Michael Brecker's untimely passing at age 57 last January was, to me at least, one of the bigger blows to jazz music in a long time. But this piece isn't going to be a eulogy to him because we've covered that already. Instead, it's a celebration of some terrific music he posthumously left behind.
After laying out for about a year while he underwent treatment for his myelodysplastic syndrome, Brecker came back in August, 2006 for one more album, Pilgrimage, just released last month. Most likely knowing that he likely wasn't going to be around much longer, Brecker followed the Warren Zevon Plan for a finale: assemble top drawer talent and follow the formula that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place. But do so with a little more gusto and don't get overly sentimental. Like Zevon, Brecker succeeds in making you miss him simply by doing everything that he does best.
And what does Brecker do best? Blowing that tenor sax is on the top of the list, natch, but it's also about jazz squarely straight ahead but still as challenging as anything coming from the avant garde. Brecker's compositions are another strength containing unexpected chord changes galore yet shadings that emerge a little more with each listen. Incidentally, all the selections here are Brecker originals, which I believe is a first for him. And lastly, Brecker is about interplay that demands much from all players, not just him.
So, it made sense that the aforementioned top drawer talent are no less than pianists Herbie Hancock and Brad Mehldau, guitarist Pat Metheny, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. For Brecker, these aren't guys he pulled in for the sake of having big names on his records, he's played with all of these guys extensively before in various configurations, such as Metheny and him playing together in Joni Mitchell's band way back in the mid seventies.
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