You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians - Nobody Does It Brecker!

Episode Date: February 5, 2024

Get ready to hang with our hosts as they break down the epic musical journey of the Brecker Brothers in this podcast episode! Michael and Randy Brecker are the OGs of jazz, and we're here to spill the tea on their game-changing fusion beats and mind-blowing improvisation. From their amazing collaborations to shaping the modern jazz scene, these brothers are the real MVPs. Tune in for the lowdown on their killer tracks, cultural impact, and why the Brecker Brothers are the ultimate icons in the music game.↓ Links from the pod ↓Skunk FUNK: North Sea Jazz Fest 1992Have a question for us? Leave us a SpeakPipeCheckout courses from Adam, Peter and more at Open Studio🎹 Head over to our YouTube channel for a better look 👀.Follow us on Instagram

Hey dude, you want to play some music? Yes. Could we do something that's like, it like starts kind of like one finger snap. And then there's like a like a. Yep. And then there's like a crisp Lydian triad situation at a certain point. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then it's just like straight burnout.

We're going to need all of that with a vest in a fanny pack. Oh, got you. Okay. I'm Adam Manus. And I'm Peter Martin. I'm listening to the You'll Hearer podcast. Jazz. Explain.

And reminisced. And reminisced. Peter, I'm so excited about today. We've never talked about these artists. But today we're listening to the Brecker Brothers. Yes. Before we listen to the Brecker Brothers, some skunk, funk. You should know that this podcast is brought you by Open Studio.

Go to Open StudioJazz.com for all your jazz lesson needs. This came out of, we were talking about, it's funny, because we were talking about doing this song, like listening to this song, reacting to this song. And then you went on the jazz cruise and you actually hung with a little bit. Randy Brecker. Yes, always a pleasure to see. The great Randy Brecker. The great Randy Brecker. Great to see Mr.

Brecker, such a funny guy, such a talented guy, obviously. Obviously. And such a link with this really influential band. And we're going to listen to a 1992 version that I was actually in attendance act. You were at this show. Yes, I was at the show. And Randy Berker said that he, is he a podcast listener? He's just aware of our.

Friend of the pod. We got to get him on the pod. That's so weird, man. I wanted to ask him when he said, he's like, yeah, I'm always listening to you and Adam. Or he might have said another guy. That's good. Other guy's fine. I'll take other guy from Andy Brecker.

He really enjoyed it. But we were thinking I wanted to do this episode anyway. So it was more coincidental than I ran into him there and got to see him. And so, yeah, I'm going to take you back to a time, Adam. Okay. A time when this is a- Remember that from Wayesville? Yeah, exactly.

Exactly. So this is an exciting time because we might seem like, you know, compatriots, contemporaries of each other's friends, which we are, all those things now. Yeah, yeah. But I'm going to take you back to a year when we were none of that. Okay. 1992. Oh, I was just a, I was a boy.

Exactly, but I was a man. Oh, okay, all right. We got to go back then to find that DMAR. I was a young man. I was a 13-year-old man. Yeah, you were not a man yet. And I was barely a man. I was 21.

I was fully legally drinking at that point. Yeah. Perhaps. I was still playing with Transformers probably. Right. I'm being honest. So 1992, Norsee Jazz Festival, this was like the second time I got to go on a tour of Europe.

I was with a little group called the Jazz Futures. Amazing. And that's why I was at Norsey Jazz Festival. We played that. I remember seeing Breckle. Well, I saw him a couple times on this tour. And it was kind of a big deal. You said 92?

92. Shout out Ross Perrault. Hey. Remember that guy? Yeah, very. I just remember that election. Yeah. Was that 92?

Yeah, I think so. How'd that go? I mean, seeing how things are now, not great. Right. No, but this was a big deal when that band reunited because the record, I don't know, like, I wasn't closely like following a lot of it. But like when I sort of first got into jazz and like trying to do stuff,

good friend of the pod, Jeremy Davenport, trumpeter and good friend of mine growing up. And you know, Chris Thomas, Todd Williams, our whole little gang, Dave Berger,

Mark Peterson, Steve Kirby, shout out all the St. Louis guys. But Jeremy had this record called the Brecker Brothers, the original one with that really cool design, the LP.

And I remember hearing the song and I was like, I didn't really know what fusion. I mean, I kind of did because I was like, I'd heard some weather report a little bit and I'd heard some jazz and some, I don't know, but I remember this record, I was just like, what the effort they'd do. I had not heard secrets yet. I'd heard Herbie Hancock's Rocket record, which is a little bit different than anything else he did before that. That's not really fusion. No, it's more like kind of hip hop-y poppy, pop. It's pop track.

But I remember hearing that record and like for some reason we were like with our crappy little band that, well, so, no, I'd heard chameleon. Like we were we were playing that in our little band. I remember that. that. So I'd heard Selma Herbie from that period. But we were like, let's try to learn some skunk fuck. Yeah. Interesting. How'd that go? We got a chart, like a pack of charts to this. And like, it was like unplayable, unreadable by us. Yeah, of course. No context. No, I mean, we had the record. So, and then the chart was wrong. So we're trying to. But I mean, it was one of the most advanced exhilarating and just kind of crazy, but grooving and like just over the top like, it's do jazz. Yeah, it's due jazz. Yeah. I didn't know what do jazz was. but it was dude. And I also didn't know what cocaine jazz was.

I didn't know what Coke was at the time. And that's no disrespect. It's a whole subgenre. It is. It's just for dudes. And that's not a gender. That's just, if you're a dude, you know you're a dude. Right. Dude jazz is just for dudes unless you hit a high level. Then everybody kind of likes it. So you got to really go, you got to work harder though. I would say that the Brecker Brothers, that's high level of dude jazz for sure. Exactly. It's the highest of high. But that record, so when they came back together, it was like a big deal. And what we're going to listen to, is some skunk funk live. Of course, Randy Brecker, trumpet.

Mike Brecker, his brother, of course, saxophone. And then this is really cool. Michael Brecker, by the way, we lost way too soon. Exactly. Way too soon, tragically. And one of the great musicians of his era. One of the huge influences,

I mean, on the saxophone and beyond. Man, all the musicians I know. I mean, like James Genius, who's a good friend for many years, I actually met him right around this summer, like around the time of this gig, that summer. First time I met James, great bass player out of. of the Virginia Beach, not Virginia Beach,

what are they called that, Newport News, those little, yeah, Hampton, he's from Hampton, Virginia. I don't know too many musicians that aren't influenced

at some level by Michael Brecker. Even if they don't know it. Right, but I remember James talking about that, everybody who worked with Brecker and then, that whole, you know, Brecker, Chris Potter connection

and Brand for Mars, I mean, all, you know. But it was a cool band because James was like, by far the young, he was like the young gun of this and we were like, damn, who is this guy

playing with the Brecker brother? Yeah, yeah, put it back together. And this particular version, I know Dennis Chambers was playing when I saw him one time, but this one has Dave Wechle. Shout out St. Louis's own. Dave Wechle,

great, great, incredible drummer. And then George Whitty on the Keys. George Whitty. George Whitty. One of our colleagues in online music education. Right, who has one of the best jazz piano courses. Yeah, go check out George Wittie's courses on Artist Works. Check out Open Studio first.

And then Mike Stern. Mike Stern. Classic. You know what I mean? So this is like, this is a young Mike Stern probably. A young, everybody was kind of young. Cool. Yeah.

too. Oh. Oh. You know, they have that sibling thing, man. You know how sisters when they sing together,

they blend seamlessly. Yeah. The phrasing. It's like, I mean, you think they were like, I like, staccato on this?

The Marsalis have that too. Definitely. I was going to say, this reminds me of of Winton and Bramford from the same period. Yeah. The way that,

or a couple years before this, the way they would play together. But also like, it's little shades of Miles, Davis and Kenny Garrett,

perhaps. You know, like the way they would play stuff together. But just, I mean, talk about the effortless, like, way they're grooving. And it's interesting because I remember when I heard this, I was trying to figure out, like, swing, rock, like, what it was. And, like, the lines are kind of swinging, but it's very like, I mean, it's just a hard backbeat and like, you know, it's almost like a rock groove.

Totally. But they're floating. That's the Wackle special, bud. That is the Wackle special. Yeah. No one does it better. But the way they're phrasing this, what would you, would you call that swinging? Check it up.

Yeah, for sure. Okay, sorry. Using my spacebar. So I was saying like it reminds me of one finger snap. Right. Right. It's so fast that you're not going to be syncopating the dunk. You're not going to be syncopated the eighth note or the 16th note.

But where they're where they're phrasing it is syncopated. Right. And we would be remiss if we didn't mention. Look at that high level. And I actually told Randy Brecker when I saw him. I was like, man, I was just watching the bum back. Because they just released this. There's a black leather bum bag.

I told him, I remember. I remembered it. And I was like, you were wearing a fanny pack. He's like, yeah, I had a lot of them back then. Dude, I mean, but he's rocking it. And he's got at the right play. You got that little down low. We just, he would fit in in Yusef Day's band.

He totally would. You know? 100%. Yeah. Mike Stern doesn't age. Yeah. Still looks like that. He does.

And just to say, I mean, I totally agree with what you're saying in terms of like two two siblings playing together. But I think. that's like 10% 20% of a baby. Like the way, like their ability. Yeah. They're incredible technical abilities. But then their like ability to phrase within the groove.

And like when you talk to Randy Berger, he's such a like, that's the way he is. Yeah, totally. And Mike Brecker was like that. It's this super cool thing. Shout out James Dean. A young Joe. Are they going to show them? Here's our Lydian Dryo.

This record. Jay. There's Peter. Weckle. I remember those red sticks. just on them Missingo music Rames up

so I remember that's like I learned that first part and then it was a little bit downhill and if you're watching if you still have that watch let me know

because I will I will buy that the whole thing the glasses the hat the whole thing matches and just

they're killing it killing him he's going into his record stuff nobody doesn't Look at that suit. I always found Michael Brecker's solo

for all instruments, incredibly transcribable. Very much. I agree. Even though it's nuts-o, what's going on? You've got to have some technical ability. Yeah, it is crystal clear. Like, you can hear every.

There's a logic, like the way he weaves these great improvisational melodies within, you know, the harmony and the time. Yeah. There's a whole lot you can learn. Check out with Dave Welch. That's some incredible comp in and kind of for, you know, know foresight into what he's gonna how Brecker's gonna play like normally I don't like this stuff

of where you play what you know they're gonna play but he does it so well it works check it out um it doesn't sometimes predictable can be good when you're that good weckle also like insanely relaxed doing some crazy shit you were in the crowd here yeah so actually i think we're over by the side so check out Weckle when he's like i don't know if he was doing this Dang, dang. The backbeats like anticipated every other one. See, I'd be hearing that kind of stuff. That's why we call this, you'll hear it.

I don't know if you're only going on this part. Yeah, George Woody's going with him on that deep here in the cords. Okay, you're talking about transcribing something. The way he went out of time at the beginning of that phrasing and went up and then came down in time. Check it. He's a master position. Look at that.

Baby genus Wow We just saw him with Herbie This past summer That's ball actually Oh look at the earring in an earring Amazing Suns out guns out, you know

Yeah Oh Geez Louise High energy This is the part Where my wife has We can leave I know exactly

Most of the women ask for me But they all like you know They love the dog Oh Randy Brecker Oh, it's so solid. Yeah.

That's so effective. You pause it. So like... Look those past game view of the 8th in the back back. Can you pause it for a second? I know, there's a ton of them. What he just did that... Dun, bum, bum, ba'-pap.

Like, so we've been listening to four minutes of this like double time, 16-n-n-th-n-th-node. Right. And it's just like, like, take it back for 20 seconds and just, like, let it lay back in that pocket. Even after he himself has already kind of established that 16-note line, Brilliant stuff there. So effective, by the way. Easy thing to do. James got like an octaver on it.

He's probably an october on it? Yeah, yeah, something. This would be a fun band to be in, wouldn't it? Oh, man. You'd be hitting that one more. One thing they never said this man, let's lay back on the scum, yeah, no, man.

What is the, what is the cable budget for this band? It must be enormous. Just all the chords. Man, so can I, Can we stop for a second? So there's something that's going on in a lot of these solos, man. We never really talked about or we don't,

I don't think we talk about enough, but he just did that, um, um, like that sort of like single note thing that you can do on the trumpet. And then we heard, um, maybe it with a different fingering.

With a different fingering. We heard Michael Brecker actually do the same, similar thing on the tariff saxophone. Uh, I was just watching a great YouTuber who's a, uh, uh, uh,

orchestration YouTuber. And talk about like the different elements that you can use when you're arranging or orchestrating something. and there's a whole subcategory that's effects, right? And like we use all the time. And we don't really talk about it as its own category, but those kind of effects that they were just using. So you've got this like, we know these like 16th note,

like burning lines, you've got that halftime thing that we talked about. And you've got these effects that all the musicians are using to an incredible effect. But it's like such a useful category. And it's so specific to each instrument, too. Every instrument is different. Totally.

Like Stern was doing some of the good ones. We talk about, have you ever, If you want to make any other musician laugh as a pianist, do the casino lick thing because they can't do that. Right. To just do this thing. But that's an effect, or for us, like something like a tremolo would be an effect. Or there's all sorts of things. And that thing, like, we can do that, but it's not effective.

It's not the same. Because they're using a different fragrance. So the notes are actually, they're a little bit tuned, a little, they have a little textural difference or something. Totally. Yeah. But I just wanted to point that out that, like, of all these things, there's that subcategory. And when that, when that orchestrator mentioned that, and if that's a,

great effect. Guitarists have loads of this stuff. They have effects pedals, but they also have like things. But if you think about it as its own category, it can be a kind of helpful device because you're like, okay, well, I need some of these things as a collection,

as you would, like chords or melodies or whatever. Yeah, it's another tool in the toolbox. But I think a lot of times they get a bad rap because people like, oh, they're gimmicks. They're gimmicks if you use them before you're really good. I mean, you don't have to be really good. But if you rely on, them. If you're great players like these guys are, you can incorporate them into the flow

and the trajectory of the music. If you rely on them solely, I think you can rely them as a tool to use, like, even an effect like, well, first of all, any kind of big... But like the glissano, sometimes people use it as like an escape hatch. Like, they're doing and then they're like, like, help! But I've seen like people like Harry Connick use it to an amazing artistic effect. Or even you think about McCoy Tyner's like left-hand bombs. That's an effect, but it's like It's so effective the way he uses it. Hence the word. Effect effective. Hello.

Yeah. I don't know if it's an A or an E. Okay. That's a very weckle phrase there. Ah. Dude. And if you want, folks, go check the same band out with Dennis Chambers in the same year. It's a different thing.

That Weckled Cowbell thing. I love it. You gotta get Weffle on the show. He's right down the street. Right. Well, you know. They're playing very high. Shout out to the North Sea Jazz Festival.

Exactly. Yeah. Great recording. Norseys putting up some really cool stuff. You can follow their YouTube channel. You know what's great about that? Like, that was a lot of hard, complicated stuff. They pretty much, I was going to say they were at like 99.9.9% out.

But I couldn't find a point nine that they weren't accurate. So I'm right to have 100% accurate. Precision is off the charts. Precision is all of them. They were killing it. Every single one of them. Precision is off the charts. It's nuts.

Technique, groove and dudeisms. Dude. Dude. Until next time. You'll hear it. Dude hear it? Dude, hear it? No.

Dude perfect. Oh.