Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace

Last updated
Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace
Saturn conjunct cover.jpeg
Live album by
Released2004
RecordedApril 5, 2003
VenueTonic, New York City
Genre Jazz
Length51:11
Label Pi Recordings
Producer Wadada Leo Smith
Wadada Leo Smith chronology
Lake Biwa
(2004)
Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace
(2004)
Snakish
(2005)
Anthony Braxton chronology
Organic Resonance
(2003)
Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace
(2004)
23 Standards (Quartet) 2003
(2004)

Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace is the second album of a live duo performance by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and reedist Anthony Braxton, which was recorded in 2003 at New York's Tonic club and released on Pi Recordings. [1] This album, along with Organic Resonance , is the first recording dedicated entirely to Wadada and Braxton's duo music. [2]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

In his review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow states "A rhythm section is not needed for these two masterful musicians, who have played together on an infrequent basis since the late '60s, for they form their own themes, harmonies, and rhythms." [3]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz says "Widely admired on first release, these are curiously disappointing sets that never seem to find the two players on common ground." [4]

The All About Jazz review by Rex Butters says "Any project involving either of these two players is exhilarating and imaginative, but together in duet they pull aside the curtain to expose the wondrous machinations of the creative process." [5]

In a double review for JazzTimes Duck Baker notes that "There is enormous variety of feeling and approach not just from track to track but within each performance, though describing these things is challenging." [6]

Track listing

  1. "Composition No. 316" (Anthony Braxton) - 28:52
  2. "Satutn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace" (Wadada Leo Smith) - 13:21
  3. "Goshawk" (Wadada Leo Smith) - 8:58

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wadada Leo Smith</span> American trumpeter and composer

Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith is an American trumpeter and composer, working primarily in the field of creative music. He was one of three finalists for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Ten Freedom Summers, released on May 22, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pi Recordings</span>

Pi Recordings is a jazz record label founded by Seth Rosner in 2001. He was soon joined as partner by Yulun Wang. Pi specializes in avant-garde jazz. Its first two albums were by Henry Threadgill.

<i>3 Compositions of New Jazz</i> 1968 studio album by Anthony Braxton

3 Compositions of New Jazz is the debut album by Anthony Braxton released in 1968 on the Delmark label. It features performances by Braxton, violinist Leroy Jenkins and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith with pianist Muhal Richard Abrams appearing on two tracks.

Discography for jazz saxophonist Anthony Braxton.

<i>Anthony Braxton</i> (album) 1969 studio album by Anthony Braxton

Anthony Braxton is an album by Anthony Braxton, released in 1969 on the BYG Actuel label. It features performances by Braxton, violinist Leroy Jenkins, trumpeter Leo Smith and percussionist Steve McCall.

<i>Kulture Jazz</i> 1993 studio album by Wadada Leo Smith

Kulture Jazz is a solo album by American jazz trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith, recorded in October 1992 and released on ECM the following year—Smith's second album for the label, following Divine Love (1979).

<i>This Time...</i> 1970 studio album by Anthony Braxton

This Time... is an album by the American jazz saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton, recorded in 1970 and released on the BYG Actuel label. As on his previous album, Braxton performs with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, violinist Leroy Jenkins and drummer Steve McCall.

<i>Spirit Catcher</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Wadada Leo Smith

Spirit Catcher is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, recorded in 1979 and released on Nessa Records.

<i>Rastafari</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Wadada Leo Smith

Rastafari is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith with the Bill Smith ensemble, released in 1983 on the Canadian Sackville label. The trumpeter considers the recording a cooperative effort, it is Bill Smith, co-founder of Sackville and producer of the album, who made it a "Leo Smith record". It was reissued on CD in 2003 with new artwork by Boxholder.

<i>Trio and Duet</i> 1974 studio album by Anthony Braxton

Trio and Duet is an album by American jazz saxophonist Anthony Braxton recorded in 1974 and released on the Canadian Sackville label. The album features a trio performance of one of Braxton's compositions and three duets on jazz standards. It was reissued in 2015 by Delmark Records, which purchased the catalog of the Sackville label, with two bonus tracks.

<i>The Year of the Elephant</i> 2002 studio album by Wadada Leo Smith

The Year of the Elephant is the twenty-fifth studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith which was recorded in 2002 and released on Pi Recordings. It was the second recording by his Golden Quartet featuring pianist Anthony Davis, bassist Malachi Favors and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

<i>Organic Resonance</i> 2003 live album by Wadada Leo Smith & Anthony Braxton

Organic Resonance is a live album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and reedist Anthony Braxton, which was recorded live at New York's Tonic club in 2003 and released on Pi Recordings. It was their first full duo recording.

<i>Golden Quartet</i> 2000 studio album by Wadada Leo Smith

Golden Quartet is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith which was recorded in 2000 and released on Tzadik Records. It was the debut recording by the eponymous ensemble featuring pianist Anthony Davis, bassist Malachi Favors and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

<i>Reflectativity</i> (2000 album) 2000 studio album by Wadada Leo Smith

Reflectativity is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith which was recorded in 2000 and released by Tzadik Records. The album is an extended remake of a recording Smith released on his own label in 1975. This new version features a trio with pianist Anthony Davis and bassist Malachi Favors.

<i>Kabell Years: 1971–1979</i> 2004 compilation album by Wadada Leo Smith

Kabell Years: 1971–1979 is a four-CD box set released on Tzadik Records compiling American jazz trumpeter/composer/inmproviser Wadada Leo Smith's earliest albums which were originally released on his own, privately pressed label Kabell along with additional previously unissued material from the same era. The set includes the previously released material from Creative Music - 1, Reflectativity, Song of Humanity and Solo Music: Ahkreanvention.

<i>Trio (London) 1993</i> 1994 live album by Anthony Braxton, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford

Trio (London) 1993 is a live album featuring performances by saxophonists Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker and trombonist Paul Rutherford which was recorded at the Bloomsbury Theatre as part of the 1993 London Jazz Festival and released on the Leo label.

<i>Snakish</i> 2005 studio album by Wadada Leo Smith

Snakish is a studio album by jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith recorded with Walter Quintus, Katya Quintus, Miroslav Tadić, and Mark Nauseef. The record was released on August 23, 2005 via Leo label. The album contains 15 short compositions written by bandmembers. The official catalogue explains that this music can be a hint of what Miles Davis might have achieved in his later years had he been able to rise above the banalities of rock and jazz fusion.

<i>Prataksis</i> 1997 studio album by Wadada Leo Smith

Prataksis is a collaborative studio album by the jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, the multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia, and the double bass player Bertram Turetzky. The album was released in 1997 by Golia's Nine Winds Records.

<i>Duo Palindrome 2002</i> 2004 studio album by Andrew Cyrille and Anthony Braxton

Duo Palindrome 2002, Volumes 1 and 2, is a pair of albums by drummer Andrew Cyrille and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton. The albums were recorded in October 2002 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and were released by Intakt Records in 2004.

<i>Sound Pictures for Solo Trumpet</i> 2002 studio album by Hugh Ragin

Sound Pictures for Solo Trumpet is a solo album by trumpeter Hugh Ragin. It was released in 2002 by Hopscotch Records.

References

  1. "Wadada Leo Smith discography". Jazz Lists. jazzlists.com. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  2. Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace at Wadada Leo Smith website
  3. 1 2 Yanow, Scott. Wadada Leo Smith - Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace: Review at AllMusic . Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD . The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th ed.). London: Penguin. pp.  1211. ISBN   0141023279.
  5. Butters, Rex. Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace review at All About Jazz
  6. Baker, Duck. Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace review at JazzTimes