Customer Reviews

Two Blocks From the Edge

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I also feel compelled to give my 2c here. Joey Calderazzo may not have grown up with Latin parents, but hey, He Wrote The Song the other reviewer was talking about, El Nino!
And Michael Brecker gets pretty intensely loud here for a Latin song. So we're not really talking pure salsa anyway, but a jazz cross-over.
Michael Brecker has just about the best chops on tenor in the jazz world. And who do you think he would get to be his pianist, Someone With Great Chops!
The fact that this album has two songs written by Joey Calderazzo says it all. These are two of the best tunes on the album, IMHO.
Of course we would all love to hear Brecker with McCoy Tyner or Herbie Hancock on piano. Well, he Has played with both of them, and those are great recordings, too.
And do you now who Joey played with recently after leaving Michael Brecker? Brandford Marsalis, who I would say is a big enough name to get who he thinks is the best!

As a jazz trombonist, I have listened to a number of musicians to hone my craft. Of all the instrumentalists, Michael Brecker has been a favorite. With his use of modern harmonics and keen sense of melodic use, Michael sustains his level of musicianship with Two Blocks From The Edge. Brecker never plays with any slouches, either. Being at the high level in which he plays and the respect from colleagues and audiences alike, Michael Brecker can choose his bandmates. Pianist Joey Calderazzo is another such statesman on his instrument. Having studied with the same teacher, Richie Beirach, Calderazzo and I have been exposed to modern harmony through all forms of 20th Century music (Takemitsu, Hancock, Shorter, Woody Shaw, etc.). So, for the uneducated reviewer that dissed Joey, shame on you for your lack of historical background and unvalid comments. Kudos to Michael Brecker and band!

Having heard Brecker with authentic piano giants like Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea it is a disapointment to hear him with a piano player (Joey Calderazzo) who is not up the task of being his main foil as a soloist. I would rather hear Brecker in a Tenor, Bass and Drums trio than hear him with what sounds like a talented Berklee student on the piano. I would love to hear Brecker more with Hancock - the piece Scriabin on an early record was stunning.

this is an enjoyable record... Delta City Blues is a great way to end the record. Sure, it's some showing off, but what a blast.

El Nino is a great track. Brecker's ballad playing is very sweet on this one. Joey Calderazzo definitely smokes throughout.

Wasn't this the regular touring group at the time? In any event, I recommend this one. Like Brecker's better albums, a good collaborative effort makes for a nice album.

Shawn

I recently purchased this CD and thought Joey Calderazzo fit perfectly with Michael Brecker. So I was somewhat amazed that another reviewer dissed Calderazzo so badly. Rather than being a "fetter" that kept Brecker back, Calderazzo seemed to be the catalyst for allowing Brecker to soar and stretch out.

In my opinion , and I have every one of Michael's CD's, "Two Blocks.." is his best. The stand out tracks are "El Nino" and "Delta City Blues". The solo on "El Nino" is amazing, and I've tried playing Delta City Blues... not pretty. I saw him do these songs live and it was the best concert I have ever been to. Get this CD. It is amazing. And if you are a sax player, prepare to cry and not touch your horn for days.

I always enjoyed this cd, and a couple of years ago would have given it a solid 4 stars, it just grows on you and it's now a five.
A labor of love dedicated to the great Don Grolnick.
Amazing compositions and playing - subtle and then it kicks in. The sidemen are not really sideman, Watts especially.
Saw them live in Santa Cruz that year ~what a gig!~

Brecker is a fiery, if familiar tenor saxophonist who often works best in solo mode, offering his polished take on Coltrane's pioneering sheets-of-sound method. He definitely makes the case for technical fluidity but composing and leading a group are a smaller story. Though there are a few attempts at unique songwriting and some bold synergistic passages, much of these sessions degrade into generic-ville when the interplay veers towards autopilot.

If you ask me, Mr.Brecker is the best of the Coltrane disciples. He is the one that, without sounding like a clone, best captures the fire of the Master. Here, we have a nice little album that showcases his masterful improvising. His sound is a delight for the ears - pensive and lyrical on the ballads, and edgy, urgent on the faster tracks. On "El Nino", the sole Latin piece, he really lets loose. When the rythm section cranks it up, Brecker soars admirably. Now, I must point out that, although Calderazzo, Genus and Watts are very capable musicians, and they offer very solid support, on a few spots here and there they are not on par with Brecker. For example, on the tune mentioned, when it's Calderazzo's turn to blow, and the rythm cranks up, he doesn't quite rise up to the occasion. Compare that to the brilliant, incendiary solos of pianists such as Michel Camilo, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, or Chucho Valdes, and you will see my point. Obviously, Calderazzo has almost no Latin chops whatsoever, so that when the groove is red hot Latin, his soloing sort of remains in the straight-ahead vein, and that just doesn't work. This drags the music down in terms of intensity. I won't get into the technical/stylistic specifics of that, but just listen to those pianists I mentioned and you will hear what I mean. Now, aside from that, this album is a solid representation of Brecker's astounding abilities - his passionate tone, his restless drive, his brilliant phrasing, etc. The last track, "Delta City Blues" is the highpoint of this album. Brecker's sax sounds almost like a human voice - crying in despair, yet with hope. Not Brecker's best, I am sure, but still a very good album for any Jazz fan to have in his/her collection.

A phenominal album that really showcases Michael's (as well as the rest of the band's) musicianship. A combination of styles accents this album's technical aspects. A powerful brass section, a solid rythym section and the finger-twisting saxes all support Michael's solo piece, "Delta City Blues". The technicality of this piece really demonstrates the raw talent posessed by these musicians The overall energy, talent, skill and style presented in this album is well worth the price and waiting for it in the mailbox.