The Brecker Brothers Collection, Vol.I and II (1975-1981)

 

Recorded in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California between 1975 & 1981. Track 5 recorded live at My Father's Place, Roslyn, Long Island, New York. Includes liner notes by Michael Cuscuna.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Personnel: Randy Brecker (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, hand claps); Will Lee (vocals, bass guitar); Neil Jason (vocals); David Spinozza, Hiram Bullock, Jeff Mironov, Steve Khan, Barry Finnerty, Bob Mann (guitar); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone, hand claps); Don Grolnick (trombone, electric piano, keyboards); Mark Gray (electric piano, keyboards); Paul Schaffer (electric piano); Doug Riley (keyboards); George Duke (synthesizer, string synthesizer); Chris Parker , Steve Jordan , Harvey Mason, Sr. , Richie Morales, Steve Gadd , Terry Bozzio, Allan Schwartzberg (drums); Victoria (tambourine, hand claps, percussion, background vocals); Kash Monet (hand claps, percussion, background vocals); Bob Clearmountain (hand claps); Rafael Cruz, Airto Moreira, Manolo Badrena, Ralph MacDonald, Sammy Figueroa (percussion); Jeff Schoen, Roy Herring (background vocals).

01.Skunk Funk

02.Sponge

03.Squids

04.Funky Sea, Funky Dew

05.Inside Out

06.Dream Theme

07.I Don't Know Either

08.Bathsheba

09.Straphangin'

10.Threesome

11.East River.

Recorded in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California between 1975 & 1981. Tracks 3-6 recorded live at My Father's Place, Roslyn, Long Island, New York. Includes liner notes by Michael Cuscuna.

Personnel: Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Mark Gray (electric piano, keyboards); Don Grolnick (keyboards); George Duke (synthesizer); Bob Mann, Barry Finnerty, Hiram Bullock (guitar); Will Lee, Neil Jason, Marcus Miller (bass); Harvey Mason, Terry Bozzio, Steve Jordan, Richie Morales (drums); Ralph MacDonald, Sammy Figueroa, Rafael Cruz, Airto, Don Alias, Manolo Badrena (percussion).

01.Rocks

02.Creature of Many Faces, A

03.Funky Sea, Funky Dew

04.Skunk Funk

05.Sponge

06.Squids

07.Tee'd Off

08.Squish

09.Baffled

10.Not Ethiopia

11.Jacknife.

The Brecker Brothers - Return Of The Brecker Brothers (1992)

01.Song for Barry
02.King of the Lobby
03.Big Idea
04.Above & Below
05.That's All There Is to It
06.Wakaria (What's Up?)
07.On the Backside
08.Sozinhi (Alone)
09.Spherical
10.Good Gracious
11.Roppong!.

Michael Brecker (soprano & tenor saxophones, keyboards, EWI, programming)
Randy Brecker (vocals, trumpet,flugelhorn)
Armand Sabal-Lecco (vocals, bass, piccolo, bass, drums, percussion)
Veera (vocals)
David Sanborn (alto saxophone)
Robby Kilgore (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, bass)
George Whitty (Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, programming)
Maz (keyboards, programming)
Dean Brown, Mike Stern (guitar)
James Genus (acoustic & electric basses)
Will Lee (bass, background vocals)
Dennis Chambers (drums)
Max Risenhoover (cymbals, programming)
Don Alias, Bashiri Johnson (percussion)
Malcom Pollack (background vocals)

Brecker Brothers - Blue Montreux - Live at Montreux 1978

1.Blue Montreux
2.Rocks
3.I'm Sorry
4.A Funky Waltz
5.Floating
6.Uptown Ed
7.Cloud Motion
8.Love Play.

At the 1978 Montreux Jazz Festival, a variety of artists (including keyboardist Warren Bernhardt, tenor-saxophonist Michael Brecker, guitarists Steve Khan and Larry Coryell, trumpeter Randy Brecker and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri) recorded a dozen funky selections which were originally released on two Arista LPs. This single CD has the eight top performances from these important fusion stylists; Michael Brecker in particular is in good form. The results are not essential but offer listeners a time capsule of where R&B-oriented fusion was in 1978.
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

The Brecker Brothers - Out Of The Loop (1994)

1.Slang
2.Evocations
3.Scrunch
4.Secret Heart
5.African Skies
6.When It Was
7.Harpoon
8.Nightwalker, The
9.And Then She Wept.

Michael Brecker (soprano & tenor saxophones, Akai EWI); Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn); Eliane Elias (vocals, keyboards); Armand Sabal-Lecco (vocals, acoustic piccolo bass, bass); George Whitty (piano, keyboards, Hammond bass, programming); Robbie Kilgore (keyboards, guitar, programming); Maz Kessler (keyboards, programming); Dean Brown, Larry Saltzman (guitar); James Genus (acoustic & electric basses); Steve Jordan, Shawn Pelton, Rodney Holmes (drums); Steve Thornton (percussion); Chris Botti, Andy Snitzer (programming); Mark Ledford (background vocals).
Recorded at Skyline Studios, New York, New York.

Review by Jim Newsom
On Out of the Loop, Randy and Michael Brecker stepped up to the plate with their second long-player of the '90s, 20 years after their first foray into the jazz-funk-fusion realm. The album is surprisingly strong, and any fears of a paint-by-numbers attempt to cash in on past glories are quickly dispelled with the opening "Slang," which is reminiscent of Amandla-era Miles. Here, as throughout the disc, Michael's sax solo burns with abandon, while brother Randy's trumpet glides across a tastefully smooth and melodic terrain. "African Skies" has a decidedly Yellowjackets feel, with Michael again turning in a remarkably energetic solo turn. The set-closing "And Then She Wept" features Randy's attractive flügelhorn, as does the Eliane Elias-produced "Secret Heart," where Michael's soprano sax and EWI share the spotlight. "Scrunch" is a funky piece of programmed hip-hop over which the brothers Brecker play a riff similar to those they and the Average White Band delivered in the mid-'70s. Both Randy and the late Michael Brecker went on to make names for themselves in the jazz world after fronting their brotherly band in the '70s, earning the respect of critics and jazz fans alike. With Out of the Loop, they made a solid musical statement in a contemporary format, one they helped create and in which they proved to be masters.

The Brecker Brothers

The Brecker Brothers - Straphangin' (1981)

1. STRAPHANGIN'
2. THREESOME
3. BATHSHEBA
4. JACKNIFE
5. WHY CAN'T I BE THERE
6. NOT ETHIOPIA
7. SPREADEAGLE.










RANDY BRECKER- trumpet and flugelhorn MICHAEL BRECKER- tenor sax BARRY FINNERTY- guitar MARK GRAY- keyboards MARCUS MILLER- bass RICHIE MORALES- drums.