floating lines that merge into textures that are atmospheric yet intricate. And then some passages are simply gritty. While there is a small amount of soloing, it is usually accompanied and not a major thrust of the performance. There even is a killer take on the rising and falling structures of Composition 40F.

The soundchecks are short and focus on standards, an area of Braxton’s output that longtime fans will find familiar. Though not the part of his work I’m personally most drawn to, these performances have a lightness and charm such that they provide a gentle landing after hours of cerebral, high-density material. And they are also a reminder that Braxton’s musical reach includes both the radical and the traditional.

No one writes or plays like Anthony Braxton. Whether a long-time follower or new to his music, Quartet (England) 1985 is essential listening. Spanning hours of material, it captures Braxton, Crispell, Dresser, and Hemingway at the height of their collective powers. The quartet seems to summon each otherworldly passage from thin air, giving transient moments extraordinary depth and clarity. This is not just a document of performance, but a masterclass in structured improvisation.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}