Re: Michael Brecker's Posthumous album Finally got around to hearing it. It's incredibly good for a guy dying of leukemia, actually scratch that, it's an incredibly good album for anybody. While it isn't Brecker's best work, Brecker, who holds the record for the most grammies of an instrumentalist, doesn't need to be at his best to be one of the 5 best saxophone players of all time. His 32nd and final album, entitled "Pilgrimage", included a who's who of jazz legends including 17 time grammy winner Pat Metheney, the world's most famous jazz musician Herbie Hancock, Brad Melhdau, Jack Dejohnette, and John Patitucci. Overall, it's one of the better jazz albums I've heard in recent years, even with Brecker not at his best.
Oh man, finally a thread on here not related to hip-hop (not that I have anything against hip-hop). I haven't heard this one yet. I learned a lot listening to him (among other greats)while working as a sideman in the mid 80's (Funky Sea, Funky Dew was one of my favorites for some reason). His technique is something all sax players need to adhear to. Very few sax players today IMO are evenworth listening to, not that they aren't any good, just, it's all the same now(with exception to perhaps, Lenny Pickett's seemingly endless Altissimo range). No more innovators left, or maybe there just isn't any more room for anything new. Not that I have been listening to anything new in Jazz anyway. For a guy who grew up on Trane, Bird(especially his days on the Verve label), Cannonball, OrnettColeman(avant garde can be good sometimes), Getz, Early Brecker and even a tiny bit of Sonny Rollins, it's just too damn hard to listen to the new stuff.
