National Public Radio‘s JazzSet does a nice write-up of saxophonist Michael Brecker.

"Among the most influential musicians in jazz since the 1960s." (New York Times)

"Michael Brecker’s death in January robs jazz of one of our most important musicians, recognized worldwide. The Times of London wrote, "No saxophonist in jazz has had as pervasive an influence as Michael Brecker, since the death of John Coltrane in 1967." His death came at the end of the 2007 International Association of Jazz Education conference in New York. Emotion swept through the thousands of conferees, and the IAJE said later that he is the single most-studied instrumentalist in music schools in the world today." Read more…

Tim Price, a stellar musician and friend to the SOTW (and seen it the pic to the right playing bari with Michael looking on) attended the memorial in NY on 20 Feb 2007 and writes:

"It was very interesting seeing Dave Sanborn talking to Dave Schnitter and LewTabackin just hanging. Plus loads of cats like Conrad Herwig, Jimmy Madison, Rich Sussman, Adam Brenner, Roberto, Adam Nussbaum, so many great musicians. EVERYBODY!!!! It was deep.

Our community LOST a real messenger–not just the SAX part but the humanity part. It kinda flashed me back, like stuff like this does or can do, to when I first met Brecker in 1973, he was with Horace. A few months later I was in NYC tryin’ to do it….but seeing these people….kinda did a flash back on my me. It was the time of great sessions in NY lofts. Where anybody could show up and you could play all day & night. For me it was the lofts of Sue Evans the percussionist with Gil, or drummer Jeff Pappas, or Mike Willens bassist. Sue’s spot was on S. Broadway–it was a hangout with constant music.

Mike turned me on to a lot of this, as well as Dave Berger’s rehearsal band with guys in it like Peter Loeb and others. NYC was a _HOT SPOT_then. Gigs, cheap living. I wonder WHERE some of the guys are now or even if they’re still living or in music like I just talked of. It’s deep because Mike was a part of knowing where to go to get a music buzz on. He was the first cat to intro’ me to Brazilian tenor player Ion Muniz, who he described as a Brazilian Steve Grossman. My friend Chuck, used to truck a trap case and cymbals on the subway going to sessions all day & nite. Brecker got Chuck an audition with Horace. It was Brecker who later ignited the same vibe with me or Branford at Guardala clinics in NYC or a NAAM. His rapport with Guardala was amazing; lots of respect and Guardala made him STUFF that NOBODY had.

Read more…