The Quartet

Description

It is with immense honour we announce the release of Peter Brotzmann's final concerts on OTOROKU. When we invited Peter to perform a residency at Cafe OTO in February 2023, little did we know they would be his last shows, and he played with such force that it would have been hard for anyone present to believe he would never play in public again. Recorded over two nights, this group of Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone, John Edwards on bass, and Steve Noble on drums feels particularly resonant and personal to Cafe OTO. The first time Peter ever performed at the venue in 2010 was in a trio with John and Steve (released as The Worse The Better, which inaugurated our in-house label), so it feels fitting that the last concerts he played here also featured this core trio. The quartet last played together at OTO in 2013 (released as Mental Shake on OTOROKU), and Brotzmann humbly opened the group's return by saying, ‘it’s a pleasure to be back’ before launching straight into a sustained blast on alto sax, quickly met by Adasiewicz, Edwards, and Noble’s relentless energy and engagement. There are moments of tenderness in Brotzmann’s playing that feel specific to this tight-knit group – which spans three generations – and in a space that has become like home. Of course, there is dizzying, powerful, and resolute playing, but even amongst an incessant chorus of cymbal splashes and busy vibraphone clusters, the lyrical and spacious moments are savoured and held. As he noted at the close of the group’s first visit to OTO, ‘the Quartet for us is one big adventure’. Peter clearly wanted to play until the end. Did he know these might be his last concerts? We will never know. What is clear is that he wanted to go out in style and on his own terms. For anyone in the room at the time or listening to these recordings, it’s clear he succeeded. Peter wished for these recordings to be made public, and he was due to finalise the cover design the week he passed away. We would like to thank Peter’s family for working with us to realise Peter’s wish to release this record, but more than anything, we want to thank Peter himself for all the amazing memories, his generosity and all he gave to music. On a personal level, for us, as with so many others, he meant a tremendous amount and he is deeply missed.