Peter Brötzmann stands for uncompromising adventure. The German saxophone player improvises with young pedal steel guitarist Heather Leigh, followed by a duo with kindred spirit Han Bennink on drums.

Peter Brötzmann will turn 75 this year. Ever since his debut album For Adolphe Sax (1967) he has been adding new dimensions to the sound of the saxophone, blowing away every rule in the book. His raw, unbridled improvisations with drummer Han Bennink are legendary.

This year sees the release of his first album with American-born pedal steel guitarist Heather Leigh, entitled Ears Are Filled With Wonder. It covers all territories from subtle, ghostly sounds to volcanic eruptions. After the break Brötzmann will play a duo set with Han Bennink, the most adventurous drummer in The Netherlands. These kindred spirits have been collaborating for almost 50 years.

‘With that tenor between his lips he becomes nothing less than a force of nature’ (The Wire on Peter Brötzmann).

‘Wintry, ethereal and strangely bewitching, it feels both ancient and modern, rooted in the raw Appalachian landscape of Leigh’s childhood and the contemporary language of a confessional memoir’ (Mojo on Heather Leigh’s album I Abused Animal, which was produced by Stephen O’Malley of Sunn O))) and Peter Rehberg).

‘Bennink flips between crisp, infectious swing and explosive chaos; sometimes fluidly, sometimes jarringly. While such transitions are gripping and unpredictable, what the drummer does in each sphere is just as compelling, riding his cymbal to produce the most basic pleasure in jazz to loudly cavorting over his kit like a jungle gym’ (Downbeat on Han Bennink).

Afterwards, in the cafe:

DAVE BURRELL PIANO ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT
After the concert pianist Dave Burrell will perform. The solo series by Burrell, in which he will present his unique take on jazz history, are becoming a tradition at the Bimhuis. Burrell, a pioneer of the 1960s New York avant-garde, was the musical partner of groundbreaking artists such as Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders.

OPENING EXHIBITION PETER BRÖTZMANN: GRAPHIC
The Bimhuis is proud to present the exhibition of the graphic art of Peter Brötzmann, who celebrates his 75th birthday this year. Music and visual art go hand in hand in the career of the German saxophone player and pioneer of European free jazz. Alongside expressionistic paintings he created record covers, posters and flyers for, among others, FMP, one of Europe’s first independent jazz labels. Brötzmann’s art balances between figurative and abstract. His hand-silkscreened covers are characterized by their design with large block-letters and processed black and white photographs. On September 23 the exhibition will be opened at the cafe of the Bimhuis at 5:30PM. The opening is accessible for public.

The Bimhuis restaurant is open prior to the concert from 6.30 til 8.30PM (reservations via 020-7882158). After the concert, the Bimhuis Café is open (free entrance).

5.30 PM OPENING EXHIBITION PETER BRÖTZMANN: GRAPHIC