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Sound Ideas #51 - 1 Brecker, 2, and 3
Welcome to an hour that celebrates one special Michael and the numbers 2 and 3. Buckle up for some soul, funk, swing, bop, and story telling.
Artist Track Album
Michael Brecker Nothing Personal Michael Brecker
Steve Kuhn Two by Two Life's Magic
Oscar Peterson Tea for Two The Song is You
John Coltrane Two Bass Hit Miles and Coltrane
Lonnie Smith Three Blind Mice Think!
Al Jazzbo Collins The Three Little Pigs A Lovely Bunch of Al Jazzbo Collins and the Banditos
Nicholas Payton The Three Trumpeteers Payton's Place
Blue Montreux Blue Montreux Blue Montreux

Michael Brecker was a versatile sax player; one who was equally facil in a variety of jazz genres including hard bop, fusion, funk, free form, and electronic. Honing his chops in his early years with Horace Silver and then working the 1970s with brother Randy followed by a stint with the Saturday Night Live band, Michael always sought out new and fresh sounds either on the saxophone or the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument). Tragically lost at too young an age to a rare disease, we know that there will ever only be one Michael Brecker. In our first set we hear Michael on one of his more straight ahead outtings from the late 1980s.

Our study of the number two commences with two piano trios serving up two standards, each with its own easy going charme. Trane moves things up a notch with his cover of one of the many Gillespie standards. From a transitional time for Trane, we hear many of his musical influences while at the cross roads of where his journey would take him (and us) next.

Set three is about all the number three and Lonnie Smith gives us some groovin' soul jazz about three hip mice avoding contact with an ever cool cat. Jazzbo dishes up a hip yarn about three little pigs goin' 'bout their bidness and Nicholas Payton unleashes the clarity of three brass players in a soulful cutting session.

Closing out the hour we hear one more featuring Michael Brecker, this time from the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1978. This track is one of the better examples of jazz fusion, funky, souful, but with top notch improvisation and attention to musical detail.