[Harp-L] Playing with Anthony Braxton

[Richard Hammersley <rhhammersley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Sam
It's modest of you to call Anthony Braxton "a sax player" when he is I think one of the foremost living composers and players of improvised music. It is exciting for you, and harmonica, for you to be playing at that level - the most recent stuff of his I have involves a band that seemed to be composed largely of music professors and is of awe inspiring (sometimes daunting) quality. A few harmonica related questions if you don't mind:
How did you get the gig?
Have you recorded with him before - I thought I heard harp on one of his tracks, but it was hard to be sure?
Is it Bass Harp only, or are you playing smaller ones as well? 
Braxton seems fond of bass instruments himself - contrabass clarinet etc - has this anything to do with the bass harp?
What type of line-up is it? Is it one of his large ensembles, his small duos/ trios or something else?

Finally, a while back there was a discussion on harp-l about the most exhalted company kept by the harp. Someone proposed that Gregoire Maret playing with the Pat Metheny Group was probably the top in jazz terms right now. I reckon playing with Anthony Braxton tops that in terms of the challenges of the music. Mind you even fewer people are going to listen to it...

Richard


Richard Hammersley
Grantshouse, Scottish Borders
http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Hammersley
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