Still alive and swinging at 70 years old, trumpeter Randy Brecker has made a career both as a solo artist, a co-leader with his late brother for the funky Brecker Brothers and as a stud in the studio for countless recording sessions. This concert finds Brecker with the all star team of David Sanchez/ts, Adam Rogers/g, John Patitucci/g, Kenny Werner/p-arr and Nate Smith/dr revisiting some of the songs that Brecker participated on during his session days.
The team jazzes up the Steely Dan hit “New Frontier,” further enhanced by daughter Amanda Brecker’s charming vocals. A spooky read of “Let Me Just Follow Behind” features Rogers’ guitar, and the horns punch the Blood Sweat and Tears hit “I Can’t Quit Her” just right. Breckers horn is crystal clear on the pop ballad “Hello, It’s Me” and Patitucci’s bass delivers a rich reggae pulse on “Ghost Writer” The team is as tight as Kim Kardashian’s leggings on a pair of James Brown flamers, “I’ve Got A Bag of My Own” and “Think!” and the rhythm team gets a nice Afro groove on Paul Simon’s “Late in the Evening.” Everyone gets a chance to solo, making this a rich cross of pop and jazz in the best of senses.
Piloo Records