At last, one of the crucial moments of modern European musical history is available to the mass audience it deserves Peter Brötzmanns scalding hot free jazz masterpiece Machine Gun, originally released in 1968 (now on Atavistic). Brötzmanns freshly minted octet had recently convened for a performance in Frankfurt, and recorded this beer-fuelled session in a concrete basement in a Bremen club. Utilising the most guttural reaches of a triple tenor sax section, the 17-minute title track mimics the rapid fire of a machine gun as its opening statement. Sheer proto-punk fury results. The bands energy is all the more impressive when the single-minded octet swoops and dives through clattery yet dynamic ensemble sections and white-hot solo passages. Its a mighty blast for a new generation of aggressive music lovers with bonus tracks to boot.
Click here to read a web exclusive interview with Peter Brotzmann.
Click here to read a web exclusive interview with Peter Brotzmann.