| Brothers Together | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 2002 |
| Recorded | October 23, 2000 |
| Studio | PBS Studios, Westwood, Massachusetts |
| Genre | Free jazz |
| Label | Eremite 035 |
| Producer | Michael Ehlers |
Brothers Together is an album by drummer Hamid Drake and multi-instrumentalist Sabir Mateen. It was recorded in October 2000 at PBS Studios in Westwood, Massachusetts, and was released in 2002 by Eremite Records. [1] [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz |  [4] |
In a review for AllMusic, Steve Loewy wrote: "This might be a good introduction for those who have heard of Mateen but are unfamiliar with his work. It presents him in unadulterated form, with lots of space for improvising. A minor giant of the reeds, he and Drake are an imposing pair, and there is much here to savor." [3]
The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded the album 3½ stars, and stated: "by the time Mateen and Drake are firing on all cylinders, this is a scorching session and the closing piece, 'New Life Dance', makes half an hour seem like seconds." [4]
Derek Taylor, writing for All About Jazz , commented: "the disc's title doesn't lie - these two are brethren artists through and through. Most importantly both men treat their meeting not as an academic exercise or technique-driven cutting contest, but instead as an ebullient chance to blow... Drake and Mateen have done something not many can do. They've taken a framework many of their peers are justly wary of and breathed fresh life into it - testament to both their abilities as improvisers and the synergy they share as musical brothers." [5]
One Final Note's Jay Collins wrote: "This is a constantly intriguing release... these passionate and convincing artists put forth this music in an interactive and delightfully exposed manner." [6]
Peter Brötzmann was a German jazz saxophonist and clarinetist regarded as a central and pioneering figure in European free jazz. Throughout his career, he released over fifty albums as a bandleader. Amongst his many collaborators were key figures in free jazz, including Derek Bailey, Anthony Braxton and Cecil Taylor, as well as experimental musicians such as Keiji Haino and Charles Hayward. His 1968 Machine Gun became "one of the landmark albums of 20th-century free jazz".
Sabir Mateen is an American musician and composer from Philadelphia. His musical style is primarily avant-garde jazz. He plays tenor and alto saxophone, B♭ and alto clarinet, and flute.
Hamid Drake is an American jazz drummer and percussionist.
Steve Swell is an American free jazz trombonist, composer, and educator.
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