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Michael Brecker

Michael Brecker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and exposed to jazz at an early age by his father, an amateur jazz pianist. Among the generation of jazz musicians that saw rock music not as the enemy but as a viable musical option, Brecker began studying clarinet, then moved to alto saxophone in school, eventually settling on the tenor saxophone as his primary instrument. After only a year at Indiana University, Michael Brecker moved to New York City in 1970 where he carved out a niche for himself as a dynamic and exciting jazz soloist. He first made his mark at age 21 as a member of the jazz/rock band Dreams—a band that included his older brother Randy, trombonist Barry Rogers, drummer Billy Cobham, Jeff Kent and Doug Lubahn. Dreams was short-lived, lasting only a year, but influential (Miles Davis was seen at some gigs prior to his recording "Jack Johnson").

Most of Brecker's early work is marked by an approach informed as much by rock guitar as by R&B saxophone. After Dreams, he worked with Horace Silver and then Billy Cobham before once again teaming up with his Brother Randy to form the Brecker Brothers Band, which played fusion that was equal parts bar band, Monk, and Sly Stone. The band followed the trail blazed by Miles Davis's 1970s bands and Weather Report, but with more attention to structured arrangements, a heavier backbeat, and a stronger rock influence. The band stayed together from 1975-1982 with consistent success and musicality.

At the same time, Brecker put his stamp on numerous pop and rock recordings as a soloist. His more notable collaborations include those with James Taylor, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen and Joni Mitchell. During the early 80s he was also a member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live band. Brecker can be seen in the background sporting shades during Eddie Murphy’s James Brown parody, Get In The Hot Tub. He also played sax briefly on Frank Zappa's live album Zappa in New York.

After a stint co-leading the all-star group Steps Ahead with Mike Mainieri, Brecker finally recorded a solo album in 1987. That eponymously titled debut album marked his return to a more traditional jazz setting, highlighting his compositional talents and featuring the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), which Brecker had previously played with Steps Ahead. He continued to record albums as a leader throughout the 1990s and 2000s, winning multiple Grammy Awards, and his solo and group tours consistently have sold out top jazz venues in major cities worldwide.

Ron Carter: Anything Goes

by Arnaldo DeSouteiro
July 11, 2024

Ronald Levin Carter (born Ferndale, Michigan, on May 4, 1937) needs no introduction. Let's just say that he is the bassist's bassist. On Ron's hands, the bass and the man become the same entity, the same person. Played by Ron Carter, the acoustic bass sounds like... Ron Carter! That's why he is one of the three top bassists in the music history. However, if Ron needs no introduction, his Anything Goes album does. Recorded on June & July, ...

Liner Notes

Hal Galper Quintet: Live at the Berlin Philharmonic 1977

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Liner Notes

Steve Khan: Arrows

by AAJ Staff
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Book Excerpts

Ode to a Tenor Titan

by Bill Milkowski
March 22, 2022

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 8, “Going Solo, The Pittbull and The EWI" from Bill Milkowski's Ode to a Tenor Titan: The Life and Times and Music of Michael Brecker (Backbeat Books, 2022). By early 1986, Michael began formulating plans for his long-overdue solo debut. He was 37, a universally respected figure and acknowledged 'monster' player admired by fellow musicians from the pop, rock and jazz worlds. He had ridden to fame through the '70s ...

Book Review

Michael Brecker: Ode to a Tenor Titan

by Kyle Simpler
February 25, 2022

Ode to a Tenor Titan Bill Milkowski 408 Pages ISBN: # 978-1-4930-5376-6 Backbeat Books 2021 By the summer of 2005, most people in the jazz world knew that legendary tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker was suffering from a serious medical condition. He had been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a pre-leukemia bone marrow disorder, and his wife, Susan, was desperately trying to find someone with a bone marrow match who would provide the possibility ...

Radio & Podcasts

Michael Brecker, Rodney Holmes, Brett Garsed, and from the '70s Sonny Fortune, Lee Ritenour and George Duke

by Len Davis
October 22, 2021

Michael Brecker from his album Wide Angles, drummer Rodney Holmes, Sonny Fortune, Lee Ritenour and George Duke.Playlist Michael Brecker"Modus Operandi" from Wide Angles (Verve) 00:00 Rodney Holmes “The Bronx Experiment" from Twelve months of October (Self Produced 06:13 Uncle Moe's Space Ranch “[email protected]" from Uncle Moe's Space Ranch (Tone Centre) 12:22 Dirty Martini “Miss You" from Live at Baked Potato (Self Produced) 18:31 Tom Scott and LA Express “Rock Island Rocket" from Tom Cat (Record Label) 24:39 Sonny ...

Album Review

Hal Galper Quintet: Live At The Berlin Philharmonic 1977

Read "Live At The Berlin Philharmonic 1977" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
January 20, 2021

It must be gratifying to accomplish everything you set out to do. Pianist Hal Galper says he has done just that. And, after a career that included work with trumpeter Chet Baker and saxophonists Cannonball Adderley and Stan Getz, along with a ten year stint in saxophonist Phil Woods' band (1980-1990), followed by ten years of touring and recording with his own trio, that claim would have been a valid one then, before the dawn of the new millennium. But ...

Book / Magazine

'The Practice Notebooks Of Michael Brecker' Now Available From Sher Music

Source: Sher Music Co.
June 15, 2023

Sher Music Co. proudly presents The Practice Notebooks of Michael Brecker, an extraordinary release that grants unprecedented access to the inner workings of one of the greatest saxophonists in jazz history. This remarkable publication offers a rare opportunity for musicians to dive deep into the mind of a jazz legend and unlock the secrets of his improvisational mastery. Featuring over 700 beautifully engraved entries, The Practice Notebooks of Michael Brecker chronicles 35 years of Brecker's artistic journey, capturing his inspirations, ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Michael Brecker

Source: Michael Ricci
March 29, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Michael Brecker's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Michael Brecker

Source: Michael Ricci
March 29, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Michael Brecker's birthday today!

Book / Magazine

Ode to a Tenor Titan: The Life and Times and Music of Michael Brecker by Bill Milkowski

Source: All About Jazz
November 13, 2021

After John Coltrane, there was no more revered and profoundly influential saxophonist on the planet than Michael Brecker. For those coming of age in the 1970s, during that transitional decade when the boundaries between rock and jazz had begun to blur, Brecker stood as a transcendent figure. He was their Trane. Ode to a Tenor Titan follows Michael's story from growing up in jny: Philadelphia, finding his tenor sax voice during his brief stint at Indiana University, making his move ...
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