Peter Brötzmann, Bill Laswell

Two key 80s moments from Peter Brotzmann – split together here on a heavy LP! First up is material from the album Low Life – hard-handed work from the duo of Peter Brotzmann on reeds and Bill Laswell on bass – a set that's kind of a side project of the Last Exit quartet, and one that comes across with a similar sense of power! Laswell's handling a fair bit of basses here, often with a bit of processing – thanks partly to producer Martin Bisi – and there's a dark, electric undercurrent to the whole record – almost a Sonny Sharrock sound, even though Sharrock's not on deck! Titles include "Death Rattle", "Disengage", "Wheeling Vultures", "Abasement", and "The Last Detective". Side two features material from the Last Exit album from 1986 – a key link between avant jazz and the artier side of indie rock in the 80s – and a group who got Peter Brotzmann the sort of exposure he'd never had previously! The quartet features Brotzmann on reeds, Bill Laswell on 6 string bass, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, and Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums and a bit of voice – all key avant players of the period who really draw a lot from each other's company on the date. Sharrock's guitar is freakier and fuzzier than heard in years, and a great complement for Laswell's bass – and Jackson's drumming seems more powerful and focused than on some of his other 80s projects. We usually prefer Brotzmann away from settings like this, but can't deny that the group was a key formative moment in his career – and the album's power still holds up strongly all these many years later. Titles include "Hard School" and "Brain Damage". (Dustygoove)