5 indispensable Michael Brecker solos
Here are 5 indispensable Michael Brecker solos to study and learn from. When tenor titan Michael Brecker passed away in 2007 after a lengthy battle with MDS, a form of leukemia it left a huge void not just in jazz but music. Brecker, a native Philadelphian like trumpeter Randy, grew up in a musical household, and Michael was according to his brother an astonishing player at the age of 19, and being a major presence in the Indiana University jazz program. The saxophonist appeared on the pioneering jazz-rock album Dreams (Columbia, 1970) with a cast including Billy Cobham, John Abercrombie, Barry Rogers, bassist Doug Lubahn (who was studio bassist on three Doors’ albums) and founder/vocalist Jeff Kent.
Michael would be a member of the Horace Silver Quintet for Pursuit Of The 27th Man (Blue Note, 1972) and log incredible session work with the likes of Parliament Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, Frank Zappa, Michael Franks, and contributing perfect pop solos on James Taylor and Carly Simon hits. When the saxophonist was a part of the session for the seminal Pat Metheny album 80/81 it marked a shift in his post Coltrane conception, and particularly when playing with The Brecker Brothers, he would mix the Coltrane, Rollins and Joe Henderson influences with those of Stanley Turrentine, King Curtis and Junior Walker. Brecker was also a pioneer of the EWI or electronic wind instrument, and solos such as on “Beirut” from Steps Ahead’s Live In Tokyo (Video Arts Music/NYC Records, 1986) or the dazzling through composed overdubbed unison on “Syzygy” from his self titled 1986 debut are testaments to his genius. He was a wonderful composer and his self titled, fourth, Tales From The Hudson (Impulse, 1996) and final solo album Pilgrimage (Heads Up, 2007) have a multitude of examples. Of course, choosing five solos out of a multitude is a tough task, some more well known solos are eschewed for some deep album cuts, but all present Michael Brecker at his best. Workshops and intensives offered at New York Jazz Workshop can enhance the concepts heard in these solos.
I have been the staff writer for the New York Jazz Workshop School of Music blog in midtown Manhattan since 2014, and that has broadened my freelance writing skills considerably. In addition to writing artist bios, and articles of interest that pertain to the mission of the school, I have interviewed (in print on the site) legendary guitarist and NEA Jazz Master Pat Metheny, trumpeter Cuong Vu, and in 2015 embarked on producing a podcast for the school where I have achieved my dream and interviewed jazz giants such as Dave Liebman, Lenny White, rising talents like Thana Alexa, Logan Richardson, guitarist and bassist Brian Kastan, among others. I also work on SEO optimization for the blog. In 2015 I started my blog Jazz Views with CJ Shearn, and have written liner notes for 5 time Grammy winner and Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, Antonio Sanchez (for his latest recording “Channels of Energy”) and guitarist Gene Ess for his latest recording, scheduled to be released in November 2018.
My passion for jazz music is what drives me, which is an interest I’ve had since I can remember. I initially began writing about jazz at the age of 13 for my high school newspaper, and in my late teens contributed occasionally to jazzreview.com. In college I was member of the Harpur Jazz Project which brought jazz acts to campus. I’ve also contributed in the past to AllAboutJazz where I was mentored by John Kelman. I decided to focus on my passion for jazz music journalism after a job in the social services field as a caseworker went south, and as a person with a physical disability I work on going against the odds, living independently and having accomplished things people had said I’d never do.