Esce oggi quale atto d'amore e di profonda riconoscenza l'omaggio che il Cafe Oto londinese aveva promesso al compianto Peter Brötzmann (1941-2023) e concordato direttamente con lui qualche giorno prima della sua scomparsa: sono i suoi due ultimi concerti in assoluto, quelli tenuti lì il 19 e 11 febbraio 2023 in quartetto con Jason Adasiewicz, John Edwards e Steve Noble, ora raccolti in un prezioso album (The Quartet) disponibile in varie edizioni - quella in doppio cd è la più completa - e in uno speciale box artistico a tiratura limitata.
"It is a huge honour to announce the publication of Peter Brötzmann’s final concerts on Otoroku. When we invited Peter to do a residency at Cafe Oto back in February 2023 we had no idea these would be his last ever shows and he played with such power it would have been hard for anyone present to believe he would never play publicly again. Recorded over two nights this grouping of Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone, John Edwards on bass and Steve Noble on drums feels especially resonant and personal to Cafe Oto. The first time Peter performed at the venue back in 2010 it was in a trio with John and Steve (released as The Worse The Better kickstarting our in-house record label) so it feels fitting that the last shows he ever played here should also have that trio at its core. The quartet last played together at Oto back in 2013 (released as Mental Shake on Otoroku) and Brötzmann humbly opened the return of the group saying "It's a pleasure to be back” before launching straight into a long blast on the alto sax, swiftly met by the relentless energy and engagement of Adasiewicz, Edwards and Noble. Peter clearly wanted to play to the end. Did he know these might be his last shows? We will never know. What is clear is he wanted to go out in style and on his terms. For anyone in the room at the time or listening to these recordings it’s clear he achieved that."