The Brecker Brothers - 2012 "The Complete Arista Albums Collection" [8 CD Box]

The Brecker Brothers -- Michael and Randy -- were one of the most successful of the jazz/fusion groups that arose in the 1970s, recording 6 best-selling albums for Arista between 1975 and 1981. Musicians on the records make a jazz/fusion hall of fame including David Sanborn, Steve Gadd, Will Lee, Harvey Mason, Marcus Miller, George Duke, and many more. In 1979 they also participated in all-star shows at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The band was Steve Khan, Tony Levin, Mike Mainieri and Steve Jordan. These two albums are included here as bonuses. None of these albums have ever been released on CD in the U.S.
Randy Brecker contributes liner notes to the set which also includes full discographical info. and rare photos.
The Brecker Bros. have reunited as The Brecker Brothers Reunion Band-- with excellent Italian saxophonist Ada Rovatti keeping it in the family (she is Randy s wife) and ably filling the late Michael's role -- for an all-new studio recording of new material, featuring David Sanborn, Mike Stern, Dave Weckl, and Will Lee (to be released in September).
A new Brecker Bros. Reunion live DVD from the Blue Note jazz club will also be released. Both new releases are on Half Note Records, the label of The Blue Note Jazz club in New York, which will sponsor a record release show the week of Sept. 11-18 in New York. The band will be playing major jazz festivals in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Randy s own profile at the moment is very high. He received 3 Grammy nominations this year.

Trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonist Michael Brecker had already shared the bandstand and logged plenty of studio time together before they formed The Brecker Brothers. The siblings stood as a team with Horace Silver s hard bop ensemble, the proto-fusion unit Dreams, and Billy Cobham's early Crosswinds band, as well as on myriad studio dates for a panoply of artists from James Taylor to Parliament.

By 1975 it was time for them to make their own mark. Gathering together some of the cream of the studio players that they were spending considerable time with, including saxophonist David Sanborn and bassist Will Lee, the brothers formed a tight combo that would integrate their taste for jazz, fusion, R&B, funk and pop. Right out of the box, they garnered a hit single, "Sneakin' Up Behind You," from their debut recording, Brecker Brothers, which also included the emblematic "Some Skunk Funk."

Subsequent albums saw name players like guitarists Steve Khan and Hiram Bullock, keyboardist George Duke, bassist Marcus Miller and vocalist Luther Vandross making vital contributions. No matter how commercially oriented the music might veer, the solid playing of both Randy and Michael could be heard. On such albums as the live recordings, Heavy Metal Bebop and the special project Blue Montreux, the brothers fully displayed their extraordinary technical skills and gutsy phrasing. Combining jazz chops and R&B seasoning, both of the Breckers became important stylistic influences on their respective horns.

In retrospect, the Brecker Brothers can be seen as dashing heroes, unafraid to follow wherever their muse lead them no matter what straight-laced critics objected to. From today's eclectic viewpoint, their up front blend of jazz and outright pop sounds was not only ahead of the curve, it was right up to the minute.

This 8 cd box set was a collection I have always hoped would be released.The Brecker Brothers have always been favorites of mine and this set captures the history of the brothers musically. It was during this period that Michael Brecker really grew and developed his style. Any fan of funky jazz and rock influenced jazz will love this release. The last 2 discs of the collection are of live recordings at Montreux Jazz festival in 1978 and I love the collaboration of the Breckers with Mike Maineri, Eddie Gomez and Larry Coryell. The Collection features so many great players in modern jazz from an early standpoint, Will Lee and David Sanborn and many others. This collection is truly a piece of modern jazz history. So thankful that Randy Brecker put this collection together. I love listening to these albums. It brings back so many memories and musically much of the tracks are still fresh today (especially on the album "Detente"). The loss of Michael Brecker a few years ago, definitely left a huge hole in the jazz world. This collection definitely helps to to remember one of the greatest tenor players ever.

In 2001, the Brecker Brothers' Arista releases were reissued on CD by the One Way label, but the discs quickly went out of print. French and Japanese reissues surfaced toward the end of the decade, but this box set from Sony's Legacy division makes them easy to obtain in the U.S. -- that is, if you're willing to shell out for an eight-disc box, priced around $60 at the time of its September 2012 release. The discs are in durable LP replica sleeves, though they are not as high quality as a standard Japanese reissue. All-original artwork, front sleeve and back sleeve, is reproduced, and there's a booklet as well. The set contains not only each one of the Breckers' 1975-1980 Arista releases (The Brecker Bros., Back to Back, Don't Stop the Music, Heavy Metal Be-Bop, Détente, and Straphangin') but the two Blue Montreux releases from 1979 as well. At the time of release, each one of the Brecker titles here (neither Blue Montreux nor Blue Montreux II) was available separately as a digital download.

CD's Included in Box Set:
1) The Brecker Brothers (Arista 1975)
2) Back To Back (Arista 1976)
3) Don't Stop The Music (Arista 1977)
4) Heavy Metal Be-Bop (Arista 1978)
5) Detente (Arista 1980)
6) Straphangin' (Arista 1981)
7) Blue Montreux (Arista 1979)
8) Blue Montreux II (Arista 1979)

Track Listings:

Disc: 1

The Brecker Brothers

  1. Some Skunk Funk
  2. Sponge
  3. A Creature of Many Faces
  4. Twilight
  5. Sneakin' Up Behind You
  6. Rocks
  7. Levitate
  8. Oh My Stars
  9. D.B.B.

Personnel:

    Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals on "Oh My Stars"
    Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
    David Sanborn – alto saxophone
    Don Grolnick – keyboards
    Bob Mann – guitar
    Will Lee – bass, vocals on "Sneakin’ up Behind You"
    Harvey Mason – drums
    Chris Parker – drums on "Sneakin’ up Behind You"
    Ralph MacDonald – percussion

Disc: 2

Back To Back

  1. Keep It Steady (Brecker Bump)
  2. If You Wanna Boogie...Forget It
  3. Lovely Lady
  4. Night Flight
  5. Slick Stuff
  6. Dig a Little Deeper
  7. Grease Piece
  8. What Can a Miracle Do
  9. I Love Wastin' Time with You

Personnel:

    Randy Brecker – trumpet, electric trumpet, flugelhorn
    Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone, flute
    David Sanborn – alto saxophone
    Don Grolnick – keyboards
    Steve Khan – guitar
    Will Lee – bass, lead vocals
    Chris Parker – drums
    Steve Gadd – drums (4, 9)
    Ralph MacDonald – percussion
    Sammy Figueroa – percussion (4)
    Rafael Cruz – percussion (4)
    Lew Del Gatto – baritone saxophone (2)
    David Friedman – marimba (6)
    Dave Whitman – synthesizer programmer
    Patti Austin – background vocals (9)
    Allee Willis – background vocals (9)
    Luther Vandross – vocals, vocals arrangement
    Robin Clark – vocals
    Diane Sumler – vocals

Disc: 3

Don't Stop The Music

  1. Finger Lickin' Good
  2. Funky Sea, Funky Dew
  3. As Long As I've Got Your Love
  4. Squids
  5. Don't Stop The Music
  6. Petals
  7. Tabula Rasa

Personnel:

    Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn, electric trumpet
    Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone, flute
    Will Lee – bass
    Don Grolnick – keyboards
    Doug Riley – keyboards
    Steve Khan – guitar, 12-string guitar
    Jerry Friedman – guitar (1, 5)
    Sandy Torano – guitar (1, 3)
    Hiram Bullock – guitar (2, 3, 4, 6)
    Chris Parker – drums
    Steve Gadd – drums (4, 6)
    Lenny White – drums (7)
    Ralph MacDonald – percussion
    Sammy Figueroa – congas (7)
    Doug and Beverly Billard – background vocals (3)
    Will Lee, Christine Faith, Robin Clark, Josh Brown – background vocals
    Horn Section
        Lou Marini – alto sax
        Alan Rubin – trumpet
        Randy Brecker – trumpet
        David Taylor – bass trombone
        Barry Rogers – trombone
        Michael Brecker – tenor sax
        Lew Del Gatto – baritone sax
    String Section
        Aaron Rosand, Guy Lumia, Paul Gershman, Harry Lookofsky, Sanford Allen, Ariana Bronne, Harold Kohon, Matthew Raimondi, Peter Dimitriades – violins
        Lamar Alsop, Richard Maximoff, Alfred Brown – violas
        Jesse Levy, Richard Locker – cellos

Disc: 4

Heavy Metal Be-Bop

  1. East River
  2. Inside Out
  3. Some Skunk Funk
  4. Sponge (Live Version)
  5. Funky Sea, Funky Dew (Live Version)
  6. Squids (Live Version)

Personnel:

    Randy Brecker – Trumpet and Keyboards
    Michael Brecker – Tenor Saxophone
    Barry Finnerty – guitars, guitorganiser, background vocals
    Terry Bozzio – drums, background vocals
    Neil Jason – bass, lead vocals
    Sammy Figueroa – percussion
    Rafael Cruz – percussion
    Additional musicians on "East River"
        Kash Monet – handclaps, percussion, backing vocals
        Paul Shaffer – Fender Rhodes
        Victoria – tambourine
        Jeff Schoen – backing vocals
        Roy Herring – backing vocals
        Allan Schwartzberg – drums
        Bob Clearmountain – handclaps

Disc: 5

Detente

  1. You Ga (Ta Give It) - The Brecker Brothers feat. D.J. Rogers & Carl Carlwell
  2. Not Tonight - The Brecker Brothers feat. Carl Carlwell
  3. Don't Get Funny With My Money
  4. Tee'd Off
  5. You Left Something Behind
  6. Squish
  7. Dream Theme
  8. Baffled
  9. I Don't Know Either

Personnel:

    Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone, flute
    Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn
    Airto Moreira – percussion
    Hiram Bullock – guitar
    Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
    Steve Gadd – drums
    Mark Gray – keyboards
    Don Grolnick – keyboards
    Neil Jason – bass
    Steve Jordan – drums
    Ralph MacDonald – percussion
    Marcus Miller – bass
    Jeff Mironov – guitar
    D.J. Rogers – vocals
    David Spinozza – guitar
    Carl Carlwell – vocals

Disc: 6

Straphangin'

  1. Straphangin'
  2. Threesome
  3. Bathsheba
  4. Jacknife
  5. Why Can't I Be There
  6. Not Ethiopia
  7. Spreadeagle

Personnel:

    Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn
    Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
    Barry Finnerty – guitar
    Mark Gray – keyboards
    Marcus Miller – bass
    Richie Morales – drums
    Don Alias – percussion
    Manolo Badrena – percussion

Disc: 7

Blue Montreux

  1. Blue Montreux - Arista All Stars
  2. Rocks - Arista All Stars
  3. I'm Sorry - Arista All Stars
  4. Magic Carpet - Arista All Stars
  5. Buds - Arista All Stars
  6. Floating - Arista All Stars
  7. The Virgin And The Gypsy - Arista All Stars

Personnel:

Guitar – Steve Khan (tracks: 1-6), larry Coryell (tracks: 2)
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: 1-3, 5-6)
Trumpet – Randy Brecker (tracks: 1,2,5-7)
Vibraphone, Synthesizer [Oberheim] – Mike Mainieri
Bass – Eddie Gomez (tracks: 1-6)
Bass, Chapman Stick – Tony Levin (tracks: 1-6)
Drums – Steve Jordan (tracks: 1-6)
Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Keyboards – Warren Bernhardt

Disc: 8

Blue Montreux II

  1. Funky Waltz - Arista All Stars
  2. Candles - Arista All Stars
  3. Uptown Ed - Arista All Stars
  4. Love Play - Arista All Stars
  5. Cloud Motion - Arista All Stars

Personnel:

    Acoustic Bass – Eddie Gomez (tracks: A3)
    Drums – Steve Jordan
    Electric Bass – Tony Levin (tracks: A2, B1, B2)
    Electric Bass [Electric Stick] – Tony Levin (tracks: A1)
    Electric Guitar – Steve Khan (tracks: A1, A2, B1, B2)
    Electric Guitar, Soloist – Larry Coryell (tracks: A1)
    Keyboards – Warren Bernhardt (tracks: A2, B1, B2)
    Percussion – Mike Mainieri (tracks: A2)
    Piano – Warren Bernhardt (tracks: A1, A3)
    Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: B2)
    Soprano Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: A2)
    Synthesizer [Mini-moog] – Mike Mainieri (tracks: B1)
    Synthesizer [Synthe-vibe] – Mike Mainieri (tracks: B1)
    Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: A1, A3)
    Trumpet – Randy Brecker (tracks: A1, B2)
    Vibraphone [Electric] – Mike Mainieri (tracks: A2, A3, B1, B2)

Randy Brecker with Michael Brecker - 2005 "Some Skunk Funk" (Live)

Some Skunk Funk is an album, recorded live in 2003, by Randy Brecker and Michael Brecker. In 2006 it won Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (Michael Brecker) and Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

The 2003 performance documented on Some Skunk Funk may be credited to trumpeter Randy Brecker, but his brother, saxophonist Michael, joins in for a Brecker Brothers reunion with the added oomph of Germany's WDR Big Band. And if ever a band's repertoire was custom-made to be retrofitted with a larger horn section, it's that of the Brecker Brothers. Some of the material comes from Randy Brecker's solo career: "Shanghigh" and "Let It Go" from 34th N Lex (ESC, 2003), "Wayne Out" from Hanging in the City (ESC, 2001), and a new tune, "Let It Go." But what's remarkable is how comfortably these tunes fit in with Brecker Brothers material on Brecker Bros. (Arista, 1975) through Out of the Loop (GRP, 1994).

The Brecker Brothers emerged as a distinct alternative to the muscular athletics of other fusion bands during the 1970s. As virtuosic as any such group, they played a swaggering downtown New York funk that differentiated them from the higher-octane Mahavishnu Orchestra, the progressive rock leanings of Return to Forever, and the increasingly world music-driven Weather Report. Even the band closest to the Breckers' brand of groove-driven music—Herbie Hancock's Headhunters—occupied a different space.

Maybe it's because the brothers didn't feel it necessary to desert the more jazz-centric harmonies they'd learned playing with artists like Horace Silver. As electric and funky as the Brecker Brothers have always been, their jazz aesthetic has also distinguished them from peer fusion bands, making their best material truly timeless. Three of the ten tunes on this album—the fiery title track, the greasier "Sponge" and the balladic "Levitate"—are taken from their 1975 debut, and they sound as relevant today as they did then.

Credit, of course, goes to Vince Mendoza—who arranged and conducted the tracks for this expanded Brecker Brothers Big Band. The Breckers' writing has always been characterized by rich orchestration—sometimes feeling much bigger than their small ensemble size would suggest. Mendoza's unique voice takes Michael's viscerally funky "Strap-hangin,'" for example, and layers more colors where appropriate, still twisting the arrangement into a new shape that feels like a logical extension, rather than an extensive rewrite.

But with a crack core group featuring keyboardist Jim Beard, bassist Will Lee and drummer Peter Erskine, Mendoza also lets the ensemble collapse into smaller, more interactive units where appropriate during the solo sections. Solos from both brothers build on their own. Mendoza reintroduces the horn section at just the right time, pushing them to even greater extremes. And when the two brothers trade off during the song's outro, they remind us of just how powerful shared genetics can be.

The Brecker Brothers join forces for a set of mostly high-powered originals at a concert in 2003. Their post-bop music is generally funky (although "Freefall" is an uptempo cooker) and sometimes a bit bombastic yet is never predictable. Trumpeter Randy Brecker and tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker take many fiery solos while also sounding warm on ballads. They are supported by a particularly strong rhythm section. In addition, the WDR Big Band contributes 14 horns and a guitar to accompany the core group. The individual songs may not be overly memorable (although "Some Skunk Funk" has been getting covered by other musicians) but the Breckers' solos are full of exciting moments.

The rare blood disorder that has kept Michael Brecker on the sidelines for nearly two years makes Some Skunk Funk a bittersweet experience.

https://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=michael+brecker

https://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=randy+brecker

Track listing:

All tracks written by Randy Brecker except where noted.

01.    "Some Skunk Funk"    5.51
02.    "Sponge"    4.05
03.    "Shanghigh"    6.40
04.    "Wayne Out"    4:56
05.    "And Then She Wept"    6:07
06.    "Strap Hangin'" (Michael Brecker)    8:18
07.    "Let It Go"    8:02
08.    "Freefall"    6:17
09.    "Levitate"    4:58
10.    "Song for Barry" (Michael Brecker)    10:32

Personnel:

    Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
    Randy Brecker – trumpet
    Vince Mendoza – conductor, arranger
    Will Lee – bass guitar
    Jim Beard – piano, synthesizer
    Peter Erskine – drums
    Marcio Doctor – percussion
    Koji Paul Shigihara – guitar

    WDR Big Band:
    Rob Bruynen – trumpet
    Andy Haderer – trumpet
    Rick Kiefer – trumpet
    John Marshall – trumpet
    Klaus Osterloh – trumpet
    David Horler – trombone
    Bernt Laukamp – trombone
    Ludwig Nuss – trombone
    Mattis Cederberg – bass trombone
    Harold Rosenstein – alto saxophone
    Heiner Wiberny – alto saxophone
    Olivier Peters – tenor saxophone
    Rolf Römer – tenor saxophone
    Jens Neufang – baritone saxophone

Randy Brecker - 1968 [2002] "Score"

Score is the debut album by American jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker recorded in 1969 and originally released on the Solid State label. Randy Brecker's debut album features the trumpeter leading two distinct all-star small groups, each with younger brother Michael (who was only 19 when this was recorded) on tenor sax, Larry Coryell on guitar, and Hal Galper on piano. The tunes alternate between jazz-rock (a style the Brecker Brothers were later to successfully exploit) and modern mainstream jazz. There are the customary fades, popular at the time, and a light, though constant, beat throughout that makes the music both accessible and even danceable, an impressive feat considering that virtually all the tunes are originals. The Brecker Brothers exhibit a command of their horns and a maturity that was to serve them well for many years. The recording has weathered the years well, in part because even the fusion pieces never lose their focus, nor do they compromise artistry for popular fads. "The Weasel Goes Out to Lunch" is a cute, though very short, take on the childhood theme, with the remaining tracks fine examples of late-'60s popular jazz. With well-constructed arrangements, strong soloing, and catchy melodies, Brecker knew he was onto something, and this album was the first of several successful ventures.

Born in 1945 in Philadelphia to a musical family, Randy's musical talent was nurtured from an early age. He attended Indiana University from 1963-66 and later moved to New York where he landed gigs with such prominent Jazz bands as Clark Terry's Big Band. Randy also began his foray into jazz-rock by joining Blood, Sweat and Tears. Randy left BS&T to join the Horace Silver Quintet. In 1968, Randy recorded his first album, "Score", featuring a young, then unknown 19 year-old tenor saxophonist named Michael Brecker.
In the early 1970s, Randy played with many prominent artists such as Larry Coryell, Stevie Wonder and Billy Cobham. By 1975, Randy and Michael were ready to front their own band, the Brecker Brothers. The band was to become a band of immeasurable influence and impact. They went on to record a total of six albums and garner seven Grammy nominations between 1975 and 1981.
In 1992, exactly ten years after they disbanded, Randy and Michael joined forces again featuring a world tour and the triple-Grammy nominated GRP recording, "The Return of the Brecker Brothers". In the fall of 1994, the Brecker Brothers released the double-Grammy winning "Out of the Loop".
Randy released his CD for ESC, "34th n' Lex," in 2003 and this CD also brought him his third Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Album."
In 2007 he was awarded his fourth Grammy for "Randy Brecker Live with the WDR Big Band". In the same year, tragically, his brother Michael passed away on Jan 13th.
Randy's CD, "Randy in Brazil," was recorded in Sao Paulo with a full complement of great Brazilian musicians and released in 2008 and the CD won the Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Album," bringing Randy's Grammy total to five.

Track listing:

All compositions by Randy Brecker except where noted

"Bangalore" – 4:34
"Score" (Hal Galper) – 7:17
"Name Game" (Galper) – 5:14
"The Weasel Goes Out to Lunch" (traditional) – 1:21
"Morning Song" – 4:09
"Pipe Dream" – 4:33
"The Vamp" (Galper) – 5:14
"The Marble Sea" – 5:44

Personnel:

Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn, arranger
Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
Jerry Dodgion – alto flute
Larry Coryell – guitar
Hal Galper – piano, electric piano, arranger
Eddie Gómez – bass
Chuck Rainey – Fender bass
Bernard Purdie, Mickey Roker - drums

Jack Wilkins - 2001 "Reunion"

Reunion is just that.

And for jazz listeners who missed Jack Wilkins' outstanding 1977 release, Merge, the first time out, or for those who are too young to remember it, Reunion brings back that group for a brief moment in time.

It wasn't easy. Schedules conflicted and everyone was busy, but they found a slot when they could record. Try as they might, Wilkins and the producer weren't able to pin down saxophonist Michael Brecker for more than two tracks. But the "what if" questions about the addition of Michael Brecker are answered on Reunion, for the Brecker brothers do team up on "Kiwi Bird" and Horace Silver's "Break City." The remainder of the CD consists of the personnel who created such a pearl 24 years before, one that awaited discovery by a guitarist who recorded too infrequently as a leader.

The original group grew incrementally, at first consisting of Wilkins and bassist Eddie Gomez when they played at Sweet Basil. Later, Jack DeJohnette and Randy Brecker joined in. The result was/is a distinctive group, each member with his own personal sound. Yet, they all intuitively understand the value of interaction and spontaneity. In fact, this group is one case where the rhythm section leads the horn, so recognizable are their styles. Gomez' full virtuosic sound in instantly recognizable, no matter where he performs. DeJohnette developed his own individual approach to the drums that, like all great drummers', enlarges the meaning of each tune through texture and pulse.

Often, the genre of choice is bop, which makes sense due to the influence of musicians like Horace Silver upon members of the group. Recalling their work in his group, the Brecker brothers perform Silver's "Break City," and Michael in particular stretches out in full command of his instrument.

But Wilkins had more in mind than a re-creation of his previous album. "Reunion" the song is a minor-keyed excursion that invites close listening as the musicians improvise over its modal structure. Wilkins develops the tune as through successive choruses of atmospheric embellishment, which are notable in addition for Gomez' and DeJohnette's irresistible rhythmic drive that they build.

The slower tunes include Gomez' "Scott," a 3/4 tribute to his son that he bows in introduction before Wilkins joins in to break out the melody. Gomez' and Wilkins' solos are the highlights of the tune as they demonstrate mastery of their instruments that has only improved over the years. Wilkins ends the CD with the standards "But Beautiful" and "All The Things You Are," "But Beautiful" being a trio setting that lets Wilkins relax as he explores the tunes harmonic richness.

After all of these years, the Wilkins group is intact and inspiring. If their now-busy careers prevent the opportunity for them to perform live, at least we have Reunion to document the group's natural ability to perform, and to communicate, as if 1977 were only yesterday.

This disc reunites the musicians-guitarist Jack Wilkins, saxophonist Michael Brecker, trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Jack DeJohnette-featured on Merge, recorded for Chiaroscuro in 1977. Since then, more than 20 years later, each has become one of the most respected players on his instrument. And while Wilkins is the leader of this date, the other players get plenty of blowing room, and Wilkins, Gomez and Randy Brecker all contribute original material.

On Wilkins’ grooving, upbeat “Kiwi Bird” the Breckers step up with dynamic, searching solos that set the stage for a guitar excursion that includes myriads of beautifully conceived and executed phrases. And on the title track, a moody, anthemic ballad, Wilkins wields an electric nylon-string whose sonic properties heighten the overall feel. Gomez’s “Cheeks,” a salute to Dizzy Gillespie, relentlessly bops along, providing a nice vehicle for a grooving solo by Wilkins, who particularly excels in this type of setting, and a burning outing by Randy Brecker, whose nuances and phrasing frequently acknowledge Birks. Balancing the program’s originals are readings of three standards, including “All the Things You Are,” whose melody is chucked aside in favor of a novel, uptempo, kinetic treatment that supports an array of adventurous blowing by Wilkins and a masterfully expansive solo by DeJohnette.

While this date could have been recorded better (the guitar sounds like it went straight into the board instead of being miked, which influences its tone and presence), it only slightly detracts from the typically brilliant compositions and performances.

Back in 1977, guitarist Jack Wilkins led a very rewarding recording date, Merge, that featured trumpeter Randy Brecker and tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker playing straight-ahead jazz. For this reunion date, Wilkins, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Jack DeJohnette are joined throughout (except for the guitarist's feature on "But Beautiful") by Randy Brecker, although brother Michael is unfortunately only on two selections. Wilkins and Randy Brecker have many fine solos, and the repertoire consists of five group originals, Horace Silver's "Break City," and three standards. Although not reaching the heights of Merge (it is a pity that Michael Brecker was not along for the whole project), this is mostly a high-quality quartet outing of fine post-bop jazz. Worth exploring.

Track Listing:

1. Kiwi Bird (6:46) [Jack Wilkins]
2. Reunion (8:30) [Jack Wilkins]
3. Break City (6:03) [Horace Silver]
4. Moontide (8:31) [Randy Brecker]
5. Yours Is My Heart Alone (7:24) [Lehar]
6. Scott (8:27) [Eddie Gomez]
7. Cheeks (7:42) [Eddie Gomez]
8. But Beautiful (4:42) [Burke, VanHeusen]
9. All The Things You Are (7:23) [Hammerstein, Kern]

Personnel:

Jack Wilkins (guitar);
Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone);
Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn);
Eddie Gomez (bass);
Jack DeJohnette (drums).

The Brecker Brothers - 1994 "Out Of The Loop"

Out of the Loop is an album by the Brecker Brothers that was released by GRP Records in 1994. In 1995 the album won the brothers two Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance (now known as Best Contemporary Jazz Album) and Best Instrumental Composition (for Michael Brecker's "African Skies").

On Out of the Loop, Randy and Michael Brecker stepped up to the plate with their second long-player of the '90s, 20 years after their first foray into the jazz-funk-fusion realm. The album is surprisingly strong, and any fears of a paint-by-numbers attempt to cash in on past glories are quickly dispelled with the opening "Slang," which is reminiscent of Amandla-era Miles. Here, as throughout the disc, Michael's sax solo burns with abandon, while brother Randy's trumpet glides across a tastefully smooth and melodic terrain. "African Skies" has a decidedly Yellowjackets feel, with Michael again turning in a remarkably energetic solo turn. The set-closing "And Then She Wept" features Randy's attractive flügelhorn, as does the Eliane Elias-produced "Secret Heart," where Michael's soprano sax and EWI share the spotlight. "Scrunch" is a funky piece of programmed hip-hop over which the brothers Brecker play a riff similar to those they and the Average White Band delivered in the mid-'70s. Both Randy and the late Michael Brecker went on to make names for themselves in the jazz world after fronting their brotherly band in the '70s, earning the respect of critics and jazz fans alike. With Out of the Loop, they made a solid musical statement in a contemporary format, one they helped create and in which they proved to be masters.

Track listing:

1.    "Slang"    Michael Brecker    6:11
2.    "Evocations"    Chris Botti, Michael Brecker    5:16
3.    "Scrunch"    Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, Maz Kessler, Robbie Kilgore    4:28
4.    "Secret Heart"    Randy Brecker, Eliane Elias    5:03
5.    "African Skies"    Michael Brecker    7:46
6.    "When It Was"    Brecker, Brecker, Kessler, Kilgore    4:29
7.    "Harpoon"    Randy Brecker    7:43
8.    "The Nightwalker"    Michael Brecker    8:44
9.    "And Then She Wept"    Randy Brecker    4:53

Personnel:

    Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn, arranger
    Michael Brecker – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, EWIs, arranger
    Chris Botti – trumpet
    Maz Kessler – keyboards, rhythm programming, arranger, producer, mixing
    Robbie Kilgore – guitar, keyboards, rhythm programming, arranger, producer, mixing
    Andy Snitzer – bass, drums, keyboard programming, arranger, producer
    George Whitty – bass, keyboards, percussion programming, arranger, producer
    Eliane Elias – keyboards, vocals, arranger, producer
    Dean Brown – guitar
    Dennis Brown – acoustic guitar
    Larry Saltzman – acoustic guitar
    James Genus – bass
    Armand Sabal-Lecco – bass, vocals
    Mark Ledford – backing vocals
    Rodney Holmes – drums
    Steve Jordan – drums
    Shawn Pelton – drums
    Dave Weckl – drums
    Steve Thornton – percussion

The Brecker Brothers - 1978 [2007] "Heavy Metal Be-Bop"

Heavy Metal Be-Bop is a live album by the American jazz fusion group, the Brecker Brothers that was released by Arista Records in 1978. The album also includes the studio track "East River", which reached number 34# in the UK singles chart in November 1978.

Recorded live in New York, this explosive set of jazz, funk, and rock material was without question ahead of its time. Michael and Randy's use of electronically altered saxophone and trumpet sounds is amazing. 

This is just an absolute JEWEL. Zappa fans will recognize Terry Bozzio in addition to the Brecker brothers themselves, and MAN, what a combo! Michael Brecker just shreds on every solo, and Randy finds nuances with the "electric trumpet" that have never been heard before or since. Some will want this for the novelty of the electric tenor sax and trumpet, but there are FINE examples of modern BeBop solos here, over a high-powered rhythm section that kicks and jumps all over everything the soloists lay down. This is the kind of rhythm section that can make ANYBODY sound good, but the Brecker brothers talent is unmatched; a combination that presents an order of magnitude. Bass players NEED to hear Neil Jason, and guitar players NEED to hear Barry Finnerty on this. Blistering tight unison lines will prove once again why Zappa saved his most intricate horn passages for these guys, and why you won't hear them at tempo with anybody else. I sincerely hope for more of this largely unexplored flavor of jazz. I haven't found anything else that quite measures up to this.

"Heavy Metal Be-Bop" is a land mark fusion recording. The first tune is from the studio and the rest are recorded from a smoking live set. "East River" is the studio tune and is vocal. The song has a funky bassline and is fun but compared to the rest of the disc it is out of place. The rest of the disc is unreal. The band consists of Neal Jason on bass, Barry Finnerty on guitar, Terry Bozzio on drums, Michael Brecker on Sax, and Randy Brecker on trumpet. "Inside Out" is a Randy Brecker tune and Randy, Michael and Barry all have some fun with it. The tune is basic (For the Brecker Brothers) and they all play over the groove set by Bozzio/Jason. "Some Skunk Funk" is another Randy Brecker composition and a classic. This is one of the funkiest tunes that I have ever heard and the brothers play some of the greatest horn lines that you will ever hear. There are also some unison lines and the power of the band is on par with metal. "Sponge" is another funky piece and it features the explosive drumming of Bozzio. The band trades fours throughout Bozzio's rhythmic wizardry. "Funky sea, Funky Dew' is a Michael Brecker extravaganza. He takes the studio version and improves on it. Not only is his playing during the song great but there is a solo at the end that is amazing and then he is joined by just the bass of Jason which elevates him to a level that is beyond words. "Squids" is the closer to this set and has the brothers ,once again, playing over some serious funk. This disc is one of the greatest I've ever heard and is the greatest Horn orientated fusion disc ever. I only wish that there were more than five live songs but those five are worth any price. As highly recommended as anything can be.

This is the most incredible music ever, no BB album has surpassed this. A live album with Terry Bozzio having just joined the band after leaving Frank Zappa. The version of Some Skunk Funk is worth the whole price. Phenomenal! Will leave you out of breath and panting for more. One studio track kind of ok, an attempt at top 40, but the rest is - wow! Line up is guitar, bass, drums and Breckers. Randy plays some organ and uses a harmonizer to add 5ths and 4ths to his trumpet, so it sounds like more than just 2 horn players. Just hard to imagine what this would have been like to see live. Too bad it wasn't a double album when it was released in the late 70's. I want more of this! 

Tracks Listing

1.East River (3:38)
2.Inside Out (9:32)
3.Some Skunk Funk (7:01 )
4.Sponge (6:24)
5.Funky Sea,Funky Dew (8:03)
6.Squids (7:57 )

Total Time 41:55

Personnel:

- Randy Brecker / electric trumpet, keyboards
- Michael Brecker / electric tenor sax
- Barry Finnerty / guitars, GuitarGanizer, background vocals
- Terry Bozzio / drums, background vocals
- Neil Jason / bass, lead vocals

Additional Musicians

- Sammy Figueroa / percussion
- Rafael Cruz / percussion
- Kask Monet / handclaps, percussion, background vocals
- Jeff Schoen / background vocals
- Roy Herring / background vocals
- Paul Schaeffer / fender rhodes
- Victoria / tambourine
- Alan Schwartzberg / drums
- Bob Clearmountain & friends / handclaps

The Brecker Brothers - 1978 [2007] "Heavy Metal Be-Bop"

Heavy Metal Be-Bop is a live album by the American jazz fusion group, the Brecker Brothers that was released by Arista Records in 1978. The album also includes the studio track "East River", which reached number 34# in the UK singles chart in November 1978.

Recorded live in New York, this explosive set of jazz, funk, and rock material was without question ahead of its time. Michael and Randy's use of electronically altered saxophone and trumpet sounds is amazing.

This is just an absolute JEWEL. Zappa fans will recognize Terry Bozzio in addition to the Brecker brothers themselves, and MAN, what a combo! Michael Brecker just shreds on every solo, and Randy finds nuances with the "electric trumpet" that have never been heard before or since. Some will want this for the novelty of the electric tenor sax and trumpet, but there are FINE examples of modern BeBop solos here, over a high-powered rhythm section that kicks and jumps all over everything the soloists lay down. This is the kind of rhythm section that can make ANYBODY sound good, but the Brecker brothers talent is unmatched; a combination that presents an order of magnitude. Bass players NEED to hear Neil Jason, and guitar players NEED to hear Barry Finnerty on this. Blistering tight unison lines will prove once again why Zappa saved his most intricate horn passages for these guys, and why you won't hear them at tempo with anybody else. I sincerely hope for more of this largely unexplored flavor of jazz. I haven't found anything else that quite measures up to this.

"Heavy Metal Be-Bop" is a land mark fusion recording. The first tune is from the studio and the rest are recorded from a smoking live set. "East River" is the studio tune and is vocal. The song has a funky bassline and is fun but compared to the rest of the disc it is out of place. The rest of the disc is unreal. The band consists of Neal Jason on bass, Barry Finnerty on guitar, Terry Bozzio on drums, Michael Brecker on Sax, and Randy Brecker on trumpet. "Inside Out" is a Randy Brecker tune and Randy, Michael and Barry all have some fun with it. The tune is basic (For the Brecker Brothers) and they all play over the groove set by Bozzio/Jason. "Some Skunk Funk" is another Randy Brecker composition and a classic. This is one of the funkiest tunes that I have ever heard and the brothers play some of the greatest horn lines that you will ever hear. There are also some unison lines and the power of the band is on par with metal. "Sponge" is another funky piece and it features the explosive drumming of Bozzio. The band trades fours throughout Bozzio's rhythmic wizardry. "Funky sea, Funky Dew' is a Michael Brecker extravaganza. He takes the studio version and improves on it. Not only is his playing during the song great but there is a solo at the end that is amazing and then he is joined by just the bass of Jason which elevates him to a level that is beyond words. "Squids" is the closer to this set and has the brothers ,once again, playing over some serious funk. This disc is one of the greatest I've ever heard and is the greatest Horn orientated fusion disc ever. I only wish that there were more than five live songs but those five are worth any price. As highly recommended as anything can be.

This is the most incredible music ever, no BB album has surpassed this. A live album with Terry Bozzio having just joined the band after leaving Frank Zappa. The version of Some Skunk Funk is worth the whole price. Phenomenal! Will leave you out of breath and panting for more. One studio track kind of ok, an attempt at top 40, but the rest is - wow! Line up is guitar, bass, drums and Breckers. Randy plays some organ and uses a harmonizer to add 5ths and 4ths to his trumpet, so it sounds like more than just 2 horn players. Just hard to imagine what this would have been like to see live. Too bad it wasn't a double album when it was released in the late 70's. I want more of this!

While artists more often than not look for an album title that in some way reflects the music contained within, few have come up with a name that, in three simple words, says it all as much as today's Rediscovery: The Brecker Brothers' Heavy Metal Bebop. A positively incendiary live recording (barring bassist Neil Jason's funkified, studio-recorded, set-opening vocal anthem, "East River"), it sports a completely revamped lineup from the group's Don't Stop the Music (Arista), released the previous year. While this album was reviewed as part of Legacy Recordings' 2012 box set, The Complete Arista Albums Collection, its sheer power and raw energy demanded inclusion as a Rediscovery.

And, as expected, it sounds absolutely tremendous through my Tetra Speaker rig. This is an album that—featuring a core quintet where saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter Randy Brecker are joined, in addition to Jason, by guitarist Barry Finnerty and drummer Terry Bozzio, with additional percussion and overdubs added in post-production—rips through some of the best material from the group's earlier albums, including a light speed version of "Some Skunk Funk" and slightly faster, even more nuclear-infused take on "Sponge," both from the group's 1975 Arista debut, The Brecker Bros.

A slight breather comes with Don't Stop the Music's generally mellower "Funky Sea, Funky Dew," Michael's only compositional contribution to the set. Still, an extended a cappella and heavily processed saxophone outro is both an album highlight and demonstration of why Michael was already one of the most influential saxophonists of his generation...and would go on to become even more so in the decades leading to his untimely passing in 2007 at the too-young age of 57. A closing "Squids," from the same record, also feels less wholly unfettered than the album's first three live tracks, but still possessed more attitude and energy per square inch at a time when fusion was, in general, slowly morphing its way into the easier-on- the-ears predecessor to what would ultimately become smooth jazz. The album's only previously unheard live track is also its first live one: Randy's potently altered blues, "Inside Out," played with a greasy shuffle from Jason and Bozzio that, quite simply, means it.

Throughout this 42-minute set—all but three of them recorded live at My Father's Place in Roslyn, NY—the entire band plays as if its life depended on it. Michael Brecker soars, while older brother Randy (similarly processing his horn with a harmonizer, envelope filter and more) matches his younger sibling's energy note for searing note, the pair seemingly unable to play anything but the right note at the right time—except, occasionally, when they played the wrong note at precisely the right time...because with music this unshackled, there are no wrong notes, just ones that drive the player(s) in unexpected directions. While rarely featured, Jason and Bozzio keep the pulse at a fever pitch throughout, thundering where necessary—especially on the high octane "Sponge" where, with a new solo section, a three-way trade-off between the two Breckers and Finnerty represents the album at its most reckless, raw and relentless—but laying back as required with equal aplomb.

The surprise of the set is, however, Finnerty. Having first heard the guitarist on a live radio broadcast of the Crusaders, playing a solo to the title track of keyboardist Joe Sample's Rainbow Seeker (ABC, 1978) that remains memorable to this day, it was clear that he may have had big shoes to fill in replacing Larry Carlton in that group but—clearly imbued with similar chops and linguistic command—the guitarist brought an edgier New York vibe and completely different kind of lyricism to the successful Texan-centric West Coast group.

So, when finally hearing Heavy Metal Bebop for the first time—a little late to the game, a couple years after it was first released—I already knew he had all he needed to not just match the two Breckers, but to actually up the ante. While the Breckers take the lion's share of the solo space, every time Finnerty is featured it's a revelation...and all the more a crime that, despite remaining active in the ensuing years, the guitarist has never managed to garner the broader acclaim he deserves—if nothing else based on his contribution to Heavy Metal Bebop but, with Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, Hubert Laws and Eliane Elias also in his résumé, clearly possessing even more.

Tracks Listing

1.East River (3:38)
2.Inside Out (9:32)
3.Some Skunk Funk (7:01 )
4.Sponge (6:24)
5.Funky Sea,Funky Dew (8:03)
6.Squids (7:57 )

Total Time 41:55

Personnel:

- Randy Brecker / electric trumpet, keyboards
- Michael Brecker / electric tenor sax
- Barry Finnerty / guitars, GuitarGanizer, background vocals
- Terry Bozzio / drums, background vocals
- Neil Jason / bass, lead vocals

Additional Musicians

- Sammy Figueroa / percussion
- Rafael Cruz / percussion
- Kask Monet / handclaps, percussion, background vocals
- Jeff Schoen / background vocals
- Roy Herring / background vocals
- Paul Schaeffer / fender rhodes
- Victoria / tambourine
- Alan Schwartzberg / drums
- Bob Clearmountain & friends / handclaps

Michael Brecker - 2007 "Pilgrimage"

Pilgrimage is the final studio album, released in 2007, by the American jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker. In 2005, Brecker was diagnosed with myelogenous leukemia, and at the time of the recording in August 2006 he was already gravely ill. He recorded Pilgrimage with the knowledge that it would most likely be his last album; he died in January 2007. The album's personnel consists of Brecker, John Patitucci, Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, and Brad Mehldau.

Despite his losing battle with leukemia, Brecker fully commands each track on the album. His sound is rich, powerful, and strong, and his tone and vigor do not suggest any illness or affliction. The other musicians on the album were all aware of Brecker's condition, and used that knowledge to encourage him and make the album a success. Herbie Hancock said of Brecker:

"Michael now has reached a new level as a composer and musician. Despite his disease, or actually because of it, he managed to climb higher mountains and to walk ahead. The best way to take a poison is to change it into a medicine. At the moment, Michael experiences something very destructive and changes it into something extremely constructive."

Brecker's compositions on the album are some of his most complex and thoroughly composed music. His positive attitude toward his disease seems to rub off in the music, especially "Tumbleweed" and "The Mean Time", as they are full of high energy and intense interaction among the personnel. The title of the ballad "When Can I Kiss You Again?" is allegedly a quote from Brecker's son, who asked him that question while Brecker was in critical care and isolation after his stem cell transplant. The album won Brecker two posthumous Grammy awards for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (for his solo on "Anagram") and Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group.

The importance of saxophonist Michael Brecker's final recording, Pilgrimage, is densely multidimensional. The romantically inclined will attach significance to the fact that the nine compositions were conceived and recorded while Brecker was aware of the gravity of his final illness. Pilgrimage falls into an artistic/musical category that includes such disparate music as Mozart's Requiem, Puccini's Turandot, Billie Holiday's Lady In Satin and Johnny Cash's American Recordings, Volumes 5 & 6. All of these examples were conceived during the artists' autumnal periods and, in these cases, represent something of pinnacles in their outputs.

High art in the face of destiny is not always the case, however. June Carter Cash's final Wildwood Flower, while heartfelt, did the singer disfavor because she was obviously ill during the recording. Anita O'Day's final recording, Indestructible, similarly sincere, was recorded much too far past the singer's prime, and the aesthetic value of trumpeter Chet Baker's final recordings remains up for debate. So, what of Michael Brecker's final output?

In 2005, Brecker was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a diverse collection of hematologic disease all sharing in common the inappropriate production of blood cells and their propensities for transforming into acute myelogenous leukemia. Unable to find a suitable stem-cell donor, Brecker passed away on Saturday, January 13, 2007. While Brecker did remain active during the period of his illness, appearing on Beatle Jazz's With A Little Help From Our Friends and Leni Stern's Alu Maye (Have You Heard), he had been inactive a year before these recordings.

Thus, the artist's largest late effort was reserved for Pilgrimage. He is joined by pianists Herbie Hancock and Brad Mehldau, guitarist Pat Metheny, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Jack DeJohnette, all sacred to Brecker's generation of jazz musicians. The notable absence of Randy Brecker is acknowledged for the life-long collaboration he had with his brother in their various music endeavors (noting that Randy Brecker never appeared on his brother's solo projects). Save that, Brecker chose his group wisely as the results of the recording reveal.

Brecker's tenor tone is strong and muscular. His composing is the best of his career. His melodic head-lines are organic, approximating a flock of small birds flying scattered one second and then in unison the next. Brecker and Metheny share a Bill Evans-Scott LaFaro empathy throughout the recording, both buoyed by the impressionistic piano of Hancock and Mehldau. The heart of the disc exists in its center with the pieces "Tumbleweed and "When Can I Kiss You Again. On the former, Brecker sets up a fast rolling theme and harmonics over which the soloists take quick flight including an aggressively distorted Metheny solo that gives way to one by Brecker. The rhythm section of Patitucci and DeJohnette creates a funky tonk with powerful momentum. No matter what, Brecker is in complete command.

"When Can I Kiss You Again is Brecker's introspective lullaby to his children, whom he could not see while in medical isolation. Again, his superior composing provides a carefully complex melodic introduction with a modal concept over which to solo. Composition and improvisation weave in and out of one another; constructing a silken fabric over which Metheny gives one his most inspired and introverted solos. Hancock provides his trademark abstraction as solo, depicting anxiousness as music. Brecker's solo is middle to low register and impeccably structured (as are all of his solos). The disc's title cut is a moody, Coltrane-esque meditation over electric piano with bass and drums occupying all sonic spaces. The piece grows in density and freedom as an open improvisation develops over the barest harmonic structure. And that was just the extended introduction. Brecker pulls all involved into an extended obbligato that is serpentine and seamless.

How does history view Michael Brecker? Many consider him to be the most important tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane. This is at the expense of Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter, though Rollins and Shorter generationally overlap Coltrane. I would come closer to declaring John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter and Michael Brecker the quaternary apex of the tenor saxophone since the previous generation of Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Wardell Gray. That excludes a lot and that exclusion is necessary. Brecker's importance specifically lies in his universality. When I listen to Oliver Nelson's The Blues And The Abstract Truth (Impulse, 1961), I think of that music as a jazz soundtrack of the 1960s. It had that sound that listeners would immediately identify as jazz: so with Pilgrimage and the opening of the 21st Century. Michael Brecker's final recording is a finely crafted jazz soundtrack for a new millennium, a hyperbright quazar, serving in honor of the late saxophonist and all of jazz.

https://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=Michael+Brecker

Track listing:

All music composed by Michael Brecker.

1. "The Mean Time" 6:55
2. "Five Months from Midnight" 7:40
3. "Anagram" 10:09
4. "Tumbleweed" 9:36
5. "When Can I Kiss You Again?" 9:42
6. "Cardinal Rule" 7:31
7. "Half Moon Lane" 7:17
8. "Loose Threads" 8:34
9. "Pilgrimage" 10:02

Personnel:

Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone, EWI
Pat Metheny – guitars, guitar synthesizer
Herbie Hancock – piano (tracks 1, 5, 8, 9)
Brad Mehldau – piano (tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
John Patitucci – double bass
Jack DeJohnette – drums

Steve Khan - 1977 "Tightrope"

Steve Khan and the Brecker Brothers coming together. With folks like this, and Steve Gadd and Bob James too, you have a formula for success. What do you get when you have a superb rhythm section, saucy keyboards, a hot and brassy mini-horn section, and one very tasteful jazz- and chops-laden guitarist all come together with some jazz and some fusion in mind? You have the magic of Khan's compositions are smooth yet lively enough not to bore. His unique drive, and pristine flourish and tone on his modded Fender Telecaster, and even his deft acoustic work, all come together to make a very satisfying blend of sexy jazz and funked-up, be bop fusion.

Yet there is that special touch that only Steve Khan can add that makes his releases a signature sound on each outing. If you listen closely, you will hear Larry Coryell-ian riffs and stylings (as Khan and Coryell used to jam together, and did record together).
Much ado is made about Mike Stern's guitar work in the '80s and '90s, but one listen to Khan and you will immediately hear who his big inspiration was. Next time you pick up an old Stern release you stand a good chance of seeing the words "produced by Steve Khan."

You can totally tell that this is a Bob James production. It's not bad at all, and don't get me wrong, James has done some great stuff. But you can also see why Steve Khan made no more Tappan Zee records, even though staying there probably would have guaranteed him more commercial success.

Being a Bob James production, it's far more dated than any other Khan record. It's also got a tighter, more pop-oriented sound, complete with goofy melodies and disco beats. Khan's signature guitar sound is there, but it seems to be less center-stage than his other recordings.

With the support of Bobby Colomby, I was signed by Bob James to Columbia Records in 1977. It was a tremendous thrill to be on the same label with some of the greatest jazz and jazz-fusion artists, one only has to begin with the name, Miles Davis.

At the time, I suppose I felt it was my 'mission' to somehow maintain the original sound and line-up of the Brecker Bros. Band, only featuring my guitar a little more. Of the great jazz-fusion groups from the early '70s (Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Return to Forever), the Brecker Bros. Band was the only group to feature a 'mini' horn section, and what a horn section it was: Randy Brecker(Trumpet); Michael Brecker(Tenor Sax); and David Sanborn(Alto Sax). Along with Randy's brilliant, unique and underappreciated compositions, this horn trio created a style, sound, and approach to phrasing which has influenced all genres of music and players and arrangers from all over the world.

When Dave left the band to pursue his solo career, Michael and Randy decided to continue without a third horn. On "TIGHTROPE," the horn section is featured on the title track as well as the Randy Brecker original, "The Big Ones," and their playing together remains a highlight for me. During these years(through '79), I was still playing my beefed-up, customized Fender Telecaster and probably only using a Fender Super Reverb.

Other highlights for me include: the drumming of Steve Gadd(especially on "Tightrope"); Michael Brecker's harmonizer-colored solo(his idea and his setting) on "Some Punk Funk"; Dave Sanborn's solos on "The Big Ones" & "Darlin' Darlin' Baby"; and the support of Don Grolnick, Bob James, and Will Lee throughout. On each of the three Columbia recordings, I featured one acoustic steel-string solo amidst an electric texture, the first of these features was on the tune, "Star Chamber."

"TIGHTROPE" is the best selling recording I've ever made, and is probably directly attributable to the inclusion of the Gamble & Huff aforementioned tune, "Darlin' Darlin' Baby," originally recorded by the O'Jays. Bob James wrote the gorgeous arrangement the morning of the session. This recording also marked the beginning of my friendship and link via album cover artwork to Jean-Michel Folon, all thanks to Paula Scher.

[1] Some Punk Funk(Steve Khan)(5:20)
[2] Darlin' Darlin' Baby(Sweet Tender Love)(Gamble-Huff)(6:29)
[3] Tightrope(Steve Khan)(5:44)
[4] The Big Ones(Randy Brecker)(6:02)
[5] Star Chamber(Steve Khan)(5:19)
[6] Soft Summer Breeze(Spencer-Heywood)(5:00)
[7] Where Shadows Meet(Steve Khan)(3:40)

Personnel:

Steve Khan - guitar & twelve-string electric guitar
Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone
Dave Sanborn - alto saxophone
Randy Brecker - trumpet
Bob James - Fender Rhodes & synthesizer
Don Grolnick - Fender Rhodes & acoustic piano (1), clavinet
David Spinozza, Jeff Mironov - guitar
Will Lee - bass
Steve Gadd - drums
Ralph MacDonald - percussion

Arista All Stars - 1978 [2014] "Blue Montreux"

A sweet session of 70s electric jazz – recorded as a unique live all-star outing by a group of Arista's best jazz players at the time! The group's an octet, but plays together in differing formations throughout the record – with Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, Michael Brecker on saxes, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Jordan on drums, Steve Khan and Larry Coryell on guitars, Tony Levin on bass, and Mike Maineri on vibes – the last of which really make for some of the best numbers on the album! Bernhardt's keyboards are pretty good too – stepping out with a spacious, fluid feel that's never jamming – and more in the open-ended Bob James side of the spectrum, although his overall sound is a lot different than Bob's!

At the 1978 Montreux Jazz Festival, a variety of artists (including keyboardist Warren Bernhardt, tenor-saxophonist Michael Brecker, guitarists Steve Khan and Larry Coryell, trumpeter Randy Brecker and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri) recorded a dozen funky selections which were originally released on two Arista LPs. This single CD has the eight top performances from these important fusion stylists; Michael Brecker in particular is in good form. The results are not essential but offer listeners a time capsule of where R&B-oriented fusion was in 1978.

Both CDs are absolute fantastic recordings. Mike Mainierie and especially Mike Brecker are at their best. For me the highlight came one year later in the recording of Jun Fukamachi & New York All SAtars. Joined by David Sanborn, Steve Jordan replaced by Steve Gadd and Steve Khan on guitar. Tuines are mainly identical but I think they have more drive than the Montreux ones.

Personally, Larry Coryell IS one of my favorite guitarists, and since he covered Rocks on his Planet End album it's fitting he guests here. The other stellar guitar moment is Steve Khan's awesome solo on Magic Carpet. Other than that it's about the horns and what horns!!. While this is not straight ahead jazz, it's not fusion like either. Electric instruments mixed into an acoustic setting with taste. If you like the Breckers, buy this if you can find it. It's a gem.

What a line-up! An incredible performance by legends in their own time. I was particularly surprised to find Tony Levin here. His playing on "Rocks" is unbelievable. This is an album to be reckoned with. Sometimes fast and aggresive, lots of feeling when called for. The Breckers tear the CD player apart! They pull out all the stops on "Rocks". Michael's opening line in "I'm Sorry" shows the sensibilities he's capable of rendering. Just an amazing album by an amazing bunch!

This recording is the beginnings of what was to become Steps. Michael Brecker, God rest his soul never made a bad recording and this is worth buying for the tune, "I'm Sorry" alone. The intro still brings tears to me eyes. There's a little bit everyone's compositions including Randy Brecker's eccentric funk, and Manieri's lyricism. I believe that drummer, Steve Jordan was around 19 or 20 at the time of this concert and still a phenom in the world of jazz-fusion. Tony Levin holds down the bottom and Warren Bernhardt contributes nicely on keyboards.

Track listing:

Blue Montreux (8:47)
Rocks (7:54)
I'm Sorry (8:38)
Magic Carpet (5:34)
Buds (4:58)
Floating (7:54)
The Virgin And The Gypsy (8:24)

Personnel:

Guitar – Steve Khan (tracks: 1-6), larry Coryell (tracks: 2)
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: 1-3, 5-6)
Trumpet – Randy Brecker (tracks: 1,2,5-7)
Vibraphone, Synthesizer [Oberheim] – Mike Mainieri
Bass – Eddie Gomez (tracks: 1-6)
Bass, Chapman Stick – Tony Levin (tracks: 1-6)
Drums – Steve Jordan (tracks: 1-6)
Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Keyboards – Warren Bernhardt

GRP - 1992 "All-Star Big Band"

The GRP Band was a group compiled in the late 1980s under the direction of Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, principles of GRP Records. The band was a full band, and they mostly played well-known jazz pieces from the 1950s and 1960s written by famous musicians and composers. Many of these pieces were rearranged presenting a character of their own.

GRP is best known as a label specializing in slick and accessible jazz, but, in 1992, labelheads Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen decided to put together a conventional but star-studded big band comprised of their company's top players. The recordings featured such musicians as Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker, Chuck Findley, Dave Grusin, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Dave Valentin, John Patitucci, and even Tom Scott, Eric Marienthal, Nelson Rangell, and Lee Ritenour playing straightahead charts of jazz standards from the 1950s and '60s. The recordings actually offer few surprises (other than the fact that Scott and company still remember how to play bop), but are enjoyable outings.

Lee Ritenour, Tom Scott, Randy Brecker and other big names from Dave Grushin's jazz label gather for a one-day, en masse blow-out. The repertoire includes be-bop, post-bop and contemporary standards, with Coltrane's "Blue Train" and Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" highlighting a disc that's markedly more spirited than the GRP norm.

Wow! I first heard this album ten years ago while a fledgling jazz musician in high school. This album went on to become the best of my collection - I even spun it so many times in my player that I had to buy another copy of it. What makes this album so amazing is not neccessarily the setlist, but the musicians! GRP assembled some of their great label performers and got them together for this project (with a few more to follow). All of the musicians are incredible, but you'll notice some standout performances from Eric Marienthal (Alto Sax), Arturo Sandoval (Trumpet), Randy Brecker (Trumpet), and Bob Mintzer (Tenor Sax). I read somewhere that music is the closest thing to magic there is, and after listening to this album, you'll see why.
"Airegin" sets the stage nicely, followed by a perfect rendition of Coltrane's "Blue Train", with the best 24 bar blues solo I've ever heard from Bob Mintzer on Tenor Sax. "Donna Lee" features some blistering solo work by Nelson Rangell, Gary Burton, and Eddie Daniels. "Maiden Voyage" is easy and laid back, leading right up to one of the true gems of this album, "Sister Sadie", a crowd-pleaser if ever there was one. Marienthal's amazing Sax work still knocks me back every time I hear it! Up next is "The Sidewinder", and this is an excellent arrangement that Randy Brecker lights up on Trumpet. The next three tunes take it down a notch - "Seven Steps to Heaven" features a great (and rare)Marienthal Tenor Sax solo, and "I Remember Clifford" stands out as the album's premeire ballad. Sandoval is inhumanly good as always, and leads right up to an amazing climax! "Footprints" follows, featuring some great jazz guitar by Lee Ritenour. The last great showstopper of the album is next - Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca". Across the board amazing performances by the ensemble, featuring Dave Valentin (Flute), killer Piano by the Killer Kenny Kirkland, and the ultimate Trumpet battle royale by Sandoval and Brecker! The album is rounded out with more great work on Sax by Ernie Watts on " 'Round Midnight", and closes with a smooth version of Chick Corea's "Spain".
I have a very diverse music collection, and I'm proud to seat this album up at the top with other masterpieces of rock, jazz and classical music. I challenge you to listen to this CD and try- just try not to enjoy it. I dare you!

This album is an absolute must-have for everybody, who likes jazz, because, after you will listen to it, it will make you not just like jazz, but LOVE jazz and become devoted to it. I've had this CD for a couple of years by now, but still I keep listening to it at least five days a week. It's just gorgeous. My favorites are The Sidewinder, Sister Sadie and Blue Train. If you buy this one, you'll never regret it. Guaranteed.

When this CD was released, it was a major surprise. GRP is a label whose initial reputation was made on pop-ish jazz. However, co-founders Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen always had a love for the sound of big bands and for hard bop. For this set, they gathered together some of the most notable players on their label to play 12 jazz standards dating from the mid-'40s ("Donna Lee") up to the early '70s ("Spain"). The lineup of musicians is quite impressive, comprised of trumpeters Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker, and Sal Marquez; trombonist George Bohanon (who had to be imported since GRP did not have any trombonists); a reed section of Eric Marienthal, Nelson Rangell, Bob Mintzer, Ernie Watts and Tom Scott; bassist John Patitucci; drummer Dave Weckl; and several alternating pianists (Grusin, Russell Ferrante, Kenny Kirkland, and David Benoit), plus such guests as guitarist Lee Ritenour, flutist Dave Valentine, vibraphonist Gary Burton, clarinetist Eddie Daniels, and percussionist Alex Acuna. On the strictly straight-ahead set, which has such tunes as "Blue Train," "Sister Sadie," "The Sidewinder," and "Manteca," all of the musicians are featured adequately. It is a particular revelation hearing Marienthal and Rangell sound passable in this setting. Easily recommended to hard bop and big band collectors.

Track listing:

  01 - Airegin
  02 - Blue Train
  03 - Donna Lee
  04 - Maiden Voyage
  05 - Sister Sadie
  06 - The Sidewinder
  07 - Seven Steps To Heaven
  08 - I Remember Clifford
  09 - Footprints
  10 - Manteca
  11 - 'Round Midnight
  12 - Spain

Personnel   

Lee Ritenour (guitar);
Nelson Rangell (flute, piccolo, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone);
Bob Mintzer (flute, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone);
Tom Scott (flute, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone);
Eric Marienthal, Ernie Watts (flute, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone);
Dave Valentin (flute);
Eddie Daniels (clarinet);
Randy Brecker, Sal Marquez, Arturo Sandoval (trumpet, flugelhorn);
George Bohannon (trombone);
Dave Grusin, David Benoit, Kenny Kirkland, Russell Ferrante (piano);
Gary Burton (vibraphone);
Dave Weckl (drums);
Alex Acuña & the Unknowns, Alex Acuña (percussion)
John Patitucci - Bass.

Various Artists - 1998 [2000] "Who Loves You?" A Tribute to Jaco Pastorius

Jaco Pastorius was as brash and confident as they came, an innovative and challenging musician who, if anyone asked, would call himself the best bass player in the world. Almost 14 years after his death, the legend of Jaco continues to grow. This tribute, produced by Michael Colina, assembles players who jammed with Jaco on record and stage, and also those who were and continue to be inspired by his groundbreaking style.

Former bandmates Peter Erskine, Michael and Randy Brecker, Don Alias, David Sanborn, Mike Stern and Bob Mintzer all play with passion, as do bassists Victor Bailey (who replaced Jaco in Weather Report), Mark Egan, Will Lee, Marcus Miller, John Geus and John Patitucci.

Fittingly, the CD opens with Jimi Hendrix’s “Third Stone from the Sun.” Hendrix’s time was a few years before Jaco’s but Hendrix’s guitar was the same as Jaco’s bass: reckless, daring, uncompromising. Although Jaco could jam like a mother, he expressed many moments of tenderness, as invoked by Egan’s fretless bass on Joe Zawinul’s “A Remark You Made” and Bailey’s lead bass on Pastorius’ “Continuum” from Jaco’s debut solo album.

There are many more highlights, including the seldom-heard “Dania,” a free form and flying excursion with soaring sax lines from Mintzer. Two magical moments are fresh takes on Jaco’s best songs: “Three Views of a Secret” and “Portrait of Tracy,” the latter with Marcus Miller producing and playing all instruments. Sanborn’s sax is magical on “Song for Jaco-Song for a Friend.”

Of course, this isn’t a bass CD anymore than Jaco’s records were bass albums. It’s a jazz CD, with top jazz musicians infusing their own styles, from Bob James and Jeff “Train” Watts to Will Lee, saxophonist Bill Evans and Joey Calderazzo.

A bonus: Excellent liner notes from Jaco biographer Bill Milkowski.

This tribute to the genius of jazz/fusion bass pioneer Jaco Pastorius features many of the friends and musicians that jammed with the legendary musician, including Victor Bailey (who replaced Pastorius in the Weather Report lineup in 1982) and drummer Peter Erskine (Pastorius's bandmate in Word of Mouth). Bassists Mark Egan, Marcus Miller, Will Lee, James Genus, and John Patitucci play three originals composed in memory of the bassist and cover six songs composed by Pastorius. 

"Third Stone From the Sun" is also included, a song that alludes to a riff that Pastorius would often quote in concert during his bass reign with Weather Report. At the center of this tribute the listener will find a treasure. In what must be one of the most stirring renditions of "A Remark You Made," tenor saxophonist Bill Evans plays a beautifully haunting sax melody underscored by Gil Goldstein's accordion and keyboards that taps into the depths of one's soul. This powerful rendition of Joe Zawinul's composition is even more emotional because of Mark Egan's recreation of the signature fretless bass voice that brilliantly reflects the nucleus of Pastorius' greatness. This, along with the plaintive wail of Mike Stern's guitar that adds another layer of pent-up passion, will bring tears to your eyes. 

Victor Bailey plays "Continuum" to perfection and offers some highly authoritative statements to his excellent perception of the original vision. The song continues to stand as an enduring medium for their brilliant bass chops. Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, and Bob James perform the compelling ballad "Three Views of a Secret," with Brecker's muted trumpet emphasizing the dramatic inner self, or secret through shifts in nuance. "Song for Jaco - Song for a Friend" spotlights the reverence of alto saxophonist David Sanborn, the beautiful piano of Bob James, and the contemplative guitar of Steve Cardenas and closes the beautiful tribute. 

The music on Who Loves You: A Tribute to Jaco Pastorius is expressive, emotional, and brilliantly eulogizes the passion and forces that were a part of Jaco Pastorius' essence.

Track Listing/Personnel:

01 Third Stone From The Sun - Michael Brecker/Joey Calderazzo/John Patitucci/Jeff 'Tain' Watts

02 A Remark You Made - Bill Evans/Mike Stern/Gil Goldstein/Mark Egan/Steve Gadd/Don Alias/Kevin DiSimone

03 Continuum - Victor Bailey/Gil Goldstein/Steve Gadd/Don Alias/Michael Colina

04 Jaco - Bob Mintzer/Mike Stern/Gil Goldstein/Mark Egan/Steve Gadd/Don Alias

05 Fall'n Star - John Patitucci/Steve Cardenas/George Whitty/James Genus/Peter Erskine

06 Okonkole Y Trompa - Randy Brecker/George Whitty/John Patitucci/Peter Erskine/Don Alias/Michael Colina

07 Come On, Come Over - Hiram Bullock/Will Lee/Jim Beard/Steve Gadd/Don Alias/Andy Snitzer/Chris Hunter/Jim Hynes...

08 Three Views Of A Secret - Randy Brecker/Bob James/Steve Cardenas/James Genus/Peter Erskine

09 Dania - Hiram Bullock/Jim Beard/Mark Egan/Steve Gadd/Don Alias

10 Portrait Of Tracy - Marcus Miller

11 Song For Jaco - Song For A Friend - David Sanborn/Bob James/Steve Cardenas/James Genus/Peter Erskine/Michael Colina

David Garfield - 2018 "Jazz Outside The Box"

 

Well known as musical director of George Benson keyboardist David Garfield pursues his own dream as a solo artist. His debut album was a homage to the late drummer Jeff Pocaro Tribute to Jeff (1997).

Next albums were I Am The Cat...Man (1997), Music From Riding Bean (2001), Giving Back (2003), Seasons Of Change, The State of Things, Tribute To Jeff Revisited (2005). His newest project is Jazz Outside The Box (2018).

Garfield performs on the new album piano, Fender Rhodes and synthesizers. Further players are trumpeter Wallace Roney, percussionist Poncho Sanchez and drummer Steve Jordan. Guest musicians are Randy Brecker, Michael McDonald, Tom Scott, Eric Marienthal, Pete Christlieb, Bennie Maupin, Brian Auger, Will Lee, Airto Moreira, the Charlie Bisharat String Quartet, an orchestra conducted by John Clayton, the late guitarists Chuck Loeb and Larry Coryell, and John Densmore, who plays drums and orates on a spoken word segment.

Sting has written with Fragile from his album Nothing Like the Sun (1988) an emotional highlight of music history. Garfield creates with great passion to the affecting structure of the theme an arrangement which is an outstanding example of musicianship. Harvest Time evokes associations with the homeland of the Midwest with its infinite expanses.

In a Sentimental Mood, a jazz composition by Duke Ellington (1935), has inspired generations of musicians. Garfield adds some Latin flavor to his version which revels in a rich horn arrangement with Walt Fowler on trumpet in the lead. Garfield gives the song Roxanne by the group Police a jazzy finish.

Song for My Father by the Horace Silver Quintet (1965), is re-interpreted by Garfield in a sophisticated way.  John Densmore cites the original lyrics by Horace Silver. The bass line was used by Steely Dan for the song Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, Garfield quotes Rikki on his cover in returned tribute and merges it with motifs of The Doors and other composers.

Late keyboardist Joe Sample (The Crusaders) wrote Rainbow Seeker in 1978. This rendition features late guitarist Chuck Loeb and Steve Jordan on drums. Oliver Nelson created Stolen Moments for the 1960 album Trane Whistle by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and replayed it on his album The Blues and the Abstract Truth in 1961. Since then a jazz standard Garfield continues this tradition of bebop.

Voodoo Gumbo/Citizen Coryell features guitarist Larry Coryell, to whom Garfield has dedicated this tune. The jazz fusion piece East Lou Brew is inspired by Miles Davis and features Wallace Roney on trumpet, Bennie Maupin on sax and Larry Coryell on guitar.

Sophisticated Lady is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington. Irving Mills wrote later the lyrics, whose words were added to the song by Mitchell Parish. On this rendition vocalist Leslie Smith delivers with his timbre an authentic feeling.

Drummer Billy Cobham wrote Red Baron for his solo debut album Spectrum in 1973. A milestone in the fusion jazz genre it surely deserves Garfield's revisit featuring an all star band with Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn), Brian Auger (organ), Oz Noy & James Harrah (guitars), Leland Sklar (bass) and more.

The visits to the Saturday Mass of Operation Breadbasket inspired Joe Zawinul to write Country Preacher, which is explicitly dedicated to Jesse Jackson. From this developed finally the idea for the album of the same name by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet in 1969. Mike Finnigan excels on organ and Eric Marienthal on sax on this perfectly arranged interpretation.

Prophecy is a composition that David Garfield developed quite melody consciously, but also with the impetus to create as much space as possible for expansive solos. David is not the only one to grab his keys. Vinnie Colaiuta sets stimulating accents on his drum set. The recognizable Arabic structure in rhythm and melody structure intensifies towards the end of the piece before it rises in the final chord.

My Favorite Things is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. In the same named 1965 musical drama film the main actor and singer was Julie Andrews. Garfield mingles in his orchestral and heavily instrumented version genially elements of musical, jazz and Latin to an inspiring and lasting musical experience.

Final tune on this album is an abbreviated version of Song for My Father. Alternate versions of Red Baron and Harvest Time are available as download. According to reports from well-informed sources Garfield expects this project to be expanded into a trilogy with the album Jamming Outside the Box and the upcoming album Vox Outside the Box. If Garfield's creative power allows it, Outside The Box could even become an ongoing series. Garfield has already hinted that on Facebook.

David Garfield's Jazz Outside The Box is without no doubt worthy of a Grammy Award. Musical performance, artistic expressiveness, sophisticated arrangements down to the last detail, the overall stylistic concept, a superior grasp of the intricacies of melody, to summarize in short a reference project of contemporary music.

Personnel:

    Acoustic Bass – Carlitos Del Puerto
    Acoustic Guitar – Diego Figueiredo
    Alto Saxophone, Alto Flute, Soprano Saxophone – Marty Ehrlich
    Backing Vocals – Lisa Branly
    Bass – Chuck Berghofer, Darryl Jones, Jimmy Earl, Jimmy Johnson (5), John Peña, Leland Sklar, Neil Stubenhaus
    Congas – Poncho Sanchez
    Drums – Curt Bisquera, Jimmy Branly, Joe Porcaro, Steve Ferrone, Steve Jordan, Vincent Wilburn, Vinnie Colaiuta
    Drums, Drum Programming – Bennie Rogers III
    Drums, Voice – John Densmore
    Guitar – Chuck Loeb, Dean Parks, Denny Dias, James Harrah, Larry Coryell, Marvin Home, Michael Landau, Michael Thompson, Oz Noy, Steve Sykes, Tony Pulizzi
    Keyboards – David Garfield
    Organ – Brian Auger, Mike Finnigan (2)
    Organ, Vocals – Bill Champlin
    Percussion – Airto Moreira, Joey De Leon, Jr., Kevin Ricard, Lenny Castro, Luis Conte, Richard Tokatz, Richie Gajate-Garcia
    Piano – Terry Trotter
    Saxophone – Eric Marienthal, Jim Stevens (7), Larry Klimas, Pete Christlieb, Steve Tavaglione, Tom Scott
    Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
    Steel Drums – Robert Greenidge
    Strings – Charlie Bisharat
    Strings [Arrangement] – John Clayton
    Tres – San Miguel Perez
    Trombone – Francisco Torres (3), Nick Lane
    Trumpet – Chuck Findley, Dan Fornero, Wallace Roney, Wayne Bergeron
    Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker, Walt Fowler
    Vibraphone – Emil Richards
    Violin – Dayren Santamaria
    Vocals – Bruce Hamada, Carmen Grillo, Leslie Smith, Michael McDonald, Robbie Wyckoff
    Vocals, Bass – Jason Scheff, Will Lee

Track listing:
 
01 Fragile (feat. Michael McDonald, Bruce Hamada & Diego Figueiredo) 5:40
02 Harvest Time (feat. Eric Marienthal & Airto Moreira) [Acoustic] 5:51
03 In a Sentimental Mood (feat. Poncho Sanchez & Larry Klimas) 5:53
04 Roxanne (feat. Robbie Wyckoff & Joe Porcaro) 4:25
05 Song for My Father (feat. John Densmore, Denny Dias & Randy Brecker) [Full-Length] 7:13
06 Rainbow Seeker (feat. Chuck Loeb & Steve Jordan) [Acoustic] 5:47
07 Stolen Moments (feat. Tom Scott & Joe Porcaro) 4:55
08 Voodoo Gumbo/Citizen Coryell (feat. Larry Coryell & Airto Moreira) 2:24
09 East Lou Brew (feat. Bennie Maupin, Wallace Roney & Larry Coryell) 5:46
10 Sophisticated Lady (feat. Poncho Sanchez, Leslie Smith & Pete Christlieb)6:16
11 Red Baron (feat. Randy Brecker & Brian Auger) 4:08
12 Country Preacher (feat. Eric Marienthal & Mike Finnigan) 4:59
13 Prophecy (feat. Michael Landau & Vinnie Colaiuta) 4:33
14 My Favorite Things (feat. Robert Greenidge & Terry Trotter) 5:33
15 Song for My Father (feat. John Densmore, Denny Dias & Randy Brecker) [Radio Version] 4:41
16 Red Baron (feat. Oz Noy & James Harrah) [Alternate Version] 4:07
17 Harvest Time (feat. Eric Marienthal & Airto Moreira) [Extended Version] 6:52