@Tim Price, that story was incredibly cool... probably one of the coolest things I've ever read posted on the internet. Michael Brecker was a hero of mine starting when I was 15 years old. I started as a bass player, so I bought Jaco's Birthday Concert, listened to it, and said to my friends, "that has to be the best saxophonist in the world." Even 15-year-olds can be right sometimes, I guess. Ten years later, Snarky Puppy was in the studio recording our second record and my friend Clay Pritchard told me that Brecker had died the night before. I listened to the Birthday Concert in my car and cried like a wee girl.
Tim: please come visit Austin. Drinks are on me all night as long as you tell me more Brecker stories in person. Also, you should play a gig here.
I'D LOVE TO COME TO AUSTIN. :mrgreen:
Been thinking,
Michael shaped music in a way, from the saxophone side that was not JUST accessible but timely. The tell tale signs of a innovator are in everything he ever did. From a _sonic_side he knew how to get the sound on top of the mix and kick. But that was done from the concept in his mind faster than a mouthpiece till he had the throat thing. Those DREAMS records were 8x rubber Links. He later went to smaller stuff when Allard told him to chill out.
There were soprano things he did w/Steve Kahn, or maybe Don Grolnick that were other wordly and amazingly Brecker. He had this Yamaha, and a Guardala mouthpiece that Dave could never reproduce. It was a freak hand made thing, and played nice, kinda like a Brecker MK2 soprano but less baffle. Dave made me one but it was a disaster in the palm keys. But Mikes was the mouthpiece he used all the time. ONLY...and he had great ideas about not playing soprano at all. But that horn and piece were great. Some soprano tune on Herbies " New Standards" has that sound on it-with that combination. < LaVoz sop. reed > There was a odd tenor, floating around that killed too. It was Dennis Mourouse horn- seemed Dennis had some electric stuff done- maybe a pick up- or something. But Michael was into that electric stuff a lot- and Dennis Mourouse used to touch on that on the Larry Young stuff and others. Though I think, his distraction might of been his $$$$ gig was Stevie Wonder. Mourouse NOT Brecker.
In that time period...and here's the rub....there were WAY MORE sessions, WAY MORE gigs, WAY MORE interactions to get your craft together. So a guy like Michael really flew into it..because the SCENE was rich and full. Plus what he was doing...he completely heard! The WAY he played...and WHAT he played was him. NOT just notes, HIM.
Sure he knew the crazy harmony, and knew the permutations that Trane used on
" Satellite " inside out. NOW, reaching for that concept, the depth of understanding and inventiveness HAS to be there, otherwise it will be just button pushing at best.
I think Grossman said- he spent 3 years practicing Giant Steps/ Satellite, to get the flow and the concept. And that was Grossman!! During a period where it was cool to live, shed and deal the art form. Brecker I'm sure heard that inner thing fast and his time was ridiculously great....but he also lived on 19th street where he could play all day long/ bring Grossman over with Liebs and go nuts for days.
Nobody could complain. Who's gonna complain ? Dave Holland was on 19th then, and he had sessions with Braxton and various guys. Vinny Golia was there then - he drew the record cover for " Song Of Singing"...for Chick Corea. With Holland and Barry A. I was talking to one of my friends at New School today, the amazing pianist LeeAnn Ledgerwood, she was Bierachs wife, played with ALL the cats and plays her tail off. If you played " Softly As A Morning" in that era, you better be onto a 15 minute solo jones otherwise people would think you were lame. Let along a guy like Brecker could get going and he could blow the walls down for a half hour on that tune! ( If you guys ever can hear LeeAnn Ledgerwood dig her, she's amazing, she's on some Jeremy Steig stuff and her Trio CDs are the schizzle)
BUT BRECKER....He seemed to also know that pop funk thing. It as the era too.
In the Guardala period, he gave me a Whammy pedal for my bassoon. For my birthday. I still use that pedal. That was another Brecker side- he knew Electronics...like some kinda freaky thing. I joked with him about it and he said " I read the directions"...hahaha.
In all this talk, I'm home now. 1:14 am in Pa....I taught on 13 st in NYC at New School ( I bus to nyc ) I just walked up to 46th to teach at the studio at later after New School- and walked by 19th street. DAMN...Kinda wanted to. Made my mind really think. I walked from 13 up to 46 for exercise....And went past 19th and was glad I can remember that.
OH THE MACEO RECORD...
http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Their-T...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1315632154&sr=1-1'
Maceo & All The King's Men "Maceo"
That Maceo record...I bet copied to cassette in the 70's more than I can count for
Liebman. Like I said, that was the THANG record.
Maceo played a lil different on tenor then too!
Michael loved the Eddie Harris book too, he loved the Viola books, he played along with records....and he asked everyone questions about everything. A refreshing human being and a asset to the human race. If anything this thread....sent me past 19th st....thanks.