Randy Brecker

[Milestones]

Any Randy Brecker fans out there?  I don't see him mentioned very often.  But he's been in the business a long, long time.  He's got greats chops, but can also play ballads, does Latin, does jazz-rock, all kind of things. But for such a powerful player, he seems to largely prefer being in the background.  He has recorded with pop singers even more than his brother. But even in so many of his jazz appearances, he's part of a big band or horn ensemble.  

I believe that Randy has never been on a major jazz label.  I really don't know his work as a leader. But I've heard his work a good deal--whether with Horace Silver, on Don Grolnick's two Blue Note albums, in Mingus Big Band, and on two records by guitarist Jack Wilkins.

Recommendations?

 

 

[felser]

The best Brecker stuff I've ever heard is the albums they did under Hal Galper's leadership between about 1976 and 1978.  Rip-roaring affairs.  And the 'Dreams' album on Columbia from 1970 is great jazz-rock on side 2 (and interesting rock-jazz on side 1).   Best leader date by him I've heard is 'Score', his Solid State album from 1969.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I enjoyed "In The Idiom" on Denon from Japan. Killer band.

[Milestones]

That is indeed a killer lineup!

I wish there were more records like that.  In looking up Randy Brecker's credits, too often he is part of an ensemble and does not get any solo spotlights.  This contrasts with great sidemen like Freddie Hubbard, Grant Green, and Joe Lovano.  When you see their names, you know they are (almost always) going to contribute in a big way.

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Milestones

[kh1958]

I heard him last year at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in a George Wein tribute group, with Lew Tabackin and Anat Cohen. He sounded great. And he's back again this year, this time teamed with James Carter and Vincent Herring. Looking forward to it.

[BillF]

I'm afraid my personal info on Randy Brecker is a bit out of date. I saw him, with brother Michael, in the Horace Silver Quintet in 1969.

However, I also saw him online over 50 years later Live from Emmet's Place.

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by BillF

[sidewinder]

I saw him in Summer 1980 at RFH, London in a lineup with Michael Brecker as part of a George Wein concert bill ‘Tribute to Charlie Parker’. 

[soulpope]

16 hours ago, felser said:

The best Brecker stuff I've ever heard is the albums they did under Hal Galper's leadership between about 1976 and 1978.  Rip-roaring affairs. 

Seconded ....

[Milestones]

It seems that these good albums by or featuring Brecker are quite difficult to find.

 

[Rooster_Ties]

2 hours ago, Milestones said:

It seems that these good albums by or featuring Brecker are quite difficult to find.

I’ve had my eye out for a CD copy of “In The Idiom” for about a dozen or more years — at least at a decent price ($15 or less) — and only just found one about 48 hours ago(!) at Dusty Groove. So I jumped on it, starting a new 10-day open order, which I’ll add too (like I always do) if anything else comes into their stock for the next week or so.

Full confession, it’s the Joe Henderson quotient that’s probably my primary draw — but I liked what I heard of the album back in KC when I borrowed a copy from a friend back in the ‘late 20-teens’.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

17 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I’ve had my eye out for a CD copy of “In The Idiom” for about a dozen or more years — at least at a decent price ($15 or less) — and only just found one about 48 hours ago(!) at Dusty Groove. So I jumped on it, starting a new 10-day open order, which I’ll add too (like I always do) if anything else comes into their stock for the next week or so.

Full confession, it’s the Joe Henderson quotient that’s probably my primary draw — but I liked what I heard of the album back in KC when I borrowed a copy from a friend back in the ‘late 20-teens’.

This morning, I looked at discogs and I would swear that there was only 1 CD copy of "In The Idiom" less than $20. Now, there are like 6 copies under $15!

[mikeweil]

I always wondered why he had not as many records as a leader as his brother, or other trumpet players of his age. He was and is every bit as good. His Blue Note album Score was on CD but went oop fast, before l could geta copy. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by mikeweil

[Rooster_Ties]

1 hour ago, bresna said:

This morning, I looked at discogs and I would swear that there was only 1 CD copy of "In The Idiom" less than $20. Now, there are like 6 copies under $15!

Mine from Dusty was (or, rather, will be) just $9.99, plus probably about $1 in shipping — if I get 4 other discs — and I always have stuff sent media mail, cuz I’m cheap!

[colinmce]

On 2/11/2023 at 2:16 PM, Milestones said:

It seems that these good albums by or featuring Brecker are quite difficult to find.

 

He's on fire here, but yes, it's very hard to find now:

[Dub Modal]

This is probably my favorite record with Randy Brecker on it. 

[Mark Stryker]

6 hours ago, colinmce said:

He's on fire here, but yes, it's very hard to find now:

While the box set is hard to find and expensive if you do, the original LP, "Pendulum," is relatively easy to come across in the wild and there are plentiful options on discogs. Like Jim says, "Carpe Diem." https://www.discogs.com/release/2046057-The-David-Liebman-Quintet-Pendulum

 

[HutchFan]

14 minutes ago, Mark Stryker said:

While the box set is hard to find and expensive if you do, the original LP, "Pendulum," is relatively easy to come across in the wild and there are plentiful options on discogs. Like Jim says, "Carpe Diem." https://www.discogs.com/release/2046057-The-David-Liebman-Quintet-Pendulum

Plus the cover art on the original LP release -- by painter Eugene Gregan -- is much more interesting than the plain-jane Mosaic cover:

One other note: While there's obviously less music on the single LP than the 3-CD Mosaic release, (IMO) the most compelling stuff from their Vanguard engagement appears on the original LP.  

 

[Mark Stryker]

5 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Plus the cover art on the original LP release -- by painter Eugene Gregan -- is much more interesting than the plain-jane Mosaic cover:

One other note: While there's obviously less music on the single LP than the 3-CD Mosaic release, (IMO) the most compelling stuff from their Vanguard engagement appears on the original LP.  

 

The original booklet is great too with lead sheets for "Pendulum" and "Piccadilly Lilly" and lots of great extras. I agree that the LP includes the best stuff, though it's nice to have the unedited "Piccadilly LIlly" in the box. 

[JSngry]

Frankly, as consistently excellent a trumpeter as he is (which is very), if I want to hear him for original ideas, I'll listen to him with The Brecker Brothers.

I'm in NO way a purist about stuff like this. Ideas are ideas, period.

[soulpope]

16 hours ago, colinmce said:

He's on fire here, but yes, it's very hard to find now:

Excellent ....

[Gheorghe]

Well yeah of course, Brecker Brothers was part of my time, but more late 70´s than early 70´s. But they both were very versatile and could play all kinds of styles, I mean straight ahead acoustic stuff and electric stuff. 
And Randy Brecker´s trumpet is very fine on Mingus´last album "Me Myself and I" especially on "Devil Woman" as I remember. 
I don´t know why the good American musicians like him are not represented well enough on European Jazz Festivals during the last years. They are bookin a lot of crap, but they should book the hottest players of the NY scene, the old masters like Randy, and the young masters from the Smoke Jazz label circuit....

[Peter Friedman]

Along with the previously mentioned album on Denon, the 4 below are some favorite of Randy Brecker's playing.