Breckers Brothers Out of the Loop (1994)

OUT OF THE LOOP won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance, and "African Skies" won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition. "African Skies" was also nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo.

With OUT OF THE LOOP, the Brecker Brothers once again affirm their spot at the front of modern jazz. Besides presenting the expected mixed plate of jazz and funk, with this album the Brothers definitively prove that hip hop and swing are of the same groove.

The Breckers' trademarks abound. Solid composition, shiny production and superb talent qualify OUT OF THE LOOP as vintage Breckers with performances that rise to the strength of the arrangements. Their characteristic rhythmic twists and harmonic turns are held in check by a powerful yet sensitive rhythm section. Bassist James Genus links burning percussion and drums to the Brother's pure melodic expression and colorful harmonic invention.

What jumps up from OUT OF THE LOOP is its succesful incorporation of hip hop sounds into jazz. Amidst today's deluge of hip hop artists appropriating the token jazz riff, it's inspiring to hear the Brecker Brothers show how it's done on tracks like "Scrunge" and "When It Was."

In a world of jazz purists, easy listening, and confused genres, The Brecker Brothers have thankfully spun a loop of their own.

Recorded at Skyline Studios, New York, New York.

Personnel: Eliane Elias (vocals, keyboards); Armand Sabal-Lecco (vocals); Larry Saltzman (guitar, acoustic guitar); Robbie Kilgore (guitar, keyboards); Dean Brown (guitar); Dennis Brown (acoustic guitar); Michael Brecker (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, EWI); Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn); George Whitty (keyboards, percussion programming); Maz Kessler (keyboards); Chris Botti, Andy Snitzer (drums, keyboard programming); Steve Jordan , Rodney Holmes, Shawn Pelton (drums); Steve Thornton (percussion); Mark Ledford (background vocals).

Out of the Loop

Part 1 - Part 2 (RS) / Part 1 - Part 2 (HF) flac

Marc Johnson: Shade of Jade (2005)

Marc Johnson doesn't take a bass solo on Shades of Jade until "Snow," track six of the 10-song album. Until then, the emphasis stays on tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist John Scofield and pianist Eliane Elias, the last serving as the album's coproducer (with Manfred Eicher) and author or coauthor of half the album. In fact, Elias could almost be the de facto leader of the session.

But regardless of whose name comes first on the cover, everyone matches wits on "Ton Sur Ton," with tenor and guitar harmonizing deftly on the melody. The front end of the disc finds the group in a gentle mood that sometimes gets too languid (the title track) but often brings out the delicacy of the setting ("Apareceu"). "Blue Nefertiti" gets the second part of its name from a sideways quote of a certain Wayne Shorter tune.

Beginning with "Snow," Johnson asserts himself more, following that track with the solo "Since You Asked" exemplifying his vast melodic skills. In the closing "Don't Ask of Me," a drone accompanies a bowed solo where his impeccable tone could easily be mistaken for a cello. In between, "Raise" gives the group a medium hard-bop groove, and drummer Joey Baron, up to this point filling out the sound with subtle nuances, gets a chance to light a fire under the band, particularly Lovano.

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Shade of Jade (RS) / Shade of Jade (HF) @ 320K