Peter Brotzmann & Ken Vandermark

[Peter]

Peter Brotzmann & Ken Vandermark performed as a duo at Woodland Patterns Book store in Milwaukee, WI last nite. Woodland Patterns is a small space, a squarish room with four bare plaster walls and wood floor that can hold 60-70 people if you squeeze them in. It was a sellout. In this small room, and unamplified, these two guys had the woman next to me covering her ears when they reached a climax. Really intense. But not just energy blowing, very structured, tension and release, and beautiful quiet passages as well. Brotzmann & Vandermark have played togother a lot and it shows. They certainly refute the view the "free" jazz is just aimless blowing.