Anthony Braxton - 8 Standards (Wesleyan) 2001 (2002)

Although clocking in at just more than a single full-length CD, this well-recorded live double set is filled with multiple rewards. Braxton returns once again to the standards format, where he revisits popular and sometimes uncommon pieces from the jazz repertoire. He is joined by a sympathetic quartet that is thoroughly familiar with his style and approach. As usual, Braxton gets inside each piece, sometimes ripping it apart, ever respectfully, with jet-like runs interspersed among hard bop improvisations. The saxophonist is in top form, not only capable of creating countermelodies, but also able to cast a magical veil of nuance on top of familiar chord changes. Braxton balances the repertoire with lovely versions of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Nuages" and intense interpretations of "Aregin" and "Escapade." Highlights include the scorching, soaring forays of guitarist Kevin O'Neil, who continues to impress with his agility and fast thinking; the reliable timekeeping skills and powerful soloing of drummer Kevin Norton; and the consistently flowing support of bassist Andy Eulau. This is Braxton's game, though, and once again, for perhaps the umpteenth time, he shows why he is held in such high esteem as a jazz performer. Unlike some others, his recurrent returns to tradition not only look to the past, but also point to the future, a sign of musical integrity and the mark of an innovator.