What made Anthony Braxton's his output at Arista (1974-80) so unique was the range of projects he was able to realize thanks to Clive Davis' supportive budget. This 8-CD set rescues his entire 14-LP Arista output from forgotten vaults. From live and studio recordings with his quartet (with Kenny Wheeler or George Lewis, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul) to solo alto excursions to a duet with Muhal Richard Abrams to Creative Orchestra Music to trios with Roscoe Mitchell/Joseph Jarman and Henry Threadgill/Douglas Ewert to his thoroughly composed pieces for two pianos and for four orchestras, Braxton explored every aspect of modern music through his own creative vision with astonishing results.
Don't be out off by Anthony's's dry, academic image. Albums like 'New York, Fall 1974', and 'Five Pieces', are very accessible. Any fan of Ornette Coleman's 1959–1960 recordings can hear the beauty in the musicians' four-way interaction. The live recordings 'The Montreux/Berlin Concerts' are packed with fun and energy, contradicting Braxton's reputation as a chilly avant-gardist. The somewhat more forbidding material on Alto Saxophone Improvisations 1979 and For Trio offers a rarefied, ascetic type of beauty, but won't scare away fans of the Art Ensemble of Chicago (AEOC hornmen Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman turn up as guests on the latter album).
This box belongs in all well-rounded jazz collections.
To freeload the Complete Arista Recordings Of Anthony Braxton, tell us what some of your favorite comedy movies are.
Tony Hancock - the Rebel
ReplyDeleteAirplane!, Caddyshack & of course This Is Spinal Tap (the long-awaited sequel is now in production!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Babs for the always great shares. Here's several - Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Raising Arizona, O Brother, Pink Panther, Big Lebowski, Bringing Up Baby, Holy Grail
ReplyDeleteWC Fields' "It's A Gift". Ninety years on, the comedy is timeless.
ReplyDeleteMarx Brothers, Monty Python and anything from the members of Python (eg A Fish Called Wanda etc), Nutty Professor (the original with Jerry Lewis), Spaceballs, I Married An Axe Murderer, Austin Powers, Airplane, Pink Panther, Animal House, Police Academy, Cannonball Run, Mixed Nuts, Crazy People.........
ReplyDeleteAnd the Original St Trinians films, Carry On Series, Up Pompeii and most Norman Wisdom films too
ReplyDeleteA Natural Born Gambler starring Bert Williams https://archive.org/details/natural_born_gambler
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the above but let's not forget the silents. Buster Keaton is a favorite. Along with Charlie Chaplin & Harold Lloyd. On into Laurel & Hardy, Marx Bros & the Three Stooges. And sometimes Abbott & Costello.
ReplyDeleteAlso Bubba Ho-Tep needs a shout out. Written by Joe R. Lansdale. The film stars Bruce Campbell as Elvis and Ossie Davis as JFK. In a rest home being attacked by a mummy. Classic.
ReplyDeleteA Natural Born Gambler is from 1916
ReplyDelete"Bert Williams was the funniest man I ever saw and the saddest man I ever knew"
ReplyDelete-W.C. Fields
"The Pronkwonk Twins! Elwood and Brentwood. Elwood is ten minutes older than Brentwood and has been in a hurry ever since. Ladies and gentlemen, Brentwood is the smallest giant in the world, whilst his brother, Elwood, is the largest midget in the world. They baffle science."
Delete- Larson E. Whipsnade,
'fargo' by the coen brothers!
ReplyDeletehuey
Chaplain’s The Great Dictator & Modern Times
ReplyDeleteGbrand
Animal Crackers. The scene with Groucho and Chico haggling over the amount the band will charge gets me everytime I watch it.
ReplyDeleteLaurel and Hardy - 'Sons of the Desert'
ReplyDeleteWoody Allen - 'Broadway Danny Rose'
Any Jacques Tati fans?
A great Allen flick. I really like most of his movies through Manhattan.
DeleteI loved the narrative of several comedians sharing Danny Rose stories while eating at a Deli. A great way to begin a movie. The shooting scene in the storage hanger with the Macy balloons is a classic. It’s not fashionable to say good things about Woody nowadays because frankly he revealed himself to be a lowlife. But he was a good filmmaker & among other things his portrayal of Danny Rose was the best acting of his career. Broadway Danny Rose is one of my 3 favorite Woody Allen films along with Midnight in Paris and Sleeper.
DeleteGbrand
I can't believe I forgot this (I watch re-runs of the TV Spin-off most nights). How could I have missed off 'M.A.S.H.' it has to be up there in my top 5
ReplyDeleteCheck out the book "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors" by Richard Hooker.
DeleteFor the TV series, I like the Henry Blake era, the best.
'The Producers' (original ie non-musical)
ReplyDelete'The Magic Christian'
'Oh Mr Porter'
'Pardon Us'
'The Rebel'
'Steptoe And Son Ride Again'
'Holiday On The Buses'
'Carry On Abroad'
Can't think of any feature films of the last 40 years that really deliberately tickled me, though there are films with some very funny elements in them ("dark" comedies?) that I've liked.
Doh, I forgot Leslie Nielsen's great run of films.
DeleteHow could we forget M*A*S*H? And , referring to a previous topic, it was the first movie to include our favorite word, fuck.(it was in the football game at the end of the movie...One of the players declared to his rival (paraphrasing...) "OK buddy, I'm gonna tear your fuckin' head off!" Then came the drugs that won the game...
ReplyDeleteIt was also one of the first, major film release that mocked religion.
DeletePart 1
ReplyDeletehttps://we.tl/t-N53LjPH79n
Part 2
https://we.tl/t-VhuThe070G
Mr. Bean. Ya can't love him and you can't hate him.
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