My latest in PJ Media:
Anthony Braxton is a composer and multi-instrumentalist who, over the past fifty years, has written hundreds of jazz, classical, and unclassifiable avant-garde musical works, along with operas and innovative combinations of improvised, pre-composed, and recorded music. The fact that he is not a household name in America today is one of the signs that our culture does not recognize its true heroes. However, despite being a towering figure in a musical and cultural context that is dominated by the far-Left, Braxton, a black American who is now 76, in an interview Friday expressed his unabashed love for America and his deep consternation over the forces that are now endeavoring to destroy it. It took courage and a willingness to swim against the tide – but for half a century, Braxton has shown with his fiercely uncompromising music that he is willing and able to do that.
In the interview at the Grammy Awards website, Braxton says: “ For me, I’m just a country boy. [At this point, the Grammy interviewer adds the notation that Braxton’s “voice cracks with emotion.”] I’m a lucky guy to be born an American citizen. When I think about all the great music that’s happening—especially the music that’s come from Americans—again, I can only just bow to the Creator.”
Speaking about his forthcoming release, the massive 13-disc Quartet (Standards) 2020, which features Braxton on various saxophones playing 67 classic jazz songs, Braxton says: “What I’ve tried to do every decade is a project from the American Songbook. From the repertoire of the great American people, we take everything for granted. But, actually, in America, we have so much. We have options on so many different levels. There are so many different kinds of musics. We are so lucky, but of course, not everyone is able to recognize how fortunate we are, because it’s all around us all the time.”
This leads the master musician into an extraordinary paean to this country, and a criticism of current trends: “There is a separation between real America and what is being reported about our great country. More and more, there is an effort to teach our young people that America has not been an agent of something positive, but rather, America has been an agent of something that is negative.” He adds: “I respect everyone’s viewpoint, but I would say this. In my opinion, the United States of America is one of the greatest countries that has ever happened to humanity. I think the men and women of America are some of the best people on this planet. But every day, I look at the internet—I gave up television and the radio years ago—and I’m reading about a perspective that is outrageous.”
After naming some of the composers, musicians, and others who have influenced him and get too little attention, Braxton says: “So, we watch the ascension of the great nation of China while, at the same time, our country is sinking because many of our young people are not being taught about what and who we really are as Americans….Unless change happens, we will have no way to avoid a cataclysmic experience.”
In fact, he says, “It’s already starting to happen. People beating up strangers walking down the street. What the hell is that? People jumping on someone they’ve never met and beating them up or bullying them. What the hell is that? If you think it happens to ‘them,’ maybe you need to go back and study history. Because you are the ‘them.’”
Braxton brushes aside the idea that there is something intrinsically wrong with this country: “There’s always room for improvement, but I’m not interested in utopia. No heaven, no paradise. Give me America! There are good people, so-called bad people, people on the left, people on the right.” He even rejects the Left’s current revision of American history: “There are complex forces in the air that are very separate from what one would have thought. The majority of the American people have been moving forward on the issue of slavery from the beginning. The whole concept of free states and slave states demonstrated immediately that there was opposition to slavery….In America, there’s always been a movement to challenge those ideas. But you would not know that today!”
There is much more. Read the rest here.
jewdog says
Thanks for the reference. I’m sure I’ve heard his music, but I generally don’t note the composer. I’ll have to tune into more jazz on my headphones at work, and search on his name in apple play.
He’s an older guy, so maybe he was educated back in the day before schools became centers of woke indoctrination. I totally agree with him, but I worry that the sun is setting on such shining examples of patriotism and realism.
gravenimage says
Giant of Avant-Garde Music Says: ‘If We Lose America, Shame on Us’
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Bravo Anthony Braxton! So glad to hear this.
Here is a sampling of his classic jazz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f594KLRhDyI&ab_channel=MarcoRenzini
Westman says
Thank you!, Anthony Braxton. I took some time to listen to you playing some classic jazz tunes, and my, it was music to my ears. And thanks for your incredible creative contributions to the truly American Art Form, originally created by blacks, whites, and every other ethnicity.
Let us all preserve the opportunities of this nation.
tim gallagher says
He is right, of course, about the USA. But it is the entire western world and the western way of life, with its freedom of expression, democracy and other wonderful aspects of the western way of living which seems to be under threat and which would be a catastrophic loss for the human race if the destructive forces succeed in destroying our western way of life. The people who are out to destroy our western way of life, the left wing Marxist types and the Muslims, would bring a repressive and appalling way of life to us all if they do ever succeed in their evil mission.
Wellington says
I see, tg, basically four ways that mankind can move into future history—1) the Western Leftism way which is pretty much totalitarian Marxism “warmed over;” 2) the Islamic way which is putrid throughout; 3) the traditional authoritarian way as evidenced by someone like Putin and the thugs now running China; and 4) the traditional Western way which has as its “centerpiece” liberty, whether in politics, economics, academia, everyday life, et al.
Only one of these four is promising for mankind. I know you know which one it is. Whether it succeeds is a different matter. Better, lest mankind go down into the pit, only the poison chosen for this journey to Nowheresville still remaining unknown.
gravenimage says
Wellington, let’s hope for–and pray for, for those so inclined–and *work* for number 4.
tim gallagher says
That’s a good summary of the alternatives, wellington. I agree with gravenimage and you that the winner has to be number 4. Islam is obviously a disgusting old leftover from mankind’s primitive past. The march of the left wing wankers, the cultural Marxists, through the schools and universities definitely endangers our western way of life. You would think that the left wing morons would have seen what an abject failure Marxism has been. It has been tried over and over again and the results are there to see. As for China, what a loathsome regime that is. And China is such a hugely powerful country, and has been waiting for so long to strut the world stage as a major power, that it is an enormous danger. Here’s hoping our western way of life wins out. It has given people the best way of living life ever.
Sabri S. says
What a dumb and useless Black American tool of the infidels. He comes from an oppressed and discriminated ethnic minority, and he speaks of America as a great country – enough said?!!!!?!! If this is the best that Black America can do, they will always be at the bottom producing useless spokesmen like this. I mean seriously, where are the Paul Robesons, Owens, Ali, Malcom X, and Marcus Garvey figures in modern black society in America, the worse country in the world, that is now known only for mass incarceration, occupying other countries, shooting drones into neighborhoods of innocent civilians, and
stealing every resource black and brown people have produced worldwide. How sad for this black man who can relate more to a musical instrument than his own people, nation or industry. Go to hell infidel and take your bullshit saxophone with you!!!
Wellington says
I mean this politely, Sabri S., but your intellectual and moral obtuseness is so dense and so distorted that there is no salvation for you as fully human UNLESS you realize that Islam is the spiritual predecessor to Nazism, the former preaching a master faith and the latter a master race.
There is zero hope for you as long as you continue upon your pseudo-intellectual and highly morally warped path. As with Leftism, so is it the case that with Islam the only sane and redeemable solution is to leave the decrepit belief system entirely—in your case, Islam.
gravenimage says
Sabri S. wrote:
What a dumb and useless Black American tool of the infidels.
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The great Anthony Braxton is not a “tool of the Infidels”–he *is* an Infidel. Sabri S. is enraged that he rejects the slavery of Islam.
More:
He comes from an oppressed and discriminated ethnic minority, and he speaks of America as a great country – enough said?!!!!?!! If this is the best that Black America can do, they will always be at the bottom producing useless spokesmen like this.
……………………..
Of course Sabri S. considers a great composer and musician “useless”–in fact, pious Muslims like Sabri S. would happily murder every artist. He has said as much before.
And note how much he hates and despises any “abd” (slave) who does not spout the Islamic line and submit to that foul creed.
More:
I mean seriously, where are the Paul Robesons, Owens, Ali, Malcom X, and Marcus Garvey figures in modern black society in America, the worse country in the world, that is now known only for mass incarceration, occupying other countries, shooting drones into neighborhoods of innocent civilians, and
stealing every resource black and brown people have produced worldwide. How sad for this black man who can relate more to a musical instrument than his own people, nation or industry. Go to hell infidel and take your bullshit saxophone with you!!!
……………………..
Of course Sabri S. is unable to recognize greatness, especially in the arts.
Then, of “Paul Robesons (sic), Owens, Ali, Malcom X, and Marcus Garvey”, only Ali and Malcolm X had converted to Islam–and Malcolm X was murdered by his own coreligionists for being “insufficiently Islamic”. These other men were themselves Infidels.
And note that Sabri S. has refused to condemn Muslims enslaving black people for *years* now–and I’m sure he will not do so here, either.
He wants all Black people to be useful idiots for Islam–and shows his extreme hatred of any who will not submit. *Very* telling.
Sabri S. says
What a dumb and useless Black American tool of the infidels. He comes from an oppressed and discriminated ethnic minority, and he speaks of America as a great country – enough said?!!!!?!! If this is the best that Black America can do, they will always be at the bottom producing useless spokesmen like this. I mean seriously, where are the Paul Robesons, Owens, Ali, Malcom X, and Marcus Garvey figures in modern black society in America, the worse country in the world, that is now known only for mass incarceration, occupying other countries, shooting drones into neighborhoods of innocent civilians, and
stealing every resource black and brown people have produced worldwide. How sad for this black man who can relate more to a musical instrument than his own people, nation or industry. Go to hell infidel and take your bullshit saxophone with you!!!
IanB says
Sabri S. I am a musician and proud infidel.
Muslims have contributed nothing worthwhile to the art of music. Islam detests music, dancing and musical instruments so your expressed hatred towards Anthony Braxton, his music and even his saxophone does not surprise me.
You can go to hell and take your bullshit Islam with you to join your fake prophet in the deepest depths.
Sabri S. says
What a dumb and useless Black American tool of the infidels. He comes from an oppressed and discriminated ethnic minority, and he speaks of America as a great country – enough said?!!!!?!! If this is the best that Black America can do, they will always be at the bottom producing useless spokesmen like this. I mean seriously, where are the Paul Robesons, Owens, Ali, Malcom X, and Marcus Garvey figures in modern black society in America, the worse country in the world, that is now known only for mass incarceration, occupying other countries, shooting drones into neighborhoods of innocent civilians, and
stealing every resource black and brown people have produced worldwide. How sad for this black man who can relate more to a musical instrument than his own people, nation or industry. Go to hell infidel and take your bullshit saxophone with you!!! Their is a special place in hell for your type.
CogitoErgoSum says
I know. They are free to go to any other country in the world (if that country will let them in) yet there is no mass exodus from the U.S. of people with black or brown skin. In fact, they are risking their lives to come to the U.S. in droves. The country of Liberia was founded specifically for those who wanted could leave America and return to Africa. However, no huge rush of people going there. Why not? BTW, is that where you are from, Sabri?
gravenimage says
Sabri S. is so enraged at anyone calling him on his bs that he is just wildly spamming now.
Ian B says
Sabri S.
See my previous comment above.
IanB says
Sabri S. See my previous reply.