Michael Brecker plays EWI

An EWI solo by Mr. Brecker

[@decidedlyDusty]

It's 2023, this video is 17 years old, and this shit is still so mind blowing.

[@JonovanCooper01]

This dude mastered the sax and then mastered the EWI! His life was cut short but to live longer might have been scary!! WOW! Amazing!

[@Split_the_beer_atom]

God really said “shit I can’t let him pass me”

[@edwardskinner651]

what amazes me in watching this is not the technical ability to play this. it's that he had all of this in his mind and put it all together.

[@zeewirszyla]

4:32 Me when I start to have a panic attack 4:58 Me when everything is fine again

[@MRtacoslicous]

Spot on lol

[@ardeleansvengali4437]

This was one of the most influential videos I'd ever seen, going back about 12 years or more and im a guitarist. Such an incredible piece of music history.

[@PetrichorAllegory]

This video has aged like fine wine. What a treasure

[@epicbdragon]

this video is shot like a tim and eric sketch

[@whotookaegir]

more like tim and eric sketches are shot like 80s jazz fusion concerts

[@TheHappyKamper]

Now I'm just picturing this guy standing behind a big pot plant 🤣

[@ukesonparade534]

Good. You’re not the only one thinking that. Both aspects blow my mind

[@darktangent10]

6:34 *blows into instrument* Instrument: *allahu ackbar*

[@bovisjones]

the best part of this video is 0:01 to 9:13

[@ericdano]

This is what, over 20 years old, and no one can do anything close to it today..... Brecker was and still is ahead of us all.

[@Kubbin]

One might even say that he is Steps Ahead of us all.

[@funklover24]

Richard Bona ist doing something similar with his voice. ❤ But you're right, Michael is steps ahead of us.

[@ddoggycanada]

This was over 33 years old 😂

[@mobiusII]

I was just thinking that today today myself. I followed his music fervently for about the last ten years of his life, buying each new album as soon as it was released and always being amazed at his evolution and refinement. I miss that so much. He really left such a musical legacy though we can listen for a long, long time and never get tired of it!

[@Vossst]

It's almost like a soundtrack. I definitely want to see the movie.

[@ilikemusak]

just got a 4000... its incredible what they can do out of the box. i havent even started toying with the midi potential, but it can do whatever a player wants it to. amazing instrument. and its great how easy it is to play it, especially if already play sax or clarinet

[@JoelCarli]

This is so delightfully 80s.

[@tracezacur6784]

the black center here... it's really graphite. Compressed graphite.

[@classiclibertarian]

Trace Zacur I appreciated that mashup so much

[@rohme]

michael i can say has inspired me beyond description...the jazz world, the music world, the world altogether we greatly miss this beautiful amazing man and player

[@jazz0saxophone]

Michael Brecker really helped lead the way for both modern saxophone playing and the EWI. I regret never getting the privilege to see him play live. R.I.P. Michael

[@frankzappa7871]

Holy Hell !!!! Mr Brecker always was ,always is and always will be one of the great Sax players that has a great understanding of music and how to present it to your average earthling.Thanks so much for all of your beautiful music I have heard personally over decades now. How good is this piece?

[@scomdnz9]

michael had ears big enough to hear the universe of sound and rhythm coupled with the intellect and emotional understanding to pick and choose from this source in a masterful way. why do all the greats die so soon.

[@tkljung]

He was in Copenhagen, i was there 2, just short after he went away, ive been fallowed him seens the 70ths, sorry my english, but... some guys shouldent die. He was one of them. Thanks Brecker for all you been giving jazz. R.I.P

[@saxplayer189]

Michael Brecker=Perfection

[@jazzzzdude]

There should be a button that you can press that deletes instantly the accounts of anyone who gave this a thumbs down.

[@beezelite]

Michael is one of those very rare musicians that transcended his instrument. He set the bar so high that it will be many years before there is an equivalent talent on tenor sax. Not to impugn any other great sax player because there are plenty. Mike was very special indeed.

[@mohanjanisthere]

It just struck me that this is one of the oldest videos on KZbin, yet the EWI is still not THAT popular, nor heard of nowadays

[@mobiusII]

Yeah, I got on KZbin in the real early days (pre-Google) and I just wanted to share my love for Michael Brecker. At the time, my videos were some of the first publicly available Brecker videos available on the internet. To be respectful, I got this and all of my Brecker videos from Louis Gerrits. He has a website called www.michaelbreckerliverecordings.com/ that is an absolute library and mecca for any Michael Brecker fans. Please go there and support Louis's efforts!

[@jefflindeman]

You’re just not looking hard enough. There are amazing EWI players out there. I’m a sax player 50+ years and fairly new to the EWI universe as a player. I recently bought a new Roland Aerophone Pro. Akai is still making several models, as is Yamaha, as well as custom wind controllers like NuRAD. Plenty of stuff going on, but ya gotta look for it.

[@AteThisYesterday]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4aokqOwptWnf6M

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Roland’s recent instruments have kind of taken some of the market. Especially the lower cost consumer market for people who live in an apartment and don’t want to practice a traditional instrument at full volume. I’m not sure if that was ever a market for EWI, however.

[@hydroxide6899]

2:07 is the beginning of F O N K T I M E if anyone is wondering

[@UkuleleAversion]

6:32-6:34. His face: "Boi, I'm 'bout to do it!".

[@movietheme]

Easily the best comment on all of KZbin

[@MsMusicAficionado]

Whoever had the nerve to give Michael a thumbs down is either brain-dead or simply deaf!

[@bernhardtmitdt2586]

Hey man, think about what you have written! Thumb down does NOT say "it's bad". It simply means "I don't like it". Who are you to define s.o. with other musical preferences than yours as brain-dead?

[@LanceWillMakeIt]

@@bernhardtmitdt2586 i personally wouldnt dislike a video and worsen the spreading of a piece of music just because I dont like it... who is one to say a piece of music isnt worth getting as popular just because they dont like it

[@jazzmunky]

I sold my EWI4000s five years ago....what a mistake! It's a great instrument

[@Crabpeople1]

I love how he all of a sudden just starts shredding guitar at the end.

[@BeesKneesBenjamin]

I sometimes feel musicians in the 80s and 90s lived further in the future than some stuff we see now. Anything went but it was kept as an easy listen. Crazy sounds, crazy chord progressions... Rather than talking about bad emulations it was just another colour to use on your palette. Who knows soon we'll go through a similar revolution as what happened then :-)

[@Schecque]

Absolutely best EWI record. Love the sound around 2:00, amazing!

[@Sludgepump]

Absolutely Mobius, I agree entirely. I have listened to many of his albums hundreds of times, (Corea's "Three Quartets" in particular). I find Brecker astonishing and superb every time I hear him. It never loses it's magic. There are other fine musicians for sure, but Brecker stands out so clearly. What a legacy!

[@ivanmay7890]

It is really interesting to see Michael Brecker playing the EWI like that. I think he was responsible for popularizing the ewi.

[@wyndhleodumegwu253]

You must hear Mike on soprano saxophone which he seldom played during all of his 57 years on this Earth plane. Bob Mintzer said Michael was one of the most talented Souls on Flute as well. No surprise there, too.

[@saxist52]

Michael has been an inspiration to my playing ever since I first heard him in the early 70's. And no matter how many times I watch this incredible video of Michael, I'm inspired yet again to hit the woodshed. Thank you, Michael.

[@danos1011]

monster musician. never seen anyone so creative or fluent or with such spontaneous composition excellence. one in a billion!!!!

[@Sludgepump]

OUTSTANDING. How am I ever supposed to get my work done with this AMAZING music going on in the background. (KZbin was several windows deep). Trust Michael to keep leaping into the foreground every few seconds. What an unbelievable master musician he was. God, how I miss hearing each new thing that he played. :(

[@JahDecyple]

I stop by every so often and I listen to this, and my my my..It still blows me away.Michael was an amazing talent I am just happy that he has left behind such gr8 works for the world to enjoy...........

[@antofa123]

So sorry you're gone Michael. You live on in your music and will never be forgotten.. A true genius, R.I.P ... you deserve it!

[@Ted_Swayinghill]

Goodgoogamooga!!! This is amazing(as usual) RIP Mr.Brecker

[@kryptonitetime]

HE'S GONE MAD WITH POWER!!!! Fantastic video by the way. Thanks.

[@646879]

magic Michael......we miss this talent....rip bro

[@gyulapapa100]

Nagyon érdekes hangszerek és hangszineket produkálnak. nagyon érdekel és különleges hangszineket produkálnak.

[@Foldron]

im addicted to this video, just love the electric guitar in the end - great man, Michael B

[@MonteSkelton]

WOW. I love it!!!

[@raffaelescarpa1105]

the artist and audio technologies ... great mix

[@beausacamano]

Who’s listening to this in 2022?!? 🎷 🐐

[@qwertyuiop32935]

Here!

[@lewisjones4158]

Yes!

[@colonelbuendias]

This is absolutely gorgeous!

[@RMV1984]

A good friend , that is a wonderful musicisn told me about this..and OH MY...AMAZING!!!

[@danaleongmusic]

goes to show it really takes a lot to do something 'new' in music. the longer we're around, the more that's 'already been done.'

[@saxster]

Spontaneous composition.

[@jazzrocker42]

wow! saw him live ones performing beirut with steps ahead but this was even better

[@antofa123]

kbtoyz48 go for it .... I just got my EWI4000s through the post and absolutely love it.... such good fun and great to play. I'm going to use it to double on , when not playing my sax.

[@Chiquinho2008sax]

Fantastic!! He was the best one.

[@thecosmicrain]

What an amazing musician...RIP

[@646879]

a great player exploring new possibilities....great video

[@jonnyboy559]

one of the greatest improvisers of all time, no doubt

[@nyshoefly]

beautiful, thanks for posting.

[@3kingkool]

Michael is awesome here!!

[@buddyboy6x]

Michael brecker is one of the best.

[@HamsterDude5150]

i need one, for my high school talent show....

[@sartoriusrock]

+HamsterDude5150 They're about $260-$300 on ebay. Definitely need practice to play well.

[@RobEgertonJazzTranscriptions]

Mesmerising!!!

[@Trueno33]

Cheers to the greatest musician ever!

[@migrations]

R.I.P Master Michael Brecker Genius of jazz

[@largemoose]

Incredibly awesome.

[@myworms]

A masterclass in looping

[@carriehill7577]

I WILL ROCK THIS BECAUSE IT ROCKS!!!

[@gisaac46]

He started on the EWI playing what sounded like a bass clarinet and then a flute, later an electric guitar. Wow what range!

[@ilikemusak]

micheal is my absolute favorite in tandem with lovano, and his solos are the most musical, i agree. but everytime i listen to potter, i am more and more entranced. listen to his gratitude album for a week straight, youll hear what i mean. its a different type of musicallity. no ideas are re-used. its incredible. mike is still the king though

[@chasebh89]

this has a very ghostbusters feel to it

[@KirkHamiltonMusic]

I believe that back in the day he used a modded link, but from the 90's through the 2000's he played a custom Guardala. Though on that ballad record, it sounded like he was playing a hard rubber of some sort. In other news: this video is totally ridiculous. WTF, Michael. Rest in peace, you crazy genius. I can't believe you're gone.

[@KyleMcHattie]

I play the trumpet. After seeing this video, I went out and bought an EWI.

[@mohanjanisthere]

It's a shame that us trumpet players don't have an alternative. Learning the fingering is quite weird

[@upsidedownmtv]

Mohanjan there’s versions of these with valves I think

[@pierredutrieu4886]

Excellent !

[@zenarobinson3851]

fabulous!

[@ihasmario]

The line he uses to get out of the run at 3:25 is just so good.

[@jeritulcomplete]

still kick ass technical and electrical stuff .. even for today's standard ...with all these new softwares and processors we have

[@rlbarisaxman]

Amazing! I've been playing the EWI for about 2 years, and this vid just gives me chills every time I hear it. There will never be another Michael Brecker. This is what jazz is all about; passion. Kenny G should watch some of these videos, and see what a true talented jazz musician is! By the way, does anyone know where to find the rest of this video?

[@Catboataddict]

had the lucky fortune of seeing this man in DC before he left this place. Saw him with Herbie Hancock! He started jamming out on his EWI and messed up halfway through. Was like, "Damn, I was actually liking that one".

[@Bjorlin1]

incredible!

[@sartoriusrock]

6:32 "Yo Keith watch this, they gonna love it." *fires Buddhist/Hindu chant sample* ^someone please correct me/let me know what kind of chant that is.

[@UkuleleAversion]

That was hilarious.

[@kouham420]

It's called Adhan/Azan. In Islam it's a call to prayer. I bet it's the first time y'all heard this but something important I have to tell that It's actually disrespectful to be used in a musical performance because it's sacred. Though azan is usually sang, it is monophonically performed and can't be accompanied by other instruments or voices.

[@dudemanxx]

Koroshizzz super interesting. Thanks for sharing

[@iambeepbop2452]

@@kouham420 Thank you for informing me. Very interesting.

[@somiberico]

Miss this genius...

[@TheAlextsx]

7:16 Zelda!! :D Awesome video!!

[@NJlo]

With one of those electronic looper systems, pretty '80s.. Boss make loads of 'em I believe.

[@ThomasHutchingsMusic]

Miss you, Mike!

[@akhmetchine]

Amazing! A real inspiration!

[@blackitachi6935]

This is just blowing my mind

[@eyeheartchrist]

I now have an EWI myself, and the only way it has hindered my sax playing lately, is because I've been devoting more time getting use to the EWI. But actually, I find that learning the EWI has helped my playing on the sax in a special way. It's hard to explain, but I can find myself being able to think faster when playing fast. :-)

[@pavelitoo]

michael brecker is the MAN!

[@mobiusII]

If you scroll down through the comments, you will find alot of info about the sounds and gear that he uses in this video.

[@NeilS.]

Omg Brecker is godlike on this freaking EWI WOOOT

[@juan54321]

just great

[@unclemark3410]

Amazing

[@u-sibmusic2386]

Старик Брекер жжет! :) Well played!!!

[@paralonjura]

Dj Maestro!!!!

[@RobertChapmanMusic]

This is EWI perfection

[@quicaboa]

The Best !!!

[@mobiusII]

I assumed it was the same performance because Mr. Brecker appeared to be wearing the same outfit and it was the same group. It could be a different performance, I don't know!

[@AndyMuellerez2b]

Awesome!

[@Ninjal3x]

AMAZING!

[@Rangrok1k]

2 Years may be a bit late to reply, but there are EVI's, Electronic Valve Instruments, in existence now :D

[@HristoGoleminov]

I... Want.. an EWI!