Search - Michael Brecker :: Wide Angles

Brecker's found his groove

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 09/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Michael's latest masterpiece...

john edder | Geiger, PA, U.S. | 01/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Monstrous sounds

L.A. SaxMan | Los Angeles, CA | 07/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."