Solo Piano (Standards) 1995

Solo Piano (Standards) 1995 represents a significant milestone in Anthony Braxton's massive discography, marking his first dedicated foray into solo piano recording after decades of being known primarily as a woodwind virtuoso. Recorded for the No More label, the double-disc set features Braxton interpreting staples of the jazz canon, including works by Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Charles Mingus. Critics, notably Chris Kelsey, have pointed out that Braxton's piano technique is inextricably linked to his saxophone playing; he treats the keyboard as a multi-linear tool rather than a harmonic bed. The album is characterized by a lack of standard bebop tropes - no walking bass lines or predictable comping. Instead, Braxton uses 'cellular' improvisation, breaking themes into small fragments and reassembling them. This record serves as a bridge between his highly abstract 'Ghost Trance Music' and the traditional jazz lineage he emerged from, proving his deep literacy in the music he spent a career deconstructing.