Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Anthony Branker & Imagine: Beauty Within

Anthony Branker & Imagine: Beauty Within

By Dan McClenaghan
August 1, 2016
View read count

Anthony Branker & Imagine: Beauty Within

The "Rising Star" status isn't confined to fresh music school graduates. Dr.

Anthony Branker

composer / conductor
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Branker, Educator—who, for twenty-seven years, was engaged in a big way with Princeton University's jazz program—has achieved a recent "rising star" tag as a composer. This after releasing seven top notch CDs for Origin Records, including the masterful Uppity (2013).

"Composer/Musical Director" is Branker's title on his recordings. He doesn't play, but rather molds the sounds of several different small group jazz collectives. On Beauty Within, it's Anthony Branker & Imagine, a quintet with a piano/guitar-centered rhythm section and a saxophone. His vision is a that of a distinctive and often edgy modern jazz, sometimes propulsive, sometimes circuitous.

Opening with "Joy," an initially jagged tune imbued with a David Binney-like intensity and forward momentum tune, featuring the impassioned tenor saxophone of

Ralph Bowen

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Ralph Bowen and a luminous backdrop made of the melding of

Fabian Almazan

piano
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Fabian Almazan's piano and

Pete McCann

guitar
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Pete McCann's soaring guitar. The title tune—introduced by

Linda May Han Oh

bass, acoustic
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Linda May Han Oh's inspire bass solo—has a gliding, empyreal mood, initially a showcase for the collective, that gives away to a sublime, full-of-surprises piano solo from Almanzan.

"Loving Day (June 12)" opens a door to a mystery world, with a beautiful murkiness; and at this point a connection to the 1960s Blue Note sound creeps in; and not the more straight ahead of those efforts, but more to the style of

Herbie Hancock

piano
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Hancock's more adventurous side, or

Andrew Hill

piano
1931 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Hill's marvelous and under-appreciated output.

Drummer

Rudy Royston

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Rudy Royston has to mentioned for his oblique and emphatic contribution throughout, giving a consistence elevation of to this unpredictable and thoroughly modern sound of Antony Branker.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Joy; Beauty Within; Loving Day (June 12); Prelude To Wisdom: (We Are) What We Are Not Yet; Many Roads Beneath the Sky; Grace; People Everywhere; (God's) Wisdom.

Personnel

Anthony Branker

composer / conductor

Ralph Bowen: tenor and soprano saxophones; Pete McCann: guitar; Fabian Almazar: piano; Linda Oh: bass; Rudy Royston: drums; Anthony Branker: composer and musical director.

Album information

Title: Beauty Within | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Origin Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Art Blakey: A Night in Tunisia �C 1...
< Previous

Hawniyaz
Next >

Anthony Branker Concerts

Oct 11 Sat

Stream

Composers Concordance Interpretations Of Art @ Hardware...

Hardware Gallery
New York City, NY

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.