German saxophone god and Living Legend of free improvisation. His formal training was in the visual arts, but he began gigging in the early 60s with visiting US cutting-edge jazzers - this led to the first generation of European free jazz; Brötzmann had developed an "energy music" style rooted in late-period John Coltrane and early Albert Ayler. His DIY LPs Für Adolphe Sax and Machine Gun led to the founding of FMP. He has gigged and recorded with everybody.