Customer Reviews

Wide Angles

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps it was the groundbreaking work of Dave Douglas (Freak In) and Wayne Shorter (Alegria) that helped Michael Brecker find his proper MO.

Leading what would ordinarily be regarded as an unwieldy group of 15 musicians, including such exotic (for jazz) instruments as French horn and oboe, with strings, Brecker seems to have discovered the perfect vehicle for his marvelous jazz excursions. In the past, it has often seemed that there was too much disparity between Brecker's incredibly rich sax tone and edgy conceptions for even the most brilliant small-group partners to fully realize his genius. As I say, perhaps Douglas and Shorter have convinced him that the larger-ensemble approach is the way to realize the maximum amount of bang for his buck.

Whatever.

Actually, it matters not where the idea came from. It works magnificently here. There's a kind of gravitas here lacking in Brecker's most recent CDs. What's the lesson? Major performers perhaps need bigger canvases to achieve the full measure of their genius. Joe Lovano certainly has been exploring that premise (with mixed results, it must be said).

There should be no equivocation here. Michael Brecker has issued a stunning release. Besides the leader, with his brawny tone, endless solo ideas, and brilliant comping, Adam Rogers on electric guitar stands out. His contribution is so stunning (combined with brilliant wind and string arrangements, it must be admitted) that one is absolutely flabbergasted to find that there is no keyboard player among the 15 musicians listed.

A note on the recording. The producers (Brecker himself and the redoubtable Gil Goldstein) and sound engineers have found the exact right placement of Brecker's muscular tenor sax: always in the heart of the mix, prominent, without being overpowering.

A note on the players. Besides reading like a veritable who's who of up-and-coming players such as Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Charles Pillow (oboe, English horn), Mark Feldman (violin), Eric Friedlander (cello), John Patitucci (bass), the tonal soundscape is perhaps richer than any in jazz remembrance. With the knife-edged-yet-mellow sound of Brecker's tenor sax cutting through such luscious sonic realizations as "Angel of Repose" (a gorgeous ballad) and "Timbuktu" (a kind of updated and impossibly catchy neo-"Night in Tunisia") we're in Wayne Shorter Alegria territory--but with a less mannered, more accessible sound signature.

Still another in the astoundingly rich catalog of brilliant jazz recordings issued in AD 2003.

This album is a monster. This is jazz taken to the next level. I can see where the artist who made the cover got their inspiration because the orchestra often sounds like some kind of beastly being coming to ravage everything in its path.

I bought this album about a year ago, and listened to it a couple times, and at the time was not overly impressed with it. I listened to it again more recently and this time more analytically. I must admit that to the average listener, this music might be a little over their head. But for the avid jazz fan, or jazz musician, I think this is jazz on a new level. There are so many things going on in the music that it is a little difficult to hear it all the first time. You really have to listen a few times over in order to get the true feel.

There is a force to be reckoned with in the world of jazz, and his name is Gil Goldman. I am seeing more musicians who use Gil Goldman to write their arrangements these than I can shake a stick at. On this album, his orchestrations give Mike plenty of room to solo the way he wants. I can't help but get butterflies over Mike's fluid improvisations.

This album is Michaels' time to shine, but the contributions by the other musicians are instrumental. There was a lot of rehearal time spent making this album sound great. There are a couple of nice solos by Robin Eubanks, and nice bass work by Pattitucci. This is a great album.

Tenor titan Michael Brecker's album "Wide Angles" is a true
tour-de-force. Fronting a "quindectet" featuring bass clarinet, four strings plus guitar, French horn, three other reeds, Robin Eubanks on trombone, new (to me) trumpet ace
Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin, as well as drums, percussion, & John Patitucci on bass, Brecker in his September 2003 offering exceeds again this listener's lofty expections of his favorite musician in all the world, possibly in all of time.
In somewhat the same vein as (but much more substantial than) the 1982 release Cityscape, with Klaus Ogerman's full orchestra, the Wide Angles ensemble instead provides a perfect vehicle by which the virtuoso Brecker launches himself into perhaps the most consummate work of his career. His solos, as always, are so well-crafted, lucid, and seamless that the casual listener might possibly be fooled
into thinking this is merely a great sax player. Always in seemingly effortless total control, Michael nonetheless is
perpetually screaming at the very edge of what is possible
lyrically, rhythmically, texturally, harmonically, & emotionally.
He seems to deploy every one of the tonal, rhythmic, & lyrical inventions he's ever developed, but as always, he's blended them in perfect musical context; his 'bag' is presented here in degree & intensity so precisely measured, so thoughtful & flowing that there's never a hint of device. Michael's technical athleticism
is legendary, yet his intelligence rules his horn (but never
his heart). Brecker wrote and arranged all but a couple of
these compositions; in my opinion that's why this 15-piece group works so well. Listen closely to the band's supporting lines in the opener, Broadband, and you'll see what I mean. I have Michael Brecker on about 100 other albums, and I'm telling you, this tune offers a stunning sample of what he can do,
although never for a moment does Michael's unbelievable technique overshadow the song. His harmonic transitions while soloing are silky-smooth but so exciting! Each of the pieces
demonstrates the same brilliant writing; there is no weakness.
In my opinion, this is one of the best jazz records of all time;
it truly defines the cutting edge of man's musical sophistication
at the advent of the new millenium. To those who may not
yet know this kind of jazz, give a serious listen here and you will
surely broaden your mind. No one could be better at anything on this planet than Michael Brecker is at creating music.

For anyone that might be unfamiliar with Michael Brecker, it must be said that there are very very few musicians of any instrument who posess the kind of total command he has over the sax. It is an entirely different kind of experience listening to someone who is thinking completely about the musical ideas they are trying to get across, without having to focus on the execution. The character of each note and phrase shines through much more brightly than it would otherwise.

This is of course as true as ever on "Wide Angles," which opens up new territory in contemporary jazz. Beyond the unusual instrumention (several wind and string instruments and no piano or keys), the WAYS that these instruments function in each composition is original and unique. Rather than traditional improvised piano comping or even written-out ensemble sections limited to the "head" of each song only, all of the instruments are orchestrated throughout almost the entirety of each song. With this structured approach, the songs are able to develop to a level apart from what is possible in the traditional jazz idiom.

The overall sound of the music on this cd is very complex and not what you would call "ear candy." However, there is a tremendous amount of depth to the compositions which can be appreciated and further discovered with repeated listening. Needless to say, the level of proficiency of all the musicians in the group is truly outstanding, providing an additional angle of appreciation by the listener, though certainly not the only one.

In short, this cd contains some of the highest-quality, cutting-edge jazz available today, and I highly reccomend it to anyone open-minded and focused enough to give it a serious listen. I would not say that it achieves quite the INCREDIBLE depth of some of pat metheny's masterpieces, but for what it is it is perfect and probably worth the price of an expensive work of gallery art. Check it out!

My dumb behind didn't know what a quindectet was before I bought this album. I'd never even heard the word used before. It wasn't in any of my dictionaries and my computer refused to recognise it as a proper word. Maybe Michael Brecker made the word up? Ah, whatever. I guess you live and you learn.

I love the idea though. Brecker basically does big band and playing with his fourteen cohorts here gives him the opportunity to paint a canvas of very complex textures upon which to play his beautiful tenor sax solos. The whole ensemble works well but, apart from the bandleader of course, I have a personal fondness on here for Alex Sasha Sipiagin on trumpet, Adam Rogers on guitar and the drummer, Antonio Sanchez (now of The Pat Metheny Group). My favourite songs include "Broadband" (which is the opener on my CD and not "Loxodrome" as mentioned in the product overview soundclips), "Night Jasmine", "Scylla" and "Never Alone". Gil Goldstein does a great job co-arranging with Brecker and doing the overall orchestration.

I'll always wonder though, if I'd have liked the album more if Vince Mendoza had done it?

Still. Great stuff. Anyone who likes this will probably also like some of the big band stuff Bob Mintzer (the horn man with Yellowjackets) did back in the 90s. So I respectfully suggest you check him out too.

There are so many ideas here for the future of jazz, both in instrumentation, and of course Mike's harmonic and melodic unique breakthroughs.
You hear something new again with every repeat hearing.
For me, this is a goldmine of fresh arranging concepts, as well as Brecker's singular contribution in improvisation.
Each tune has its unique groove personality.
Asymmetry in phrasing, breakdowns, elisions, it's all here for the pleasure in listening.
I can only imagine where he might be headed now. What a great loss.
Appreciate what we have from him.
This is one of those albums that builds interest over the years.

"Wide angles" is (to my view) among the three best recordings of this unforgettable sax virtuoso ever made.

It has such kaleidoscopic scope, container of vibrant themes and hovered by contagious flair that, once you listen you will hardly be able to do without about it.

Since the Latin beginning "Broadband" , passing through the marvelous and suggestive ballad "Angle of repose", the original song of African roots "Timbuktu" , the magnificent theme "Night Jessamine" with funk accents, to the most experimental and dynamically moving "Scylla" in which harmonizes expression and introspection, until the last track "Never alone" Brecker always exposed with his inimitable style and touch of class tracks like "Brexterity", the captivating "Evening faces" and the fabulous "Modus operandi" makes me think about an innermost musical journey .

This album has not waste. You must acquire as soon as you can. It's far from being just a fashionable album. It's precisely the contrary: a timeless item for connoisseurs.

A treat!

Whoa. I was used to hearing Brecker in your average funk-fusion (a bit smoother than I like sometimes), and straight-ahead blowing sessions, so this one really took me by surprise. Here he assembled a unique combination of instruments - among them strings, guitar and a somewhat unique (including French horn and Baritone) brass section - which gives the music a kind of heft and richness that is just a joy to hear. The arrangements are great - interesting horn/string lines underneath Brecker's usual masterful and fiery soloing. My faves are "Night Jessamine", and "Modus Operandi" which are two of the grooviest and funkinest jazz songs I've heard in quite a while. The only tiny complaint I have is that Brecker is virtually the only soloist. He gives bassist Pattituci a few spots, as well as a couple for the guitarist and trumpeter, but most of the time it is him wailing on and on. Mind you, he is an awesome soloist, I love his playing, but sometimes you need to break it up a bit and let the other guys shine for a while, too - that is what Jazz is about, individual expression, while still serving the collective. Not even the great Coltrane had a problem letting Eric Dolphy, Don Cherry, or his own McCoy Tyner shine for a while. But, aside from that, this is a superb effort from one of the most important saxophonists since Coltrane. Keep it up, Mike.

The composistions and melodies are fantastic! The arrangements, played for the most parts by acustic instruments, are intelligent and wise! Melodies are swinging and bright!
Michael could perhaps have left room for another solo-player, but his brilliance compensates for that detail!
Hope to see Michael soon in Copenhagen! Way to go Michael!!!!!
5 star album!!!
Mogens

A good but not great jazz album. As the reviewer below comments, there is a lot of orchestration in this album. So what you have most of the time is Brecker or one of the other players soloing over the orchestration. I don't find this to be as musically interesting as albums where there is more interplay among members of the ensemble.