Jazz breaking news: Brötzmann’s Oto Residency Opens With Gusto

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Jazz breaking news: Brötzmann’s Oto Residency Opens With Gusto

Friday, 29 January 2010 11:16

On the first of a three night residency at North London’s Cafe Oto, titan of the European avant-garde Peter Brötzmann proved the potential of freely improvised music. Listeners may have come to expect a certain sound when attending such gigs. An often harsh and brutal a-melodic and a-rhythmic playing style springs immediately to mind – but expectations are there to be exceeded. From the opening salvos of the first set Brötzmann’s trademark rampaging force was apparent. Playing solo on alto saxophone he worked on a tension between perfectly free expression and the development of patterns. Themes evolved out of the apparent chaos and as they developed there was a sense that at one and the same time Brötzmann was working to both escape them and bring them to their triumphant conclusions.

Switching to the tárogató, a mournful Slavonic presence emerged casting light on another aspect of his musical personality. Where his solo set obliged the audience’s participation through the strength of the experience, the second set, featuring Brötzmann as part of an acoustic quartet, forced intense group interaction. It was confrontational and uncompromising as each lashed against the other with tumultuously cascading waves of expression. There is the possibility for visiting artists to use their ‘UK group’ merely as a support for them to parade themselves in front of an expectant audience. However, this indulgence wasn’t merely avoided so much as mocked as Marsh, Edwards and Ramaman pushed and tussled against Brötzmann’s marauding lines, creating a seething synergy of abandon.

The intimacy between drummer Tony Marsh and bassist John Edwards was evident, at times becoming an almost unified percussive presence. Trumpeter Roland Ramaman posed interesting questions to Brötzmann throughout the set, probing for weakness, testing the strength of his musical resolve. This music challenges the listener: you are either there with the musicians, experiencing and living the moment as the music happens or else you are out of the door and entirely removed from the event.

- Joseph Kassman-Tod

The series continues tonight and Saturday 30th January with accompaniment from Tony Marsh, John Edwards, Pat Thomas and Steve Noble. For more go to www.cafeoto.co.uk

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