At Wesleyan, Anthony Braxton was a colossal figure. The pioneering avant garde saxophonist and composer was one of the main reasons I looked into Wesleyan’s unique music program in the first place, and I immediately fell under his spell. I spent many hours in his classes and ensembles trying to make sense of his intellectually challenging and technically impossible scores, not to mention his unique world view and creative philosophy. “The only mistake you can make, is to make no mistakes,” he said once in his eccentric high-pitched voice, eyes tilted up at something only he could see.

I was truly honored when he asked Kevin Uehlinger, Keith Witty, and myself, who had been playing as a trio around campus, to back him as part of a quartet recording of “Ghost Trance” compositions. The experience of this session was so incredible, a foundational event in my musical formation.

The Professor reached for the keys of his enormous contrabass saxophone, producing notes so low they could be felt more than heard. He nodded his head for cues and switched instruments constantly. We were lost, we were found. We explored the quiet space as “friendly experiencers”.

In between takes he told us stories about playing free music in the seventies and the when Ornette slept on his couch. When we finished the session, he turned to us and said simply, “Friendship and respect.”