Randy Brecker & NDR Band – Rocks – Piloo Records PR 010 – 63:17 – ****:
Randy Brecker has been a first rate trumpet player on the scene since the 1960s. Now aged 73, Brecker began his career playing with Horace Silver, and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Along with his brother, Michael (now deceased), Randy was a major player in jazz fusion both with The Brecker Brothers, and along with Billy Cobham and John Abercrombie, formed the super group, Dreams.
Randy has the considerable chops to shine on post bop as well. His burnished tone is highlighted on ballads, but on “hot” numbers, he is on top of his game.
He has had successful European tours with the NDR Bigband, and his association with this German national big band has led to this new release, with its theme being an exploration of the different periods of Randy’s career. To aid in this task, alto saxist, David Sanborn, who goes back to Brecker’s fusion days, was added to fill out the front line horns, along with Ada Rovatti (Randy’s wife), who is featured on tenor and soprano sax. Noted drummer, Wolfgang Haffner, is on drums. The full NDR band helps flesh out the arrangements by Jorg Achim Keller, and bring their full heft to the powerhouse trumpet of its leader.
The CD opens with “First Tune of the Set,” a tune that the Brecker Brothers Reunion Band used to open their concerts, and we are off to the races. Sendecki’s synthesizer leads the way, the band kicks in, with Randy and altoist, Fiete Fellsch, both soloing. Jazz Fusion fans will relish this revisit to the past. “Adina” written for Ada Rovatti, follows, and Randy’s flugelhorn shows the love for his wife, very romantic..
“Squids” is a funky number, heavy in 1970s fusion. “Pastoral,” written by Randy for Jaco Pastorius, one of the most major influences on jazz fusion, and with whom Randy played in the 1980s, follows. Four members of the big band are featured here, and along with Brecker’s warm flugelhorn, the bass clarinet of Bjorn Berger, is highlighted.
“The Dipshit” with a nod to Lee Morgan, is hard bop sweetness, and would be at home back in the days when Randy was the featured trumpeter with Horace Silver and Art Blakey. “Above and Below” is a hard charger with the horns and the synthesizer leading the way. “Sozinho” provides relief from the heat with some counterpoint lyricism.
“Rocks” is self-explanatory, with Brecker and Sanborn digging in with full gusto. I dug the closer, “Threesome” with its blues and gospel roots, well at home in the church of hard bop heaven, a hymn to its hard bop credo.
Fans of power big band with jazz fusion hybrid roots will dig what Randy brings to the table. As a mini retrospective of Brecker’s career, it certainly fits the bill. Highly recommended.
[This release also available on Vinyl.]
Musicians:
Randy Brecker – trumpet and flugelhorn; David Sanborn – alto saxophone; Ada Rovatti – tenor and soprano saxophones; Wolfgang Haffner – drums
…with NDR Bigband/The Hamburg Radio Jazz Orchestra:
Thorsten Benkenstein, Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stotter, Reiner Winterschladen – trumpets
Fiete Felsch, Peter Bolte – alto sax and reeds
Frank Delle, Bjorn Berger – tenor sax and reeds
Edgar Herzog – baritone sax and reeds
Dan Gottshall, Sebastian Stanko, Klaus Heidenreich, Steffan Lotterman, Ingo Lamme – trombones, bass trombone, and tuba
Christian Diener – E-bass/AC bass; Vladyslav Sendecki – keyboards; Bruno Muller – guitar; Marcio Doctor – percussion
Jorg Achim Keller – arranger and conductor
Tracklist:
First Tune of the Set
Adina
Squids
Pastoral
The Dipshit
Above and Below
Sozinho
Rocks
Threesome
—Jeff Krow
