Weekend Listening

Peter Broztmann: Lost & Found (FMP)
A 2006 solo outing on alto/tenor sax, clarinet and tarogato. I picked this up on a whim and enjoyed it more than I expected. His take on Monk's "Crepuscule with Nellie" to end the 4th track gave me a chuckle.

Lol Coxhill & Morgan Fisher: Slow Music (Cherry Red Records)
Playing this back-to-back with the Brotzmann record made for quite a contrast (it worked though) and made a mellow end to the evening. This one was not as minimalist as I expected and at times Alexander Berne's Composed & Performed By came to mind.

The Fringe: It's Time For The Fringe (Soul Note)
A nicely recorded live album from 1992. I don't remember enjoying George Garzone's soprano tone as much as I did here - I may need to revisit him on soprano. It's nice they played to a supportive audience, but I could do without the crowd erupting every time Garzone distorts his altissimo. There is something to be said about groups that stick together, and The Fringe do have a rapport that reflects longevity.

We Thought We Could Change The World

Peter Brotzmann - We Thought We Could Change The World: Conversations with Gerard Rouy  (Wolke Verlag Hofheim, 2014)

While Brotzmann's music is not really my cup of tea (although the one time I've heard him live I was glad I attended), I have enjoyed reading interviews with him. A fascinating musician that I am somehow drawn to - it's bit of a mystery.

The first 110 pages of this book are a collection of conversations between Peter Brotzmann and Gerard Rouy that were left out of the of the documentary Solider Of The Road. They cover Brotzmann's career and talk about his discovery of music, his instruments, artwork, his collaborators and the future of the music. The remaining 80-odd pages contain 58 photographs (mostly black and white) from throughout his career (in performance, candid shots and at home in his studio), 18 artworks reproduced in colour (I'm a fan of his artwork and enjoyed the exhibition at Corbett vs Dempsey last year - in fact the book's cover is from a work - "Clarinet Bells" - from this exhibition) a discography and an epilogue from Brotzmann. I am yet to watch the documentary but having read this book I've added it to my list.

I thought I'd round things out with Brotzmann's final statement in the interview section: "When I go somewhere, I meet people, I work with them, so I'm right into their shit, I see their way of life, their kinds of problems and in the end I get to learn from all of it. What I've learnt so far is that people are the same everywhere; they have the same sorrows, the same fun, and the same blues. They may look and sound a little different but all human beings are more or less the same."

Nick Mazzarella Solo

Corbett vs Dempsey have hosted a number of concerts this year and I have tried to get to as many as possible. On Saturday afternoon the gallery presented a solo concert by alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella (nestled amongst artwork by Peter Brötzmann).

Brotzmann: Untitled (Landscape) 2012

The hour long set filled the gallery with Mazzarella's searing, overdriven tone containing plenty of bite and vocalized distortions (and the occasional bell chime).

Mazzarella is lightning quick around the horn and his use of trills, repeated phrases, sequences and the gallery's acoustics, created a "wall of sound" that, at times, reached near breaking point.

The opening piece, with it's wide intervals, sudden dynamic shifts and space was another example of his awareness of the room to help his notes harmonize/overlap/clash with themselves.

When his notes bent and swooped an acidic, barbed Johnny Hodges came to mind. 

I would have liked to heard him explore the quiet end of the spectrum a little more. When he did, it was particularly effective - another dimension was added to his sound and the subtleties of his pitch inflections and dynamic range were more pronounced.

Mazzarella's trio is playing at Chicago Jazz Festival Saturday 31 October 12.30pm

Brötzmann : Hideout

Wednesday night I got over to The Hideout for Umbrella Music's Immediate Sound Series.

I was expecting a big turnout as the night's two sets were by the trio of Peter Brötzmann (as,ts, clar, táragató) Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone) Hamid Drake (drums, perc). 

Having missed Brötzmann's last appearance in Chicago (I was out of town) I decided to get there nice and early. I'm glad I did as it didn't take long for the house to fill. Great to see people getting out to hear improvised music - the biggest crowd I have seen at The Hideout. It's a nice venue, plenty of character, some nice beers, good sound and sight lines, and a cozy feel.

The first set had Brötzmann switching between alto sax, clarinet and táragató. For the second he was on tenor sax. While he far from my favorite saxophonist, Brötzmann is someone I have wanted to hear in person. At 72 years of age he is still blows up a sonic storm - an avalanche of sound that must make some want to cower in the corner. The music does ebb and flow but for the most part, energy levels remained high across the two sets. Just when you think he has reached breaking point somehow he pushes through the barrier. At times I felt this got a little predictable - climbing the ladder of high and loud - but fascinating nonetheless. There is an intent to the way he starts and finishes notes/sounds - an intense focus. While there is a definite physicality to his playing, there are times when he appears to be surprisingly relaxed while playing in a manner that would cause many other saxophonists to look as though they are about to explode (perhaps it's hidden by the facial hair?). I wonder if Adolphe Sax envisioned Brötzmann's approach when inventing this wonderfully flexible instrument 167 years ago?

Nice turnout at The Hidout

Adasiewicz's playing - particularly his work accompanying the horn - really stood out. A creative player well worth checking out if you haven't already. I have heard him a number of times around Chicago and he is often the stand out player. Of his recorded work I am only familiar with "Spacer" a fine album with his trio Sun Rooms. Adasiewicz and Drake locked in well together - a duo concert/album from these two would be great to hear.

The funk/soul/disco tracks playing before the set and during the break made quite a contrast to what everyone came to hear.

Brötzmann and Drake return to The Hideout next Wednesday when they will play with Ken Vandermark (reeds) and Chad Taylor (drums).
Brötzmann's latest artworks are in town too. Left / Right opens at Corbett vs Dempsey on Saturday 27 July and runs through to August 17.

Catalytic-Sound is the place to find many of  Brötzmann's recordings.