The Complete Machine Gun Sessions cover

The Complete Machine Gun Sessions

Released

Peter Brötzmann’s Machine Gun is his second album, but it’s such an emphatic, line-in-the-sand gesture, it feels like a debut. The horns come out blasting, but the more you listen the more you realize how structured and disciplined the music is. It owes a surprising amount to the hard-riffing blues of Illinois Jacquet, Big Jay McNeely and other bar-walking saxophonists of the 1940s. And it’s not a constant hurricane of sax-on-sax violence, either; pianist Fred Van Hove and the two bassists get plenty of spotlight time. This disc includes the album, the two alternate takes that exist, and a live version of the title track that predates the studio session.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
In the Fishtank cover

In the Fishtank

I.C.P., The Ex, Sonic Youth
Consciousness cover

Consciousness

Windy & Carl
Even Better cover

Even Better

Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Tim Berne
Illusions cover

Illusions

Arthur Blythe
The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra: Update cover

The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra: Update

Michael Mantler, Jazz Composer's Orchestra
Holon cover

Holon

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin