This new trio of saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, pedal steel guitarist Heather Leigh, and Fred Lonberg-Holm operating both his cello and electronics, explore the musical equivalent of microgravity. Captured as part of the saxophonist's 80th birthday celebration concerts in August 2021 in his hometown of Wuppertal, Germany, the sounds achieve a perception of levitation. Credit the suspension of gravitational force to Leigh and Lonberg-Holm, both collaborators with Brötzmann; Leigh and the saxophonist have been working in duo together since 2015 and have produced several recordings including Sparrow Nights (Trost, 2018); Lonberg-Holm and Brötzmann go back even further to the mid-'90s with the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, plus the ADA trio with drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, and a duo outing Ouroboros (Astral Spirits, 2018).
Leigh and Lonberg-Holm do not suppress the incendiary sounds of Brötzmann but they do moderate the great man's animation on the lengthy title track of nearly 30 minutes. Without a doubt Brötzmann's caustic sound is still very recognizable, though it is suspended within the two stringed instruments. Leigh's pedal steel guitar creates an eerie echoing Western folk sound which is bolstered by Lonberg-Holm's bow work to create an ambient/chamber atmosphere. That is until the cello and electronics morph into a thundering feedback machine which creates ominous clouds upon which Brötzmann floats untethered above the affair blowing bluesy riffs. Dare we call them sentimental? Two shorter pieces get a bit noisy. "Flower Flaps" has the saxophonist in duets with Lonberg-Holm's pizzicato and Leigh's power chord guitar and "Johnny Anaconda" plays off a call-and-response between Brötzmann and his compatriots. The three have hit upon a magical combination here.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.