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Artist
Peter Brötzmann
12+ albums
free jazzjazzAvant-Gardefree improvisationexperimental
about
Peter Brötzmann (born in Remscheid, Germany, on 6 March 1941; died 22 June 2023) was a German free jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Among the most important European free jazz musicians, Brötzmann's rough, lyrical timbre remains easily recognisable on his many recordings. He studied painting in Wuppertal and was involved with the Fluxus movement, but grew dissatisfied with art galleries and exhibitions. 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 perhaps the only jazz musician to play 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 alongside drummer Sven-Åke Johansson. 1968 saw the release of Machine Gun, an octet recording often listed among the most notable free jazz albums. One critic wrote that Machine Gun offers "a heavy-impact sonic assault so aggressive it still knocks listeners back on their heels decades later." The logistical difficulties of touring with an octet resulted in Brötzmann eventually slimming the group to a trio once again, the most notable and lasting one with Han Bennink and Fred Van Hove. In the 1980s, Brötzmann flirted with jazz fusion and noise rock in the avant-garde supergroup Last Exit. Brötzmann remained active, touring and recording regularly. Over his career he released
