Soldier of the Road: A Portrait of Peter Brötzmann

Here it is. I got mine @ Volcanic Tongue



A long overdue film on one of Germany's many musical revolutionaries. Anthony Braxton has been getting some attention as of late with his TriCentric Foundation, and it's nice to see another visionary getting at least a modicum of exposure. Well shot, edited and produced, it's very nice to see Brötzmann taking digital photos of flowers and long walks in the woods - a real human smoking cigars and taking the Wuppertal train. Especially nice to see more of is the visual art that Brötzmann has been producing throughout his life (think Franz Kline mixed with Calder, but with a focus on landscapes) - don't expect to get a detailed account of European free improvisation, cuz it's not here. If you want that, go get Mike Heffley's indispensable work Northern Sun, Southern Moon. Instead you get a quiet, almost somber look at a man's lifelong relationship with art.
[edited 11-10-2011]