Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace

"Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace" is the second half of a two-part series documenting Wadada Leo Smith and Anthony Braxton's performance on April 5th, 2003 at NYC's Tonic. Smith and Braxton’s relationship dates back to their stay in Paris in the late '60s and their subsequent return to New York; and this is the first recording dedicated entirely to their music together. The album features three pieces, one each by Smith & Braxton, and one penned by the two of them. Smith and Braxton’s music is truly individual and systematic. Their respective approaches are the result of a lifetime of study, in the pursuit of the formation and execution of ideas and new horizons in music. This disc, along with its predecessor "Organic Resonance," presents possibly one of the last times these two great musical minds will be together on the same stage. The ideas and music here will surely fuel a generation of musicians in duo music for a long time to come. The San Francisco Bay Guardian said, "Smith is especially brilliant, using his breath, lips, mute and amplification to adjust his trumpet and flugelhorn tones to the mood of each piece, employing silence to dramatic effect, and balancing delicacy and brute force in his obliquely melodic bluestinged solos."