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Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978 is a live album by American composer and saxophonist Anthony Braxton. Recorded in Germany in 1978 but not released on the hatART label until 1995, the album features a live concert featuring several of Braxton’s compositions that were first recorded on Creative Orchestra Music 1976.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Rovi Staff awarded the album 4½ stars stating “Thanks to Braxton’s skill as a composer, the results never devolve into mere cacophony, even in those passages where all 20 members — including an accordionist and a synthesizer player — are playing at once, as in the opening “Language Improvisations.” This is a powerful document of a little-appreciated side of Anthony Braxton’s work.”.

Track listing
All compositions by Anthony Braxton

Disc one

“Language Improvisations” – 14:34
“Composition 55” – 12:27
“Composition 45” – 25:21

Disc two

“Composition 59” – 21:45
“Composition 51” – 17:19
“Composition 58” – 12:56

Personnel
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

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Released: 1995
Recorded: May 12, 1978
Venue: Großer Sendesaal WDR in Köln, Germany
Length: 104:25
Label: hatART 2-6171
Producer: Manfred Niehaus