Flotation Device 2024-09-29 - An atlas of deep Braxton

Flotation Device celebrates the 50th anniversary of Anthony Braxton's "New York, Fall 1974", the first of the legendary Arista albums that solidified his reputation at the leading edge of creative music. We give it a deep listen, comparing it to a recent sextet album that reveals Braxton's ongoing influence on three different generations of younger saxophonists. We’ve also got the new John Luther Adams premiere recording, which we compare to the famous compositions he wrote for Seattle Symphony during his long Alaska residence, and to a pair of fixed-media tracks recorded by younger musicians in Halifax and a Colorado water tank. We use the 50th anniversary of Claude Vivier’s Lettura di Dante to contemplate whether he’s Canada's most important composer ever, while Graham Fitkin does crossover, David Lang does Gertrude Stein, and Matt Choboter prepares a retuned piano. New tracks from Kris Davis and Hound Dog Taylor’s Hand, plus a legacy nod to Henry Cow, round out the playlist.