Before we start talking about the music on this album, one thing which is hardly mention is the fact that Peter Brötzmann is also a great fine artist. Recently he had an exclusive exhibition of his art in China, I also saw one in Wuppertal once. Like his saxophone/clarinet sound, his visual artistic style is also unique and has a high recognition value. The covers of all the albums reviewed here are designed by Brötzmann himself. So, when you buy a Brötzmann album you get a piece of fine arts as a bonus.
As to the music: Brötzmann has worked quite often with Swedish drummer Peeter Uuskyla (e.g. on Dead and Useless) since 1997 and in general the reeds/drums line-up is something he feels very comfortable with. His duos with Han Bennink, Hamid Drake, Paal Nilssen-Love and Steve Noble belong to best releases in free jazz. Uusklya cannot quite keep up with these drummers because they are able to challenge him. Uuskyla is more the supporting kind of a drummer on this album.
My favorite passage is on side B when Brötzmann plays a particularly tender version of the “Master of a Small House” theme, one of three or four themes he likes to integrate especially in solo and duo performances, Brötzmann once told me. Uuskyla simply drops out here, then he adds a just a few sparse few sounds, which is just perfect. And then it is him who pulls Brötzmann back to rougher waters. In general Red Cloud on Silver is a rather rough, torn and bumpy album.
1. Red Cloud On Silver part 1 20:23
2. Red Cloud On Silver part 2 14:45
3. Home Of Snake 05:35
4. Thistel And Thorns 11:42
5. Mind Is A Monkey 10:43
6. Striding Along 08:02
