Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Marc Copland / Randy Brecker: Both / And

161

Marc Copland / Randy Brecker: Both / And

By

View read count
Marc Copland / Randy Brecker: Both / And
Marc Copland has always had a sense of adventure on his recordings, but Both/And is easily his most rewarding effort to date. For this effort he reunited with trumpeter Randy Brecker (who appeared on two of Copland's earlier CDs) and is joined by bassist Ed Howard and drummer Victor Lewis, who have been paired on a number of recordings and are always a top-notch rhythm section. The date focuses primarily on Copland's aggressive post bop originals, with Brecker acting as a perfect foil, fueled by the strong, inventive pulse of Howard and Lewis.

The pianist's musical palette offers a rainbow of colors, stimulating the trumpeter into extremely focused playing which continuously avoids predictable paths through the dense, challenging music. Copland's five originals are stunning, highlighted by the inspired modal opener "Through the Window, which sounds somewhat like a descendant of "Milestones, though it explores more expansive musical terrain. Equally impressive are Copland's turbulent "Round the Horn and his loping, somewhat eerie ballad "When the Wind Stops.

Brecker contributed the perky jazz waltz "Over the Hills, which not only conjures an image of a spring walk in the country, but also brings to mind Coltrane's famous modal arrangement of "My Favorite Things. Even the frequently performed standard "I Loves You, Porgy sounds very fresh, due to Copland's choice of chords behind Brecker's strong solo. Lee Morgan's funky "The Sidewinder is revamped with a sassy, somewhat angular arrangement that preserves its original theme, yet allows Copland and Brecker to break new ground with their improvisations.

Track Listing

Through the Window; I Loves You, Porgy; Over the Hills; The Sidewinder; Both/And; Round the Horn; When the Wind Stops; Bookends.

Personnel

Marc Copland: piano; Randy Brecker: trumpet; Ed Howard: bass; Victor Lewis: drums.

Album information

Title: Both / And | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Nagel Heyer Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.