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

The Fusion Syndicate - 2012 "The Fusion Syndicate"

 

The Fusion Syndicate is a supergroup project from the producer of the similarly ambitious Prog Collective album. Featured on various jazz-rock and fusion cuts here are such musicians as Yes' Rick Wakeman, guitarist Larry Coryell, drummer Billy Cobham, Dixie Dregs' Steve Morse, and many more. These are moody, sometimes funky, sometimes more hard-rocking and always atmospheric instrumental cuts that blur the lines between rock, jazz, and new age.

In 2012, the world of Fusion Rock/Jazz was shook by the introduction of a new supergroup of unparalleled musical virtuosos who came together under one umbrella for a blockbuster studio album. Both the group and its debut album were called simply The Fusion Syndicate, and it featured some of the biggest names in fusion including members of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Yellowjackets, Brand X, Soft Machine, and Spyro Gyra PLUS Yes, Dream Theater, King Crimson, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Hawkwind and more!

Tracks Listing:

1. Random Acts Of Science (7:52)

2. Stone Cold Infusion (7:30)

3. Molecular Breakdown (7:19)

4. Particle Accelerations (7:37)

5. At The Edge Of The Middle (7:34)

6. Atom Smashing (7:33)

7. In The Spirit Of... (7:15)

Total time 52:40

Line-up / Musicians

- Billy Sherwood / keyboards, Rhodes, synths, guitars, vocals, composer, production & mixing

With:

- Rick Wakeman / keyboards (1)

- Jerry Goodman / violins (1)

- Nik Turner / sax (1)

- Jimmy Haslip / bass (1)

- Steve Stevens / guitar (2)

- Jordan Rudess / keyboards (2)

- Mel Collins / sax (2)

- Colin Edwin / bass (2)

- Billy Cobham / drums (2)

- Jay Beckenstein / sax (3)

- Billy Sheehan / bass (3)

- Gavin Harrison / drums (3)

- David Sancious / keyboards (3)

- Larry Coryell / guitar (4)

- Derek Sherinian / keyboards (4)

- Eric Marienthal / sax (4)

- Chester Thompson / drums (4)

- Steve Morse / guitar (5)

- Jim Beard / piano (5)

- Randy Brecker / trumpet (5)

- Percy Jones / bass (5)

- John Etheridge / guitar (6)

- Tony Kaye / Hammond & synths (6)

- Chad Wackerman / drums (6)

- Steve Hillage / guitar (7)

- Scott Kinsey / keyboards (7)

- Theo Travis / sax (7)

- Justin Chancellor / bass (7)

- Asaf Sirkis / drums (7)

Blood, Sweat & Tears - 1972 [1999] "Greatest Hits"

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the band Blood, Sweat & Tears, initially released in February 1972.

The best selling title in the Blood, Sweat & Tears catalog (SoundScans 1,000 units per week) is now available digitally remastered - the way it was meant to sound! This release restores the album to it's original form - all the hits (4 cuts have been restored to the single versions that appeared on the original Greatest Hits LP), plus 2 bonus tracks: "So Long Dixie" and "More And More." Highlights include "You've Made Me So Very Happy," "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die" and more.

Although Blood, Sweat & Tears continued to record and tour for several more years, the band's lineup changed dramatically after Blood, Sweat & Tears 4. This compilation album includes all of the group's best-known material up to that time. This was the group's last album to earn a Gold Record award.

Columbia initially chose to incorporate the edited single versions of many of the songs, a decision which was poorly received by some fans. Some later Compact Disc releases replaced the single versions with the full length album versions.

In 1999 the album was remastered and re-released on CD with two bonus tracks - "So Long Dixie" and "More And More". In 2016, Audio Fidelity released a Super Audio CD version with the single versions as in the original release. This was a numbered limited edition mastered by Steve Hoffman and Stephen Marsh.

Sometimes, a greatest-hits set is timed perfectly to gather together a group's most successful and familiar performances just at the point when that group has passed the point of their maximum exposure to the public, but before the public memory has had a chance to fade. That was the case when Columbia Records assembled this compilation for release in early 1972. At that point, Blood, Sweat & Tears had released four albums and scored six Top 40 hits, each of which is heard here. But lead singer David Clayton-Thomas had just quit the group, so that the unit that recorded songs like "You've Made Me So Very Happy" was not working together anymore. And even when Clayton-Thomas returned, the band would continue to decline commercially.

As such, BS&T's Greatest Hits captures the band's peak in 11 selections--seven singles chart entries, plus two album tracks from the celebrated debut album when Al Kooper helmed the group, and two more from the Grammy-winning multi-platinum second album.
Using the short singles edits of songs like "And When I Die" emphasizes their radio-ready punch over the more extended suitelike arrangements on the albums, but this selection gains in focus what it lacks in ambition. For the millions who learned to love BS&T in 1969 when they were all over AM radio, this is the ideal selection of their most accessible material. (A later CD reissue of Blood, Sweat & Tears' Greatest Hits replaced each singles edit with the original full-length version.)

Track Listing:

01     You've Made Me So Very Happy
02     I Can't Quit Her
03     Go Down Gamblin'
04     Hi-De-Ho That Old Sweet Roll
05     Sometimes In Winter
06     And When I Die
07     Spinning Wheel
08     Lisa, Listen to Me
09     I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
10     Lucretia Mac Evil
11     God Bless the Child
12     So Long Dixie
13     More and More

Personnel:

    David Clayton-Thomas - lead vocals except as noted, guitar on "Go Down Gamblin'"
    Steve Katz - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, mandolin, vocals, lead vocals on "Sometimes In Winter"
    Jim Fielder - bass guitar
    Al Kooper - Piano, Organ, lead vocals on "I Can't Quit Her" and " I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"
    Dick Halligan - organ, piano, electric piano, harpsichord, celeste, trombone, flute, alto flute, baritone horn, vocals
    Fred Lipsius - piano, organ, alto saxophone, clarinet, vocals
    Lew Soloff - trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet
    Jerry Weiss - trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
    Chuck Winfield - trumpet, flugelhorn
    Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn
    Dave Bargeron - trombone, tuba, bass trombone, baritone horn, acoustic bass
    Jerry Hyman - trombone, bass trombone, recorder
    Bobby Colomby - drums, percussion, vocals

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

Mark Varney Project - 1990 "Truth In Shredding"

 

Truth in Shredding is the first studio album by the Mark Varney Project (MVP), released in 1990 through Legato Records and reissued on November 4, 2003, through Tone Center Records. MVP was a short-lived collaborative project put together by Mark Varney, brother of Shrapnel Records founder Mike Varney. Mark founded Legato in the 1980s, which served as a jazz-oriented counterpart to the rock stylings of Shrapnel. This incarnation of the group features guitarists Frank Gambale and Allan Holdsworth. Besides one track written by Gambale, the rest are covers of existing jazz fusion compositions.

1990 Legato Records release of MVP (The Mark Varney Project), "Truth In Shredding", offers "a relentless, thrill-a-minute, Indiana Jones of instrumental music! The guitar work by two Guitar Player Magazine Reader's Poll winners is staggering!" Those two winners happen to be none other than Allan Holdsworth (guitar, synthaxe) and Frank Gambale (rhythm guitar, lead guitar), who also produced the album of seven instrumentals - 99% of which was tracked live! Intense, mind-numbing, intimidating - all have been used to describe the music on "Truth In Shredding" - recommended for fans ranging from fusion to progressive to metal.

MVP stands for the Mark Varney Project. He has been a longtime recruiter of guitar speed demons such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Tony Macalpine. Here he brings together accomplished and established players. It is a very intense fusion recording that can be an intimidating listen both in terms of technique and the consistent intensity maintained throughout. The metal-influenced Frank Gambale is one of the pioneers of the sweep-picking technique that allows him to generate mind-numbing speed. Allan Holdsworth proves a good counterpoint, as his unique approach also produces lightning-quick runs. Guitar fans, especially the younger crowd, will appreciate the extended solos and lack of any commercial hooks here. It is basically a blowing date. This is not to say that the musicians don't deserve credit for their playing -- quite the contrary. Out of the two, Holdsworth seems a bit more inspired and more comfortable in this setting. Tommy Brechtlein turns in a fine performance on drums, especially when given some space on "Bathsheba." If taken in short doses, the impact of this recording is more effective. Recommended for fans ranging from fusion to progressive to metal.

Track listing:

1. "Rocks"    Randy Brecker    7:01
2. "Humpty Dumpty"    Chick Corea    6:31
3. "The Fall"    Wayne Shorter    8:15
4. "Not Ethiopia"    Michael Brecker    9:36
5. "New Boots"    Frank Gambale    6:24
6. "Ana Maria"    Shorter    9:15
7. "Bathsheba"    M. Brecker    8:16
Total length:    55:08

Personnel:

Frank Gambale – guitar, engineering, mixing, production
Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, overdub engineering
Freddy Ravel – keyboard
Tom Brechtlein – drums
Jimmy Earl – bass
Steve Tavaglione – saxophone, EWI

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

Charles Mingus - 1979[2002] "Me, Myself an Eye"

 

Charles Mingus did not perform on the final sessions he made for Atlantic toward the end of his life. Too ill with ALS to pick up his bass, he nonetheless was a powerful presence in the studio. The arrangements and orchestrations were realized by trumpeter Jack Walrath based on Mingus's tapes and piano sketches. The huge band can get a bit unwieldy, and the arrangements, which feature a solo from Larry Coryell, do tend to pander a bit to the fusion audience. In spite of these drawbacks, the half-hour "Three Worlds of Drums" is great.

Among jazz's all-time greats, Charles Mingus made seminal contributions to the music as a bassist, bandleader and composer. Released 40 years ago this month, ME MYSELF AN EYE was recorded near the end of Mingus' career, when the ravages of ALS left him unable to play. But his forceful personality was ever-present in the studio, bringing the best out of the big band assembled for these sessions, and his tapes and piano sketches provided the basis for Jack Walrath's arrangements. Opening the set is the side-long “Three Worlds Of Drums,” on which longtime Mingus band member Danny Richmond is joined by fellow drummers Steve Gadd and Joe Chambers. With guitar and electronic instrumentation in places, the Atlantic collection touches on fusion, and axeman Larry Coryell is another luminary heard on the superb ME MYSELF AN EYE.

The following was published in Chords and Dischords section of the Downbeat magazine in June 21, 1979:

    In the review of the Charles Mingus record Me, Myself An Eye the reviewer was understandably vague as to what my contribution was in regard to the writing credits on the album. The quote, "all arrangements and orchestrations were realized by Jack Walrath under the supervision of and as dictated by Charles Mingus, in person and through the use of tapes and piano sketches," seems to imply that I was simply the copyist. In view of such descriptions of the music in media as "lasting work of genius," "monumental," etc., I think I should set the record straight as to what I actually did.

    I told Mingus that all I wanted was credit for arranging and orchestration.

    For Three Worlds Of Drums, Charles gave me a tape of himself noodling on a Moorish-sounding scale and said to me, "Pick out some of my notes, organize a melody and write an arrangement on it." This I did, plus wrote an introduction of my own invention, a background which is a four-part fugue, set the form and wrote the ensembles for the drum solos. The shout chorus was a melody which Mingus wrote and to which I kept adding counter lines until at one point the music breaks into five-part counterpoint. The trumpet-soprano melody near the end was organized the same as the initial melody, "take some of my notes...", etc., the funeral ending I transcribed from a piano tape. He visualized the work as a bebop tune, which when played in rehearsal was a disaster, so I had the band play the quasi-Latin-rock-bellydance rhythm as is heard. All in all Mingus supplied me with one lead line, loose sketches for two more, a six bar ending and a basic chord consisting of two perfect 5th's a half-step apart sounded simultaneously. I wrote 75 score pages of music or approximately 95% of the compositon.

    Carolyn "Keki" Mingus was orchestrated practically verbatim from his piano score except the out chorus which are my voicings and arrangement.

    Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting was written according to his instructions except the out chorus which are my voicings and arrangement.

    Devil Woman was totally my arrangement and was written while Charles was in Woodstock and I was in Manhattan. He said he wanted a slow blues. Neither did he hear the arrangement nor did he even know that I picked Devil Woman until two days before the session.

    I am in no way trying to discredit the talent of one of the great composers of any kind of music of any era, but I think that I have shown more fairness to Mingus, his executors, and the record company than they did to me. I was denied entrance to the mix, which would probably have been better had I been there, since I was the only one who really knew what was happening in the music.

    Jack Walrath, New York City.

Track listing:

1. Three Worlds Of Drums    30:21
2. Devil Woman    9:24
3. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting    9:50
4. Carolyn ''Keki'' Mingus    7:44

Personnel:

    Alto Saxophone – Akira Ohmori, Lee Konitz (tracks: B1 to B3), Yoshiaki Malta* (tracks: B1 to B3)
    Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Ken Hitchcock
    Baritone Saxophone – Craig Purpura, Pepper Adams, Ronnie Cuber
    Bass – Eddie Gomez, George Mraz (tracks: A)    
    Drums – Dannie Richmond, Joe Chambers, Steve Gadd (tracks: A)
    Guitar – Jack Wilkins, Larry Coryell, Ted Dunbar
    Percussion – Ray Mantilla (tracks: A), Sammy Figueroa (tracks: A)
    Piano – Bob Neloms
    Tenor Saxophone – Daniel Block, George Coleman (tracks: A), John Tank (tracks: B1 to B3), Michael Brecker, Ricky Ford
    Trombone – Jimmy Knepper, Keith O'Quinn (tracks: B1 to B3), Slide Hampton (tracks: A)
    Trumpet – Jack Walrath, Mike Davis (49), Randy Brecker

Richard Hallebeek - 2012 RHP II - "Pain In The Jazz"

RHPII – A superb jazz rock cd with 8 of the hottest players you can find in fusion, rock and blues today: Andy Timmons, Eric Gales, Guthrie Govan, Alex Machacek, Kiko Loureiro, Jose de Castro, Randy Brecker and Greg Howe. The Richard Hallebeek Project II, or RHPII, is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2004 release ‘RHP’ that was released on Liquid Note Records. While RHP featured the late legendary Shawn Lane and virtuoso Brett Garsed as special guests, RHPII goes even further by adding a total of 8 guests, who are all household names in fusion and rock, to the already impressive lineup with Lalle Larsson-keys, Sebastiaan Cornelissen-drums and Frans Vollink-Bass. Amsterdam-based Richard Hallebeek is well know for his legato fusion guitar playing, by many described as floating somewhere between the best of early Scott Henderson, the fluidity of Allan Holdsworth and the pentatonic and chromatic craziness of Shawn Lane, but all melted together with his own unique twist.

RHPII is a rock/fusion album with 10 ‘real’ compositions (no bandjams) coming from all 4 bandmembers. All songs were written with the special guest who features on that song in mind, sometimes putting the guest in their comfort zone, sometimes a bit outside on purpose, but all done with respect for the player. This leads to some intriguing and already classic moments on RHPII. The opening track ‘’Wristkiller that starts with a syncopated theme has Richard open the first solo to display some of his blazing trademark lines through a set of quick changes, and his solo is seamlessly taken over by Alex Machacek (who recently subbed for Allan Holdsworth for the UK reunion) who takes those lines even further. The heavy prog-rock riffing on ‘Bring It On’ has Richard trading solos with Guthrie Govan and both end together in a diminished flurry where the notes from both players melt together. The blues waltz ‘Think Of Someting’, that is drenched in Lalle’s tasty organ playing, has ‘the tone master from Texas’ Andy Timmons play one of his most lyrical solo to date. RHPII features memorable songs and besides that, has more then enough tasty and over the top guitar playing to undoubtly satisfy the biggest guitarfans and jazz-rock music lovers out there.

One of the best Jazz Fusion albums to come out in recent years...Richard Hallebeek is an amazing musician,composer and a very accomplished guitar player.

 Track listing:

01     Wristkiller (with Alex Machacek)    5:19
02     Third Phase (with Jose de Castro)    10:08
03     Bring It On (with Guthrie Govan)    7:02
04     Pain In The Jazz (with Eric Gales)    5:44
05     People     9:14
06     Speed City Blues (with Kiko Loureiro)    7:56
07     Amelia (with Randy Brecker)    5:06
08     Think Of Something (with Andy Timmons)    5:28
09     East Side Bridge (with Greg Howe)    9:17
10     New World     1:46

Personnel:

Richard Hallebeek, Alex Machacek, Guthrie Govan, Eric Gales, Andy Timmons, Greg Howe, Jose de Castro, Kiko Loureiro – Guitars
Randy Brecker - Trumpet
Lalle Larsson – Keys
Frans Vollink – Bass
Sebastiaan Cornelissen – Drums

Sebastiaan Cornelissen / Frans Vollink - 2005 "One Spirit"

Great playing from our friends in the Netherlands!

Track listing:

1) Me And Freddie
2) Straight
3) Official Noisemaker
4) Bramcote Road
5) Face To Face
6) What’s In Store
7) Wrong Format
8) One Spirit
9) Dirty Gilly
10) Wise Man From The East
11) Suse’s Song

Personnel:   

Randy Brecker, Gerard Presencer – Trumpet
Rob van Bavel - Fender Rhodes
Susan Weinert - Guitars
Richard hallebeek - Guitars
Sebastiaan Cornelissen - Drums
Frans Vollink - Bass
Lale larson - Keyboards
Martin Verdonk - Percussion

Jaco Pastorius - 2017 "Truth, Liberty & Soul" - Live In NYC 1982

In the summer of 1982, Jaco Pastorius had just left Weather Report, and he was widely known as the best electric bassist in the world. He had a new large ensemble, the Word of Mouth Big Band (named after the 1981 Pastorius album that provided much of its repertoire). Collecting some of the best young figures in jazz and fusion, the group was a startling reminder of how broad Pastorius’ talents were: He was able to arrange his bubbling jazz-funk on a grand scale, using a rather traditional jazz band format (well, plus steel pan). “Truth, Liberty and Soul” comes from the band’s performance at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, during the Kool Jazz Festival that year. Some highlights don’t involve the full 22-piece band at all: Pastorius’s long, Hendrix-quoting solo on “Bass and Drum Improvisation”; and his duet with the harmonica player Toots Thielemans on Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady.”

In his short life, Jaco Pastorius revolutionised the bass guitar, and lifted the music of key jazz-fusioneers Pat Metheny and Weather Report in the 1970s – but his ambition was to form a big band. This previously unreleased live set captures a blistering two-hour gig from Pastorius’s soulful, swinging and very full-on Word of Mouth orchestra in 1982, with saxophonist Bob Mintzer, trumpeter Randy Brecker and harmonica maestro Toots Thielemans in the ranks. The riff-shouting, soul-jazzy Pastorius standby The Chicken is constantly stung by the leader’s springy, ever-changing basslines, the fast Charlie Parker bebop classic Donna Lee is implausibly and audaciously unfolded as a unison bass and tuba theme, Three Views of a Secret sets a lyrical Thielemans free over floating Gil Evans-like harmonies, the world-music of the slithery, simmering Reza turns into Coltrane’s Giant Steps, and three drummers including Peter Erskine and Don Alias are explosive and remarkably melodic by turns. This exhilarating set is a real find, for Jaco fans and left-field big-band followers alike.

Sonically, Truth, Liberty & Soul is also, hands down, the best-sounding Word of Mouth recording ever...and that includes the original (and not at all shabby-sounding) live albums Invitation (Warner Bros., 1983), the expanded two-volume, Japanese-only release of the full concert from which Invitation was culled (1999's Twins I & II: Live in Japan, from Warners Japan), and the posthumous 1995 release of The Birthday Concert (Warner Bros.), the first live performance of a series of big band charts that would go on to become the core repertoire of the Word of Mouth Big Band, recorded at the bassist's 30th birthday party in Fort Lauderdale, FL. This is music that literally leaps out of the speakers to fill the room, whether it's funkified soul; swinging, bop-informed improvisational forays; free improvisation passages of remarkable group synchronicity; beautiful, elegantly composed ballads; or contrastingly refined and thrilling looks at not just jazz chestnuts, but one reggae tune and, during Pastorius' shared "Bass and Drums Improvisation" with Erskine, references to Jimi Hendrix, the American National Anthem.

It’s curious that we don’t more directly associate electric jazz bass playing with Latin rhythms, given that the greatest practitioner on the instrument featured them so centrally in his sound. This newly unearthed document is a key sonic case in point. Here we have Jaco Pastorius with his Word of Mouth Big Band, live at NYC’s Avery Fisher Hall in the summer of 1982 for George Wein’s Kool Jazz Festival, regaling listeners with 130 minutes of music in which his ever-virtuosic bass work is neatly folded into a larger group dynamic. (The set is available as a three-LP box, two-CD package and digital download, including a 100-page book with contributions by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, biographer Bill Milkowski and others.)

That this was an NPR recording means the sound is impeccable, no small detail in appreciating the full tonal display of Pastorius’ lines. On the opening “Invitation”—which functions as a musical epistle/beckoning to a damn good time—his notes are tightly clustered, like buzzy, motivic spirals that serve as fillips for the piece. Bob Mintzer’s tenor saxophone provides a lot of the solo-based forward motion, but it’s the Latin inflection—courtesy of Othello Molineaux’s steel drums—that makes this feel like work born of tropical climes and the jazz of New Orleans in all its wonderfully bonhomous hoodoo.

Pastorius never dominates, instead serving as facilitator for an ensemble of expert personnel like the bassist’s fellow Weather Report alumni Peter Erskine on drums and Don Alias on percussion, saxophonists Mintzer, Frank Wess and Howard Johnson and trumpeters Randy Brecker, Lew Soloff and Jon Faddis. Even when the leader solos and his bass becomes guitar-like, with a hint of trumpet and piano, he’s always in control, always economical. If his notes were drops of water they’d never overfill the bowl.

“Donna Lee” is a first-half highlight, the kettledrums contrasting with a Sun Ra-esque futuristic vibe in the refrains. “Soul Intro/The Chicken” features a fanfare straight from a 1980s late-night talk show as its intro, before the titular bird leaps into the fray to jitterbug. This is one brassy strut, a proper comfort-food piece, with a high feel-good quotient. Brecker plays his hindquarters off, ascending to Freddie Hubbard heights of hard-bop glory, but with the underpinning of a samba. Toots Thielemans turns up on harmonica on several numbers, but his contributions have mixed results. He’s more effective when he accompanies rather than spars, for this is Ellingtonian music—and a showcase for Pastorius the bandleader, the shaper of a series of jazz tone poems with symphonic qualities.

“Reza/Giants Steps” is akin to an electric bass concerto, something like those moments in Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet when Tony Williams would simmer at his kit, keeping the music below a boil, his mates exploring the space around him. So it goes with Pastorius here, his fingers moving so fast you wonder if anyone could possibly transcribe this. It’s a bit like wondering how to take the temperature of a star. Better to just luxuriate in the light.

Newly-released live recording which documents a June 27, 1982 concert at Avery Fisher Hall (complete with a 100-page book). The performance was part of George Wein’s Kool Jazz Festival and a large portion was broadcast on National Public Radio’s Jazz Alive!, a program produced by Tim Owens and hosted by Dr. Billy Taylor that ran from 1977 to 1983. Owens and Zev Feldman of Resonance uncovered 40 minutes that weren’t played during the NPR show, and have released the entire 130-minute concert in its entirety with the help of Grammy-winning engineer Paul Blakemore, who worked the original performance at Lincoln Center.

Track listing:

CD 1
1. Invitation (13:04)
2. Soul Intro/The Chicken (9:10)
3. Donna Lee (13:18)
4. Three Views to a Secret (6:38)
5. Liberty City (10:10)
6. Sophisticated Lady (7:43)
7. Bluesette (5:31)

CD 2
1. I Shot the Sheriff (6:55)
2. Okonkolé y Trompa (15:07)
3. Reza/Giant Steps (Medley) (10:19)
4. Mr. Fonebone (10:37)
5. Bass and Drum Improvisation (14:05)
6. Twins (2:53)
7. Fannie Mae (5:55)

Personnel:

    Bass, Vocals – Jaco Pastorius
    Alto Saxophone – Bob Stein (4)
    Baritone Saxophone – Howard Johnson (3), Randy Emerick   
    Drums – Peter Erskine
    French Horn – John Clark (2), Peter Gordon (8)
    Harmonica [Special Guest] – Toots Thielemans (tracks: 1-4 to 2-1, 2-4, 2-7)
    Percussion – Don Alias
    Steel Drums – Othello Molineaux
    Tenor Saxophone – Frank Wess, Lou Marini
    Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Bob Mintzer
    Trombone – David Taylor, Jim Pugh, Wayne Andre
    Trumpet – Alan Rubin, Jon Faddis, Kenny Faulk*, Lew Soloff, Randy Brecker, Ron Tooley
    Tuba – David Bargeron*

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

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.

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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

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

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.

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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