Patti Austin: Live At The Bottom Line (1979)

Patti Austin came closest on this late-'70s live set to transferring onto vinyl the qualities that made her an outstanding vocalist outside of the studio. There's more spontaneity, emotion, and charisma in the vocals on this album than on almost all her other releases combined; perhaps the nightclub setting inspired her, or, more likely, Austin was free to sing without any agendas, marketing strategies, or producers' visions being factored into the process.

Tracklist:
1. Jump for Joy 5:11
2. Let It Ride 4:08
3. One More Night 5:10
4. Wait a Little While 4:27
5. Rider in the Rain 6:09
6. You're the One That I Want 3:27
7. Love Me by Name 5:16
8. You Fooled Me 3:10
9. Spoken Introductions 7:09
10. Let's All Live and Give Together 6:41
Personnel:
Patti Austin — Vocals
Michael Brecker — Sax (Tenor)
David Spinozza — Guitar
Leon Pendarvis — Keyboards, Leader
Pat Rebillot — Keyboards
Will Lee — Bass
Errol Bennett — Percussion
Charles Collins — Drums
Babi Floyd — Vocals
Frank Floyd — Vocals
Ullanda McCullough — Vocals
William McCullough — Vocals
Creed Taylor — Producer
Live at the Bottom Line
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Pat Metheny and Michael Brecker Special Quartet - Live at Tollhaus, Karlsruhe, Germany (2000)

Recorded live on July 3, 2000 at Tollhaus, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Tracklist:

01-Slings and Arrows

02-Half Past Late

03-Timeline

04-Into The Dream
05-Extradition

06-Summertime

07-As I Am

08-What Do You Want
09-Everyday (I Thank You)
10-Faith Healer
11-Song For Bilbao
Personnel:
Michael Brecker: Tenor
Pat Metheny: Guitar
Larry Goldings: Organ
Bill Stewart: Drums
Hotfile / Uploading @ 320K

Steps Ahead: Step by Step (1980)

This killer group consists of Michael Brecker (ts), Steve Gadd (d), Eddie Gomez (b) Don Grolnick (p), and Mike Mainieri (vibes). One of three releases available from Japan only, this excellent recording was recorded in the studio under the name Steps.

Tracklist

01. Uncle Bob
02. Kyoto
03. Belle
04. Bullet Train
05. Six Persimmons
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Bob James: Restless (1994)

Less instrusive than real jazz but more energetic than new age, simply constructed but exquisitely performed, James' pop confections are the perfect background music. On this album, James favors acoustic piano over synthesizers (though he uses both) and he employs a shifting cast of supporting musicians. His daughter Hillary James is the sweet-voiced if predictable lead singer on the wispy ballad, "Storm Warning." She joins Luther Vandross for the harmony vocals buried in the mix on "Under Me." Michael Brecker plays strong but simplistic tenor sax lines on that and two other songs. Titles like "Lotus Leaves," "Back to Bali" and "Awaken Us to the Blue" are meant to conjure up a certain romanticism, but they seem no more exotic than airline ads on TV. --Geoffrey Himes

Tracklist

1. Lotus Leaves (6:00)

2. Under Me (5:09)
3. Restless (6:58)
4. Kissing Cross (6:19)
5. Storm Warning (4:05)
6. Animal Dreams (5:34)
7. Back To Bali (7:58)
8. Into The Light (6:30)
9. Serenissima (6:05)
10. Awaken Us To The Blue (5:42)
Restless
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Chris Minh Doky: The Nomad Diaries (2006)

Chris Minh Doky is one of the most exciting and most talented bassists in the world today and he has a strong following in the European jazz/electronica scene.

Inspired by the life of a traveling musician and conceived as a series of short stories, renowned Danish bassist Chris Minh Doky's new Blue Note album "The Nomad Diaries" marries his trademark melodic jazz with contemporary electronica, drawing on Doky's work as a producer and his love of artists such as Bjork, Nils Petter Molvaer and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Framed by glitchy electronics and ambient soundscapes Doky's beautiful melodic bass playing and improvisations draw heavily on European jazz. The appearance of US heavyweights such as Mike Stern and Randy and Michael Brecker (with one of his last studio recordings just prior to his death) make The Nomad Diaries a true trans-Atlantic jazz album and one of the years most exciting releases.

Tracklist:
01. September (for Tanja) (06:33)
02. Last Call (05:03)
03. If I Run (04:50)
04. Blog : Tracking (M.Krog) (00:35)
05. Satellite (05:26)
06. Blog : Frida + Milo (01:25)
07. The Scanner (04:50)
08. Blog : Rise + Shine (01:43)
09. Life in The Mirror (G.Whity) (06:03)
10. Where R U? (04:38)
11. I Skovens Dybe Stille Ro (04:46)
12. Blog : Noon - bonus track (01:14)
13. Teen Town - bonus track (J.Pastorius) (04:59)
14. Blog : Display - bonus track (00:35)
Personnel:
CHRIS MINH DOKY- bass, keyboards, piano, voice
RUICHI SAKAMOTO (1), KASPER WILLAUME- piano (5,11)
JACOB CHRISTOFFERSEN- piano (2)
GEORGE WHITY- keyboards
MIKE STERN- guitar solo (2), phone message (10)
OZ NOY- guitar and sound vibes (2,10)
MICHAEL BRECKER- tenor sax (10), EWI (3)
'KO' PERRY- vocals
RANDY BRECKER- trumpet (7)
MADS B.B. KROG- electro programming
Nomad Diaries at Amazon
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Dennis Chambers: Outbreak (2002)

A formidable, ferocious and ultra-funky presence behind the kit in such celebrated ensembles as Parliament-Funkadelic, Steely Dan, Santana and the Brecker Brothers as well as incendiary fusion outfits led by guitarists John Scofield, Mike Stern and John McLaughlin, Dennis Chambers is everyone's choice for all world drummer. On "Outbreak", his Stateside debut as a leader, Dennis slams home some solid grooves in the company of such heavyweights as guitarists Scofield, Jon Herington, Nick Moroch and Dean Brown, bassists Will Lee, Gary Willis, Matthew Garrison and his old P-Funk rhythm tandem mate Rodney 'Skeet' Curtis, saxophonists Michael Brecker, Bobby Malach and Aaron Heick, trumpeter Randy Brecker and long time colleague and keyboardist Jim Beard, who produced the New York session.

Tracklist:

1. Roll Call

2. Otay

3. Groovus Interruptus
4. Paris on Mine
5. In Time
6. Plan B
7. Outbreak
8. Baltimore, Dc
9. Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothin'
Outbreak
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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

Mike Stern: Time in Place (1988)

Guitarist Mike Stern's music has often been a little difficult to classify, featuring strong improvisations, the sound and power of rock, and elements of funk, R&B and sometimes pop. For his second recording as a leader, Stern is joined by either Bob Berg or Michael Brecker on tenor, keyboardist Jim Beard, electric bassist Jeff Andrews, drummer Peter Erskine and percussionist Don Alias; Don Grolnick sits in on organ during "No Notice." The music (seven Stern originals) ranges from the rhythmic to the more sophisticated and features plenty of the leader's high-powered guitar.
Tracklist:
1. Gossip
2. Time in Place
3. Before You Go
4. No Notice
5. After All
6. Four Shades
7. Chromazone
Time in Place

Hotfile / Depositfiles @ 320K

Billy Cobham: Drum N Voice - All That Groove (2001)

This 2001 Cobham effort was recorded in Milan with a bunch of fine musicians: Michael and Randy Brecker, Eddie Gomez and several famous Italian jazz players (Rossana Nicolosi - bass, Marco Fada - percussion, Lino Nicolosi - guitar, Fabrizio Bosso - trumpet, flugelhorn and others). Contains classics as Red Baron and I Want You Back (Ken Gold/Micky Denne) along with new material which sounds absolutely sensational and groovy.

Buy at Amazon.com
Drum N Voice (RS) / Drum N Voice (DF) @ 320K

Michael Brecker: Two Blocks From The Edge (1997)

Although Michael Brecker made his initial reputation as a greatly in-demand studio player able to play quite credibly in commercial settings, his recordings for Impulse! have all been strictly straight-ahead. Displaying his roots in John Coltrane and Ernie Watts, Brecker has developed his own approach to sheets-of-sound playing while not being shy about playing quite lyrically. From the opening medium-tempo blues "Madame Toulouse" and the catchy "Bye George" (which could almost have been written by Horace Silver) to the funky and slyly humorous closer, "Delta City Blues," this is a particularly strong outing. With pianist Joey Calderazzo (often emulating McCoy Tyner to at least a small degree) and an alert and intuitive rhythm section (bassist James Genus, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, and percussionist Don Alias), Brecker often creates fiery solos that linger to their optimum length before the mood changes. This is a Japanese release featuring one bonus track - Skylark. Recommended.

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Two Blocks - Part 1 - Part 2 (RS) lossless

Herbie Hancock: Mwandishi (1971) [remastered 1997]

Hancock called Mwandishi "my favourite record of all the records I have ever made" in 1971. Surely the music on this album remains some of the most startling and experimental music on Hancock's entire discography, more suited perhaps for the 21st century than the one in which it was created. Just as beautiful as well known blue-note releases such as "Maiden Voyage" and "Speak Like a Child," this music contains a subversive and revolutionary edge (unlike it's predecessors) that still sits it at the forefront of contemporary music thirty years after its original release.

In explaining why he switched to a more funky and accessible style popularized on "Head Hunters" Hancock complaines to Bob Blumenthal in the notes to "Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros Recordings" (also definitely worth the purchase) that "I'd go to friends' homes and see my albums on the shelves with lots of other people's records, and they'd play all the others except mine." Sad. Perhaps Hancock didn't know how far ahead he was at the time, but surely time will confirm this blatantly self evident fact, especially with the crystalline sonic-quality evident on reissues of this remarkable offering on CD.

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Mwandishi (HF) Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 (MU) [lossless]

Various Artists: To Grover with Love (2002)

Arguably, only David Sanborn has had as much influence on the current crop of smooth-jazz sax stars as Grover Washington Jr., and on this tribute album, we get ample proof of Washington's impact. It's a testament to his talent that Gerald Albright, Dave Koz, and Everette Harp, playing three different horns--alto, soprano, and tenor, respectively--all sound exactly like the G-Man. His sway over the three younger players is so dominant on many of their own recordings, particularly Albright's, that the licks that are nods to Washington are indistinguishable from the originals. All of the instrumental tracks on this 14-song set play like Grover Washington Jr.'s greatest hits, with outstanding arrangements by the producer, keyboardist Jason Miles. On a couple of numbers, the arrangements are stronger than the performances. Tracks that work best are Regina Belle, Steve Cole, and George Duke doing "Just the Two of Us"; Herbie Mann working out on "Mister Magic"; and the Brecker Brothers teaming up with Joe Sample and Joey DeFrancesco on "Loran's Dance." Ronnie Laws and Richard Elliot, two players not influenced by Washington, also offer interesting performances. --Mark Ruffin

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To Grover with Love

Don Grolnick: Weaver of Dreams (1990)

Don Grolnick was a busy session pianist/keyboardist who played on many kinds of dates, including jazz fusion and pop. But for a brief period in the late 1980s and early '90s, he detoured into playing post-bop. Weaver of Dreams was the first of his two CDs for Blue Note, featuring an all-star septet including the Brecker Brothers, Bob Mintzer, Dave Holland, Peter Erskine, and Barry Rogers. His intricate opener, "Nothing Personal," suggests the influence of George Russell, with its rapid-fire lines and unpredictable accents on trumpet and bass clarinet, along with the composer's tasty solo. There's a bit of reverb added to the unified trumpet and tenor sax in his "Or Come Fog," which touches briefly on its source, "Come Rain or Come Shine." Mintzer's wild bass clarinet is a highlight of the brisk setting of the standard "I Want to Be Happy," while the foot-patting treatment of "Weaver of Dreams" is a feature for the rhythm section alone. Weaver of Dreams lapsed from print, only to briefly reappear in a short-lived two-CD reissue. This is easily the finest recording led by Don Grolnick, who passed away in 1996.

Musicians:

Don Grolnick : piano

Michael Brecker : tenor saxophone

Randy Brecker : trumpet
Bob Mintzer : bass clarinet
Barry Rogers : trombone
Dave Holland : bass
Peter Erskine : drums
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Weaver of Dreams

Randy Brecker: 34th N Lex (2002) mp3 @ 320K

Randy Brecker is one of the most proficient trumpeters of his generation and brilliantly shows why he has achieved this stature on 34th N Lex. The 11-song paean to his Manhattan, NY, neighborhood is a potent, in-your-face program of hard bop and funky jazz with the likes of his brother, Michael Brecker, on tenor sax; David Sanborn on alto saxophone; Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone; and the great trombonist Fred Wesley. The set opens with the free funk and hard bop fusion of horn blasts and honks in different registers, which depict the hustle and bustle of "34th N Lex." The ensemble pulls this off without a hitch and clearly conveys the energy associated with this street corner. On "All 4 Love," Randy Brecker adds a mute to his trumpet and gives a cool tone to the swaggering funk of Gary Haase's programming and urban vocals supplied by J Phoenix. The funk gets funkier on "Let It Go," a party jam with vocal effects and prime horn playing that lends itself to the younger generation but clearly represents the talent of jazz masters in an awesome blowing session. "Foregone Conclusion" is a beautiful ballad that features outstanding cool harmonizing and modal synchronicity that is reminiscent of Miles Davis in his heydey. As a whole, Randy Brecker clearly outdoes himself on this one and it's clearly evident that these musical masters came to play. (118M)
34th N Lex

McCoy Tyner Trio with Michael Brecker: Infinity (1995)

It seems only fitting that the initial new release on the latest revival of the Impulse label features McCoy Tyner and Michael Brecker. When Impulse started out in 1960, John Coltrane and Tyner were the first artists to be signed, and when Impulse was briefly brought back by MCA in the 1980s, two of its most important albums were recordings by Brecker. There are not a lot of surprises on this quartet matchup (with bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Aaron Scott) except perhaps for how well Tyner and Brecker mesh together. The music is somewhat similar to a set by the pianist's regular trio with a solo piece ("Blues Stride"), a generous amount of Tyner originals and colorful versions of Thelonious Monk's "I Mean You" and "Good Morning Heartache," but Brecker's presence and consistently powerful playing does inspire Tyner and his sidemen. For a strong example as to why today's saxophonists have such a high opinion of Michael Brecker, his roaring statement on the extended "Impressions" will suffice. Highly recommended.

Arturo Sandoval: Swingin' (1996) mp3 @ 320K

It seems remarkable that Arturo Sandoval never seems to win any jazz polls, for few trumpeters can come close to equaling his technique, jazz chops, and warm sound. On this advanced hard bop date, the music is strictly straight-ahead without any Latin rhythms. Sandoval matches wits quite successfully with clarinetist Eddie Daniels on two songs, tenor great Michael Brecker on three (including a memorable rendition of "Moment's Notice"), and veteran flügelhornist Clark Terry on a joyous "Mack the Knife." In addition, Sandoval pays tribute to Woody Shaw, John Coltrane, and Dizzy Gillespie. Other highlights include the moody "Streets of Desire" (on which Sandoval plays piano), the racehorse tempo of "Real McBop" (which has an impossible but impeccably played melody chorus), and Sandoval's humorous use of the plunger mute on "It Never Gets Old." All in all, this is one of Arturo Sandoval's finest recordings to date.

Gil Goldstein: Under Rousseau's Moon (2006) mp3 @ 320K

Gil Goldstein has always been an adventurous musician testing boundaries, but this may be his most eclectic release. With a group that includes elements of straight-ahead and contemporary jazz (saxophonist Chris Potter, trumpeter Michael Brecker, vibraphonist Mike Maineri and electric bassist Richard Bona), plus the Zebra Coast String Trio, the keyboardist looks to break down barriers. Opening with a dramatic setting of Robbie Robertson's "The Moon Struck One," the band segues into a decidedly contemporary setting of Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee," though Bona's plodding bassline proves to be a handicap. Several tracks composed by the late Jaco Pastorious prove a bit uneven; the boisterous treatment of "Liberty City" works well, while the reggae-flavored "Good Morning Anya" quickly grows tiresome. The leader switches to accordion for his subdued ballad "The Camel's Lament," played unaccompanied. While this project may not please every listener all the way through, its ambitious scope and the strong efforts of the musicians involved make it an ear-opening experience worth revisiting.