Charged Particles: Live at the Baked Potato!

The late tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker was held in the highest regard by fellow saxophonists, while at the same time being seen as far too eclectic to be part of the jazz pantheon (due in no small part to his sideman work in rock and pop). This album focuses on Brecker as composer, spanning three decades of his work, and honoring his performance practice as well. There was no attempt to recreate his legendary chops, but the group was careful to retain the spirit of the original recordings.

Charged Particles have worked together as a trio in the Bay Area since 2011, tackling challenging material by composers such as Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. Doing a Michael Brecker tribute required a saxophonist, and Tod Dickow was the obvious choice. Dickow's intimate knowledge of the material guided the band through the project.

"Peep" from Now You See It...(Now You Don't) (Impulse! Records, 1990) opens the set with a flourish from drummer Jon Krosnick, followed by the funk/bebop sound of the head. "Arc of the Pendulum" from Time Is Of The Essence (Impulse! Records, 1999) changes to a more acoustic sound, with Aaron Germain switching to acoustic bass, and keyboardist Murray Low on organ.

"Not Ethiopia" goes all the way back to the Brecker Brothers album Straphangin' (Arista, 1981), and features a frantic, virtuosic saxophone solo. "Slings and Arrows" from Tales From The Hudson (Impulse! Records, 1996) has a modal theme which leads into an extended saxophone solo, followed by a swinging piano solo. The only piece not composed by Brecker is Don Grolnick's "Talking to Myself" from Don't Try This At Home (Impulse! Records, 1988). Grolnick was a regular producer and performer on Brecker's solo albums, so his compositional input here is entirely appropriate.

The album concludes with "The Mean Time," from Michael's swan song Pilgramage (Heads Up, 2007), which features an elaborate head, as well as contributions from the entire band (including Germain's walking upright bass and Low's piano solo). "Song for Barry '' from Return of the Brecker Brothers (GRP, 1992) closes the album with a tune which was a regular closer in Brecker concerts, dedicated to his mentor and Dreams band mate, trombonist Barry Rogers. A strong finish to a remarkable album.

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