Customer Reviews

Don't Try This at Home

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I play the sax, and this guy has intrigued me since the first time I heard him. This album is by far Brecker's greatest, as he flirts with fusion, funk, yet displays his softer, more melodic side. Track number one is one challenging song to play along with, but probably the most entertaining to listen to. If you're looking to hear someone who has mastered the sax, I highly recommend getting this album.

This album is by far Michael Breckers best album. It ranges from lush, beautiful sounds, all the way to great funk/fusion. I love this album, and I guarantee that you will too.

As the title says, it's not an album everyone can do unless you practice at least 8 hours a day with all your heart. As usual, here are wonderful stories in tremendous swing from the great Michael. In fact EVERY album with Mike is a jewel. Listen to Coltrane and Bird will feed your heart too.

Trk 1 : Don Grolnick - M.Brecker
Trk 2 : Don Grolnick
Trk 3 : Vince Mendoza
Trk 4 : Mike Stern
Trk 5 : Don Grolnick - M.Brecker
Trk 6 : M.Brecker
Trk 7 : Don Grolnick
Trk 8 : Jim Beard

M.Brecker (Tenor Sax) Mike Stern (Guitar) Charlie Haden (Bass) Jack Dejohnette (Drums)

This release is a little more uneven than releases like Michael Brecker, Tales from the Hudson, or Time is of the Essence.

Maybe there was too much ambition behind this one (they toss in everything but the kitchen sink), or to many different sidemen for things to really gell.

When Brecker is playing tenor, he really blows...(as in great!) I could have used less of the EWI this time around. I loved the EWI playing a lot on Magnetic by Steps Ahead, but in most of the arrangements here I think the tenor is a better fit. A few of the tunes take a while to get cooking, only to fade out at the end... highlights include Scriabin, Don't Try This at Home, Talking to Myself, and the Gentleman and Hizzcaine.

I saw Brecker's live group a few times in the late eighties, and with Nussbaum, Calderazzo, Stern, and Andrews they were positively smokin'. This album just doesn't capture how good they were as a unit. Nussbaum absolutely killed on drums!

This is the album that made me want to play jazz. It's a fantastic album, but it's definitely a product of its time. All of the people complaining about the use of the EWI fail to take into account that this album was made in 1987, and the EWI was accepted as a good instrument for fusion playing. Yes, it sounds a bit dated now, but at the time, it was a revelation. And for all of you who think that the EWI sucks, go try and play one. It's very difficult, much more so than a standard tenor saxophone, so it makes the playing that much more remarkable.

Mr. Brecker's playing is absolutely mind-boggling on this CD. The opening track, "Itsbynne Reel" incorporates Irish folk music and an absolutely incredible solo. His use of the "super mixolydian" mode and phrasing put his playing a few levels above most of his contemporaries.

If you are one of those people that either subscribe to the Wynton Marsalis theory of jazz ("Swing+Blues=Jazz") or are only interested in the "head/solo/head/end" hard bop style of, say, Joe Lovano or Jerry Bergonzi, should probably look elsewhere. This is a Fusion album, and should be looked at as such.

From the first track, with the EWi instrument emulating bagpipes to the Monk like final track, this terrific album combines Brecker's incredibly creative, complex magnifcently skilled Coltrane like solos with a great ensemble that, often creates a big band sound, particularly on the seventh track, with its freedom song type basic lines combined with Brecker's magnificent solos. This album was an earlier demonstration of why the meaningful history of late modern jazz csn virtually start and stop with Micheal Brecker.

The playing of Mr. Brecker is flawless, technically brilliant and energetic.

The problem is the music itself (the first seven cuts), along with the background players, are rather uninspiring/unenergetic and serve as a vehicle for Mr. Brecker to solo over

It is pity because of the last eighth cut which originally did not make the vinyl version.

The last cut stands out due to the originality of its quirky arrangement where all the musicians are playing great.

The passion and emotion exhibited in the playing of this cut is very noticable compared to the other cuts.

If all the cuts were similar in depth like the eighth cut, this recording would be considered a jazz fusion masterpiece.

While the first seven cuts are a cut above the easy listening lite jazz ala Kenny G, Larry Carleton, Earl Klugh etc; they appear to be a compromise between the uncommerciality and lack of self indulgence/ego satisfaction of Mr. Brecker in the eighth cut.

Such a compromise does not move me emotionally when listening to this cd, thus the low score, especially when it could have been much better if a such a compromise was not made.

If this cd was rated out of 10, it would get a 5/10

Needless to say, His playing is nothing spectacular.His fusion experiment lyrically blew up in his face. This is an overratted album that I would not recommend to any JAZZ lover. On the left hand his "Tales from the Hudson" is a good modern era album. His flawless technique and great sidesmen keep the Album flowin'.