McCoy Tyner Trio - Infinity feat. Michael Brecker

McCoy Tyner Trio - Infinity
Featuring Michael Brecker
1995 - Impulse! - VBR@ 171 - 186 KB/ps

first posted by Stefan From Paris 29 Nov 2006 @ his blog

Michael Brecker

Born 29 Mar 1949, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died 13 Jan 2007, New York, New York

BIO: A remarkable technician and a highly influential tenor saxophonist (the biggest influence on other tenors since Wayne Shorter), Michael Brecker took a long time before getting around to recording his first solo album. He spent much of his career as a top-notch studio player who often appeared backing pop singers, leading some jazz listeners to overlook his very strong improvising skills.
Brecker originally started on clarinet and alto before switching to tenor in high school. Early on, he played with rock and R&B-oriented bands. In 1969, he moved to New York, and soon joined Dreams, an early fusion group. Brecker was with Horace Silver during 1973-1974, gigged with Billy Cobham, and then co-led the Brecker Brothers (a commercially successful funk group) with his brother, trumpeter Randy Brecker, for most of the 1970s. He was with Steps (later Steps Ahead) in the early '80s, doubled on an EWI (electronic wind instrument), and made a countless number of studio sessions during the 1970s and '80s, popping up practically everywhere (including with James Taylor, Yoko Ono, and Paul Simon). With the release of his first album as a leader in 1987 (when he was already 38), Brecker started appearing more often in challenging jazz settings. He recorded additional sets as a leader (in 1988 and 1990), teamed up with McCoy Tyner on one of 1995's most rewarding jazz recordings, and toured with a reunited Brecker Brothers band. Two Blocks From the Edge followed in 1998, and a year later, Brecker returned with Time Is of the Essence. The early aut's saw the release of Nearness of You: The Ballad Book and Wide Angles in 2001 and 2003 respectively. However, after experiencing some mysterious back pain during a concert in 2005, Brecker was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) a cancer of the blood marrow. A failed search for a matching bone marrow donor eventually led to an experimental partially matching blood stem cell transplant via his daughter in late 2005. - Scott Yanow, AMG

REVIEW: It seems only fitting that the initial new release on the latest revival of the Impulse label features McCoy Tyner and Michael Brecker. When Impulse started out in 1960, John Coltrane and Tyner were the first artists to be signed, and when Impulse was briefly brought back by MCA in the 1980s, two of its most important albums were recordings by Brecker. There are not a lot of surprises on this quartet matchup (with bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Aaron Scott) except perhaps for how well Tyner and Brecker mesh together. The music is somewhat similar to a set by the pianist's regular trio with a solo piece (Blues Stride), a generous amount of Tyner originals and colorful versions of Thelonious Monk's I Mean You and Good Morning Heartache, but Brecker's presence and consistently powerful playing does inspire Tyner and his sidemen. For a strong example as to why today's saxophonists have such a high opinion of Michael Brecker, his roaring statement on the extended Impressions will suffice. Highly recommended. - Scott Yanow, AMG

Musicians
Valtinho Anastacio - Percussion, Conga
Michael Brecker - Sax (Tenor)
Aaron Scott - Cymbals, Drums
Avery Sharpe - Bass
McCoy Tyner - Piano

Tracks
01 - Flying High (10:14) @183.6
02 - I Mean You (7:19) @181.4
03 - Where Is Love (5:31) @175.7
04 - Changes (9:46) @186.9
05 - Blues Stride (3:38) @175.4
06 - Happy Days (9:42) @179.6
07 - Impressions (11:13) @183.3
08 - Mellow Minor (9:21) @175.7
09 - Good Morning, Heartache (5:26) @171.7

File Size: 93.7 MB
Sound Quality: VBR@ 171 - 186 KB/s