Brotzmann, Peter

Ein Halber hund kann nicht pinkeln [VINYL]

Label: Cien Fuegos Country: Austria

"In 1978, Free Music Production head Jost Gebers and FMP core members Peter Brötzmann, Han Bennink and Alexander von Schlippenbach all received awards for their substantial contributions to creative music in general and for specifically creating alternatives to American-based jazz. Gebers received the 1977 Critics Prize and the trio of musicians got the West Berlin Arts Prize. The record is an excellent example as to just how deserved these awards were.

On the Brötzmann/Bennink duo record (the first documented effort of the twosome without pianist Fed Van Hove, who worked with them for many years), both musicians present concert and "event" excerpts clearly illustrating the wide range of their improvisations: In the concert situations of "Halber Hund", there are only a couple of sections which harkens to the beautiful "blow-outs" that were once so characteristic of Brötzmann's music, with the high-energy reed/drums exchanges on Evening: No. 3 and Afternoon: No.1 definitely bringing back pleasant memories. Otherwise, the duo has gotten into more varied texturally oriented areas, particularly with Bennink's growing arsenal of musical wenpors. The last three pieces on side 2 feature Bennink's convincing viola work setting up backgrounds and interacting with Brötzmann's reeds and strangely melodic piano work. (Afternoon: No. 3 is especially striking with fragmented and piercing clarinet rumblings and squeaks breaking up the droning viola). Evening: No. 1 has Bennink flailing away on the banjo and No. 2 features the percussionist's devastating piano flurries. And, as Bennink jabs, walls and makes walls of sound with various instruments, Brötzmann is always there, ready to duel, set up his own framework or take a solo. Brötzmann approaches his horns in two basic ways - either playing wonderfully anemic melody lines or developing more overtly intense sheets, often moving into the shrill overtone registers of his horns."-Milo Fine, Jazz Forum (Poland), 1978