Peter Brötzmann

Peter Brötzmann

Peter Brötzmann (born March 6, 1941) is a German free jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.

Brötzmann is among the most important European free jazz musicians. His rough, lyrical timbre is easily recognized on his many recordings.

Life and career

He studied painting in Wuppertal and was involved with the Fluxus movement, but grew dissatisfied with art galleries and exhibitions. He experienced his first real jazz concert when he saw American jazz musician Sidney Bechet while still in school at Wuppertal, and it made a lasting impression.

He has not abandoned his art training, however: Brötzmann has designed most of his own album covers. He first taught himself to play various clarinets, then saxophones; he is also known for playing the tárogató. Among his first musical partnerships was that with double bassist Peter Kowald.

For Adolphe Sax, Brötzmann's first recording, was released in 1967 and featured Kowald and drummer Sven-Ake Johansson.

Machine Gun

1968, the year of political turmoil in Europe, saw the release of Machine Gun, an octet recording often listed among the most notable free jazz albums. One critic has written Machine Gun offers "a heavy-impact sonic assault so aggressive it still knocks listeners back on their heels decades later." [1] Originally the cassette was self-produced and sold at gigs, but it was later marketed by FMP Records, which stands for Free Music Productions. In 2007, Chicago-based Atavistic Records remastered and reissued the Machine Gun recording.

The 70s

The more melodic album Nipples was recorded in 1969 with many of the Machine Gun musicians including drummer Han Bennink, pianist Fred Van Hove and tenor saxophonist Evan Parker, plus British free-improv guitarist Derek Bailey. The second set of takes from these sessions, appropriately called More Nipples, is more raucous. Fuck De Boere (Dedicated to Johnny Dyani) is a live album of free sessions from these early years, containing two long improvisations, a 1968 recording of "Machine Gun" live (earlier than the studio version) and a longer jam from 1970.

The logistical difficulties of touring with an octet resulted in Brötzmann eventually slimming the group to a trio with Han Bennink and Fred Van Hove. Bennink was also partner in Schwarzwaldfahrt an album of duets recorded outside in the Black Forest in 1977 with Brötzmann's sax and Bennink drumming on trees and other objects found in the woods.

Larger groups were put together again later, for example in 1981 Brötzmann made a radio broadcast with Frank Wright and Willem Breuker(saxes), Toshinori Kondo (trumpet), Hannes Bauer and Alan Tomlinson (trombones), Alex Von Schlippenbach (piano), Louis Moholo (drums), Harry Miller (bass). This was released as the album Alarm.

Last Exit

In the 1980s, Brötzmann flirted with heavy metal and noise rock, including a stint in Last Exit and subsequent recordings with Last Exit's bass guitarist and producer Bill Laswell.

The 90s and beyond

Peter Brötzmann on tenor saxophone, Minnesota Sur Seine, 2OO6.

Brötzmann has remained active, touring and recording regularly. He has released over thirty albums as a bandleader, and has appeared on dozens more. His "Die Like A Dog Quartet" (with Toshinori Kondo, William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake) is loosely inspired by saxophonist Albert Ayler, a prime influence on Brötzmann's music. Since 1997 he has toured and recorded regularly with the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet (initially an Octet).

Brötzmann has also recorded or performed with musicians including Cecil Taylor, Willem van Manen, Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, Conny Bauer and Brötzmann's son, Caspar Brötzmann, a notable guitarist in his own right.

Selected recordings

• Machine Gun - (1968) - FMP Records

There is also a CD on Atavistic Records of The Complete Machine Gun Sessions, including live performances.

• Nipples (1969) -
• More Nipples (1969)
• Fuck De Boere - (1968 and 1970) -
• Peter Brötzmann & Han Bennink Schwarzwaldfahrt (1977) -
• Alarm - (1981) - radio broadcast
• Fred Hopkins, Rashied Ali, Peter Brotzmann -Songlines - (1994)
• Peter Brotzmann and Hamid Drake - Dried Rat Dog (1994) - duets
• Bill Laswell, Peter Brötzmann - Low Life (1998)
• Peter Brötzmann, William Parker, Michael Wertmüller Nothung (2001) - trio, live in New York
• Peter Brotzmann, William Parker, Hamid Drake- Never Too Late But Always Too Early (2001) trio, live

External links

• Interviews, discographies and photographs
• Projects, releases and photographs