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Michael Brecker

Michael Brecker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and exposed to jazz at an early age by his father, an amateur jazz pianist. Among the generation of jazz musicians that saw rock music not as the enemy but as a viable musical option, Brecker began studying clarinet, then moved to alto saxophone in school, eventually settling on the tenor saxophone as his primary instrument. After only a year at Indiana University, Michael Brecker moved to New York City in 1970 where he carved out a niche for himself as a dynamic and exciting jazz soloist. He first made his mark at age 21 as a member of the jazz/rock band Dreams—a band that included his older brother Randy, trombonist Barry Rogers, drummer Billy Cobham, Jeff Kent and Doug Lubahn. Dreams was short-lived, lasting only a year, but influential (Miles Davis was seen at some gigs prior to his recording "Jack Johnson").

Most of Brecker's early work is marked by an approach informed as much by rock guitar as by R&B saxophone. After Dreams, he worked with Horace Silver and then Billy Cobham before once again teaming up with his Brother Randy to form the Brecker Brothers Band, which played fusion that was equal parts bar band, Monk, and Sly Stone. The band followed the trail blazed by Miles Davis's 1970s bands and Weather Report, but with more attention to structured arrangements, a heavier backbeat, and a stronger rock influence. The band stayed together from 1975-1982 with consistent success and musicality.

At the same time, Brecker put his stamp on numerous pop and rock recordings as a soloist. His more notable collaborations include those with James Taylor, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen and Joni Mitchell. During the early 80s he was also a member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live band. Brecker can be seen in the background sporting shades during Eddie Murphy’s James Brown parody, Get In The Hot Tub. He also played sax briefly on Frank Zappa's live album Zappa in New York.

After a stint co-leading the all-star group Steps Ahead with Mike Mainieri, Brecker finally recorded a solo album in 1987. That eponymously titled debut album marked his return to a more traditional jazz setting, highlighting his compositional talents and featuring the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), which Brecker had previously played with Steps Ahead. He continued to record albums as a leader throughout the 1990s and 2000s, winning multiple Grammy Awards, and his solo and group tours consistently have sold out top jazz venues in major cities worldwide.

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John Coltrane
saxophone
B.D. Lenz
guitar
Brian Swartz
trumpet
Dennis Mitcheltree
saxophone, tenor
Russ Nolan
saxophone, tenor
Anna Brooks
saxophone
Dave Wilson
saxophone
Ada Rovatti
saxophone
Frank Macchia
composer / conductor
Rodger Fox
trombone
Bob Reynolds
saxophone, tenor
Lili Añel
voice / vocals
Michael Pedicin
saxophone, tenor
Ian Willson
saxophone
Dave Mullen
saxophone, tenor
Ricky Hopkins
saxophone
Richard Howell
saxophone
Anthony Greene
saxophone
Sue Orfield
saxophone, tenor
Peter Fraize
saxophone
Pete Sklaroff
guitar, electric
Laurent Doumont
saxophone
Frido ter Beek
saxophone
F. ter Beek
saxophone
Matt Olson
saxophone, tenor
Beledo
guitar
Elliot Spero
saxophone, tenor
Bele Beledo
guitar
Jeremy Shoham
saxophone
Marek Buble
saxophone, alto
Vincent Houdijk
vibraphone
Andrew DeNicola
saxophone, tenor
Michael Lake
trombone
Gabriel Bey
trumpet
Aldo Salvent
saxophone, tenor
Earle Eidenire
saxophone, tenor
Jon Bentley
saxophone, tenor
Stephanie Lottermoser
saxophone, tenor
Jason Kush
saxophone
Zac Zinger
saxophone, tenor
Jozef Nadj
violin
Aaron Quarterman, Jr.
saxophone, tenor
Gregg Fine
guitar
Viktor Haraszti
saxophone
José Valentino
multi-instrumentalist
Paul Ward
piano
Seba Molnar
saxophone, tenor
Thomas Hamilton
saxophone, tenor
Richard Pavlidis
saxophone, tenor
Ye Huang
clarinet
Yuto Mitomi
saxophone, tenor
Rea Meir
woodwinds
Anton Chekurov
saxophone, alto
Brain Salad
band / orchestra
Manuel Muzzu
bass, electric
Matthew Alec
saxophone, tenor
Alessandro Bertozzi
saxophone, alto
Ikechi Onyenaka
saxophone, alto
CHYKE MARTINS
saxophone
Jackson Cotugno
saxophone, tenor
Tibor Debreceni
guitar, electric
David Bernot
saxophone, tenor
Chris Torkewitz
saxophone, tenor
Brian Grace
saxophone
Steve Britt
saxophone

Photos

Album Discography

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live at the Berlin...

Origin Records
2021

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Live At The Berlin...

Origin Records
2021

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Live in Helsinki 1995

Random Act Records
2015

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The Complete Arista...

Legacy Recordings
2012

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Pilgrimage

Heads Up International
2007

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The Tales From The...

Creative Sources
2007

buy

This Is the Thing

From: Live at the Berlin...
By Michael Brecker

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