Peter Brötzmann - Master Blaster
Friday, October 24, 2008
Until you’ve heard saxophonist Peter Brötzmann in the flesh you only can gain a partial sense of the primeval sound and sheer power of the free jazz German pioneer through listening to him on CD. For those who haven’t heard him live already, this month you’ll get the chance at the London Jazz Festival. Daniel Spicer talks to him about his motivations for playing the way he does and looks back at his seminal album Machine Gun 40 years on.
When talking about music as extreme in its intent and execution as free jazz, it’s easy to fling out casual superlatives. But German sax titan and free jazz legend Peter Brötzmann is most definitely the real thing. Hailed for years as the loudest, heaviest saxophone player on the planet, reported to have once broken a rib by blowing too hard, he’s also the possessor of a uniquely unmistakable tenor sound: a raw, brutal, brawny bark of intense rage that doesn’t so much carry a tune as knock it to the floor and kick it to death.
This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #125 – read the full article Subscribe Here