Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars stating "The music is often dense and atonal but never dull, and the closing composition is a superb piece that displays Braxton's love of marching band music! Although one wishes that Anthony Braxton himself had played, this is a set easily recommended to his fans".^[4] On All About Jazz Jeff Stockton said "Those curious about Braxton but discouraged by the sheer number of recordings available may find this the place to start. Most of Braxton's work falls into two categories—more difficult and less difficult—but these 100 minutes of music are decidedly in the latter category. Braxton is among a handful of jazz composers whose music is part of the graduate-level course in the avant-garde" and Troy Collins noted "Creative Orchestra (Koln) 1978 is an endlessly intriguing concert recording that warrants repeated spins, offering new surprises with each listen".^[5][6]

All compositions by Anthony Braxton

Disc one

1. "Language Improvisations" - 14:34
2. "Composition 55" - 12:27
3. "Composition 45" - 25:21

Disc two

1. "Composition 59" - 21:45
2. "Composition 51" - 17:19
3. "Composition 58" - 12:56

• Anthony Braxton - conductor
• Dwight Andrews, Marty Ehrlich, Vinny Golia, J. D. Parran, Ned Rothenberg - saxophones, clarinets, flutes, piccolo
• Rob Howard, Michael Mossman, Leo Smith, Kenny Wheeler - trumpet
• Ray Anderson, George E. Lewis, James King Roosa - trombones, tuba
• Marilyn Crispell - piano
• Birgit Taubhorn - accordion
• Bobby Naughton - vibraphone
• James Emery - electric guitar
• John Lindberg, Brian Smith - bass
• Thurman Barker - percussion, marimba
• Robert Ostertag - synthesizer