Michael Brecker
Michael Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was a popular US jazz saxophonist of the post-Coltrane era. He won 11 Grammys as both performer and composer.
Biography
Early Life and Career
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michael Brecker was exposed to jazz at an early age by his father, an amateur jazz pianist. Michael and his brother Randy (who would later become a renowned jazz and rock trumpeter in his own right) grew up jamming regularly with their father, developing their skills and their love of music.[1] Among the generation of jazz musicians that saw rock music not as the enemy but as a viable musical option, Brecker began studying clarinet and alto sax, before eventually settling on the tenor saxophone as his primary instrument by the time he was in high school. Often compared in stature and skill to John Coltrane, Brecker credits a 1965 Coltrane concert he attended at Temple University with "literally (propelling) into choosing music as a life's endeavor."[2]
After only a year at Indiana University, Michael Brecker moved to New York City in 1969 where he began to play regularly with a collective of musicians in the area, playing free shows for each other in their living spaces. He began to carve out a niche for himself as a dynamic and exciting jazz soloist not afraid to draw inspiration from rock, gospel, funk and R&B as well. 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.
Jazz Success and Acclaim
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, Thelonious 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, Pat Metheny, Dire Straits 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.
He favored his Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone and a highly-customized Dave Guardala mouthpiece.
Illness and Death
In 2005, Michael Brecker was diagnosed with the blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Despite a widely-publicized worldwide search, Brecker was unable to find a matching stem cell donor. In late 2005, he was the recipient of an experimental partial matching stem cell transplant. As of late 2006 he was recovering, but it proved not to be a cure for him. Brecker made his return to public performance in June 2006, playing with Herbie Hancock at Carnegie Hall. His first recording after his illness was with bassist Chris Minh Doky on the album The Nomad Diaries, which was released in November 2006.
On May 22nd, 2007, his final recording, Pilgrimage, was released receiving a good critical response. It was recorded in August 2006 with Pat Metheny on guitar, John Patitucci on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums and Herbie Hancock and Brad Mehldau on piano. Brecker was critically ill when it was recorded but the other musicians involved praised the standard of his musicianship.
On January 13, 2007, Michael Brecker died from complications of leukemia in New York City. His funeral was held on January 15, 2007 in his hometown of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.
Legacy
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Ben Ratliff. "Michael Brecker, 57, Grammy-Winning Jazz Saxophonist", New York Times, January 15, 2007, p. A17.
