Remembering Jazz Great Michael Brecker

This is a printer friendly version of an article from the The Journal News. To print this article open the file menu and choose Print. Remembering jazz great Michael Brecker By SARAH TOMLINSON SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original Publication: August 3, 2007) When the Caramoor International Music Festival puts away its Saturday jazz concerts for the season tomorrow, at least one player will be remembering longtime favorite Michael Brecker, who died in January. Brecker was part of what Joe Lovano, Caramoor's artistic director for the jazz festival, calls the great community of music collaborators who played on each other's albums and who sat in on each other's gigs. One example: Lovano and Brecker each sat in on "Locked and Loaded," the most recent album from the Odean Pope Saxophone Choir, which will appear tomorrow. In life, tenor saxophonist Brecker was celebrated for his virtuosity and dedication to his art. The 13- time Grammy winner, who lived with his family in Hastings-on-Hudson, appeared on more than 900 recordings during his career. He was distinguished not only by his talent, but by his range, which built on the celebrated style of John Coltrane and incorporated an array of classic and contemporary influences. In addition to his accomplishments as a jazz composer and musician, he played on many pop and rock albums, including those by Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, Aerosmith and Paul Simon. Music was who he was and how he lived. And so, when he was diagnosed with the bone-marrow disorder myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, which progressed to the leukemia that took his life in January, it's no surprise that Brecker grappled with his illness and mortality through music. His final album, "Pilgrimage," which was released in May, features jazz luminaries including Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny, and finds Brecker playing with vitality and finesse, and at the peak of his powers. "Certainly the making of the record was such an affirmation of life, and his desire to stay alive…," says Brecker's widow, Susan Brecker. "It doesn't feel like a mournful, sad record. That's not how Michael lived, and that's not how he died. He was really an incredible force of positivity and gratitude, and that's what I think the record communicates." Although he was ill during the recording sessions - and was too ill for his last Caramoor appearance last year - Brecker was determined to keep the focus on the music, rather than his condition, according to those who were in the studio with him. The album, and Brecker's performance on it, shine with a joy and spirit that seems remarkable given the circumstances under which it was recorded. But these qualities were central to his personality, onstage and off, according to his family, friends and musical peers. "If one listens to the album, or just part of it, they'll understand what a brilliant, brilliant, celebration of life it is, in all of its aspects, beauty, grace, and sadness," says Brecker's manager, Darryl Pitt. "It's a stunning, stunning piece of art, and anything that I can say about Mike or say about the record, it's dust compared to what these guys did." And while the album finds Brecker at the top of his game, those closest to him are careful to point out that it's nothing out of the ordinary for a man who always lived and played at his best. "It would be wrong to say this was the culmination of Mike's accomplishments, which are so, so many and have covered such wildly different aspects of musical terrain," says Pitt. "But is it an extraordinary album? Absolutely." It was both Brecker's talent and his dedication to his art that led him to amass such a stunning list of credits. Whether Brecker was recording under his own name, with his brother, trumpet player Randy Brecker, as the Brecker Brothers in the 1970s, with his respected group Steps Ahead in the early 1980s, or with dozens of pop and jazz heavyweights, he always brought something special to the music. "What he could do was pretty unique," says Brecker's longtime friend, bassist John Patitucci, who played on "Pilgrimage." "And what he could reach for and actually get to was phenomenal. He raised the bar quite high, so that was one thing. Then there was his versatility, he could play in any kind of musical situation, which not everyone can do when they're as deep a jazz musician as he was." Brecker also was treasured for his giving nature. Brecker's memorial service was attended by the likes of Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and Paul Simon, who honored him not just as a musical peer, but as a friend. James Taylor spoke by video about how Brecker saved his life in the 1970s when he acted as Taylor's sponsor in his struggle to overcome drug addiction. Clearly, Brecker was a source of inspiration and support for many over the years. "He was somebody that was really kind to people," says Patitucci. "He wasn't just an artist that cared only about himself. He loved his family, and wife, and kids, and his friends. He was very generous and kind to everyone. He was a special person. That's even more important than music. He was a role model in many ways." Brecker will also be remembered for his work to educate the public about the need for more bone- marrow donors. Although he was reluctant to go public with his illness, Brecker decided to speak out on behalf of the cause when he realized he could save lives. He knew there was little chance of finding a donor for himself because he required a very rare match. But he relished the idea that his efforts could help others. In a show of solidarity with Brecker, a bone-marrow drive was held at the International Association for Jazz Education's annual conference last year. More than 500 attendees underwent the blood screening, and while a match was not found for Brecker, the organization's Executive Director Bill McFarlin was recently informed that he is a match for a patient in need. "One of the most rewarding things I can remember having happened in my life is getting the call that maybe I can help someone, and make a difference in someone's life, and maybe even to save someone's life," says McFarlin. "That's pretty powerful stuff. And to think that I might be able to do that because of Michael, on a personal level, that was extremely meaningful for me." While his friends and family are eager for people to hear "Pilgrimage," and enjoy it for the great work of art that it is, they also know that Brecker leaves much more than just an astounding musical catalogue behind. "His life and the way that he lived it is the legacy," says Susan Brecker. "He was an amazing person, a humble, loving, gentle, caring guy. "And this was a person who you can't find a person on the face of this earth that ever said a bad word about. That's his legacy. His dedication to his music, and his professionalism, and his honesty, those are his legacies, his children are his legacy ... What he left in his wake is glorious." .

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