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Jazz Articles about Michael Brecker
Hal Galper Quintet: Live At The Berlin Philharmonic 1977
by Dan McClenaghan
It must be gratifying to accomplish everything you set out to do. Pianist Hal Galper says he has done just that. And, after a career that included work with trumpeter Chet Baker and saxophonists Cannonball Adderley and Stan Getz, along with a ten year stint in saxophonist Phil Woods' band (1980-1990), followed by ten years of touring and recording with his own trio, that claim would have been a valid one then, before the dawn of the new millennium. But ...
Continue ReadingMichael Brecker, Steven Bernstein and the Art of Jazz-Hacking the Pop World - Part 2
by Ludovico Granvassu
This is the second part of our exploration of Michael Brecker's and Steven Bernstein's work as first-call musicians in the world of high-end pop productions. Their capacity to adapt to the demands of these productions while remaining true to their jazz roots has offered millions of listeners that might have looked at jazz with a grain of diffidence an opportunity to re-assess their skepticism. Brecker and Bernstein musicians that have played and keep playing a prime role in ...
Continue ReadingMarch Birthdays
by Marc Cohn
March birthdays this week on G&M! And some big ones too! Celebrating 90th birthdays: Ornette Coleman, Blue Mitchell and Tommy Flanagan. Celebrating 80th birthdays: Al Jarreau as well as Lew Tabackin, Ralph Towner and Astrud Gilberto} (the latter 3 still with us). Also, among the living, {{m: Wolfgang Muthspiel, Jessica Williams and Ralph Alessi. And, wherever you are: Michael Brecker, Mark Murphy and Sarah Vaughan. If you're hunkered down for the duration, remember we have over 50 shows of G&M ...
Continue ReadingHow to Play a Tin Whistle Like Michael Brecker
by Peter Rubie
I was talking to a musician friend of mine the other day, asking her how her move from Brooklyn to Forrest Hills was going. She said, “I love it! I love the neighborhood and best of all, musically, I'm not running any more jam sessions at the moment, just doing gigs—and practicing! It's great." And practicing is a high for me as well. I miss it when I don't do it. Given that we are all wrestling with ...
Continue ReadingWouter Turkenburg: Jazz Education in the New Millennium
by Victor L. Schermer
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 All About Jazz and Wouter Turkenburg would like to dedicate this interview to the memory of saxophonist Michael Brecker (1949-2007). In addition to his prodigious accomplishments as an instrumentalist and band leader, Brecker was an exceptional worldwide teacher and mentor, both by example and instruction in countless workshops and classes. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music ...
Continue ReadingRicordiamo Michael Brecker
by Angelo Leonardi
Sono trascorsi più di dieci anni dalla morte di Michael Brecker, avvenuta il 13 gennaio 2007, il giorno dopo quella di Alice Coltrane. Brecker è stato il massimo e più influente sax tenore post-coltraniano ed è quanto mai doveroso ricordarne la vita e il percorso artistico. Il 25 gennaio di quest'anno la comunità jazzistica di New York, decine di oncologi e persino l'ex presidente Clinton e consorte, hanno partecipato alla cerimonia di commemorazione tenutasi nella Appel Room del ...
Continue ReadingUMO Jazz Orchestra with Michael Brecker: Live in Helsinki 1995
by Jack Bowers
If your fondness for big-band jazz includes searching for hidden treasures, here's a recently uncovered gem that should more than gladden your spirit: a concert recording from 1995 by Finland's superb UMO Jazz Orchestra featuring the renowned tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker who left us far too soon a dozen years later at age fifty-seven. The impeccably preserved performance at Helsinki's Royal Cotton Club finds Brecker in his customarily assertive mode, sprinting through ten engaging compositions that run the gamut from ...
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