Innovator is a big word. For Peter Brötzmann, however, it is rather too small a word. This saxophonist, who incessantly sparks substantial creative sparks, is often described as "experimental". Strictly speaking, this is a misunderstanding: he is not experimental, he himself is the experiment - a never-ending original source of the other. Basically, Brötzmann has remained avant-garde to this day. Incidentally, no one regrets this more than Brötzmann himself, who indeed belongs to that handful of European musicians who have given far more impulses in their work than they have received. Brötzmann turns 80 today, and the greatest conceivable honour was bestowed on this important universal artist (Brötzmann is also successful as a visual artist) many years ago. He was immortalised in the German vocabulary with the verb "brötzen". We thank him for unforgettable evenings at Enjoy Jazz, which we hope will soon be followed by others, and bow our heads in respect!
© Hans van der Linden