Saxophonist, flutist and all-around New York jazz legend Alan Braufman just released his new album, Infinite Love Infinite Tears, via Valley of Search. The album was produced by his nephew, Nabil Ayers, and it features Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Ken Filiano (bass), Chad Taylor (drums), James Brandon Lewis (saxophone), and Michael Wimberly (percussion). Listen to the whole thing below.
For more on Alan’s music, he made us a list of the most influential albums to it. “This is an interesting topic,” Alan tells us, “as one may be profoundly influenced by a certain artist but may ultimately sound very little like them. And, often due to other influences.” Alan’s list, which goes in “somewhat chronological order,” starting when he was a child, includes Charles Mingus, Don Cherry, Andrew Hill and more. His commentary includes some great anecdotes, like when he decided between his two adolescent passions: music or baseball. Read that below.
1) I would have to say, my first influence was not a specific album but, my mother’s musical choices. My mom would play Mingus, Dolphy, Coltrane, MJQ, Duke, so I was exposed to great music early on. However, out of all the albums she regularly played, one stood out. It was Oscar Peterson and friends live at Newport. I had started playing clarinet at eight, and was probably nine when I heard this. Among the “friends” were Roy Eldridge and Sonny Stitt. Wow, totally smoking! I think, this is the record that got me hooked listening to jazz. Pretty big influence there!
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2) The second very influential album that I will talk about is the great Andrew Hill‘s Point Of Departure. I had read a review of it in Downbeat and sounded interesting. This was the first album I bought myself, saving money from chores to get. I was 13 and my time was generally spent practicing or playing baseball. I was good at baseball and had the childhood dream of being a baseball player. I remember the exact moment here when I decided I wanted to become a musician. I put on the first tune of the album. By the time Eric Dolphy had finished his first solo, I said to myself, it ain’t gonna be baseball.
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3) Don Cherry‘s Complete Communion: I believe this came out in ’65, such a beautiful and ambitious album. I remember being home from school sick and my mom, trying to make me feel a bit better, asked me what new album I wanted, she would go out and get it for me. I told her, either Complete Communion or Joe Henderson’s Inner Urge. She came home with Complete Communion. This album was such an influence. I loved the idea of “suite” form, each tune flowing into the next, the music not stopping. This was what I used with my Valley Of Search album and, to some extent on The Fire Still Burns. The idea being: short solos, constant movement and change.
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4) Albert Ayler‘s Spiritual Unity: Again, back to 1964 which seems to have been an influential year to me, The great jazz DJ, Ed Beach, in those days had a jazz show every day at 7:30 AM which was repeated in the evening. Normally, he was fairly conservative in his choices but, one morning, he had a feature on the “new music.” When he played Albert Ayler’s Spiritual Unity, I thought, wow, this is terrible. But, when I listened again in the evening, what Albert was doing hit me like an epiphany. SO beautiful.
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5) Eric Dolphy‘s Out To Lunch: Of course, the playing by everyone on this album is amazing but Eric’s compositions are so beautiful, I think. This album really showed off his writing! Plus, I absolutely love the sound of the vibraphone as the chordal instrument. The sound of the vibes (usually Bobby Hutcherson) is so cool in a rhythm section. Two other Blue Note albums come to mind which used vibes, Evolution by Grachan Moncur III and Symphony For Improvisers by Don Cherry with Karl Berger. The open sound of the vibes on these albums had much to do with choosing vibes on my new album, Infinite Love Infinite Tears, with the amazing Patricia Brennan on vibes.
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6) Tony Williams‘ Emergency: Finally, an influential album with no horns! I was blown away when I heard this album for the first time! Music could be amazing and completely intense with rock being a big influence. I guess, with Miles” Bitch’s Brew and Emergency, the musical labels began to merge — it was all just music. I used to go hear the band at Slug’s, a small jazz club that used to be on E 3rd St, and it was quite an amazing experience to see this band (with Larry Young and John Mclaughlin).
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Alan plays a release show for Infinite Love Infinite Tears at Brooklyn’s National Sawdust on June 7. His band will include Patricia Brennan, Ken Filiano, Brandon Woody, and Newman Baker. Cooper-Moore opens with a solo piano set.