Anthony Braxton - 1977 - In The Tradition Vol. 2

The second of two Anthony Braxton albums that team the avant-garde altoist with a conventional rhythm section (pianist Tete Montoliu, bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath) features Braxton exploring five standards ("What's New,""Body And Soul,""Donna Lee,""My Funny Valentine" and "Half Nelson"). Braxton pays tribute to each song's melody before making his abstract improvisations; the rhythm section mostly ignores what he plays. A short "Duet" (which teams the leader with Pedersen) is a change-of-pace and much freer. These two records are historical curiosities but feature much less interaction between the trio and Anthony Braxton than one would hope.