Michael Brecker 'Sonnymoon' at North Texas, 1984

[@1NMSYS]

I was at this lecture in the front row and I'll never forget going to the airport to see Michael come in with some other sax players from UNT, he must've thought we were crazy. We were young and he was a hero to us, I miss him greatly….

[@carlosprediger1922]

Amazing playing. As good as it it gets !!!

[@jazzuffe]

Do not worry, even from Sweden we are about to faint while listning to this. Great band and Brecker, Mike is giving everything he needs. Fantastic!

[@javijazztazz]

Que inspiracion tan grande ha sido MB para esta generacion seguire con tus pasos hacia la excelencia

[@ZNichols1964]

I was at this performance, too... We all worshipped Michael Brecker at NTSU and even though I was a clarinet major, I went with all my jazzer buddies to see our idol. I still remember him saying he hadn't played straight ahead jazz like that in a long time! LOL... Jon Ballantine played great as usual.

[@StoicLoneWolf380]

I swear, you can hear Coltrane in his playing. My goodness! Although they had different sounds, both are just....amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@kingkoeller]

Wow, I was sitting there! I remember thinking how nervous it would make you feel to be playing with Brecker, but Jon Ballantyne didn't let it bother him. I wished it could have been more of an actual jam session but there were way too many cats waiting to play. We all had long hair and beards, back then. It's sad now that Mike has passed away, this glimpse into the past really makes you think about the passing of time.Grant, NTSU 1982-1986 Alto Sax Dallas Jazz Orchestra, Collection Big Band

[@billjhyt]

MB seems especially relaxed in this set; obviously among musical friends. What a talent; what a legacy. He is quick to give credit to those who preceded him among others, to include contemporaries. It makes his playing just that much more agreeable and pleasing to listen to.

[@jazzuffe]

It is so dammned good, wonderful!!

[@docsaxman]

heh...yeah I spoke with Mike several times on the phone, in high school he said he practiced after school, patterns he wrote out, every interval he could think of. had piles of them. 6 hrs sometimes. in NY, he would practice 12 hrs or more. solo transcription, patterns, exercises. he wrote them down, had piles of them he said. I like your comment, made me smile...

[@protocol66]

I'm still learning how to do this, but I plan on putting the other tunes up here, plus the priceless q&a session.

[@bourgeoisbrats]

drwinkle101, you make some really good points and provide adequate supporting arguments for the positions you take, so you don't need to reply to every adolescent thing these guys write :-) Brecker, like Oscar Peterson and Oteil Burbridge (and others), were blessed with the ability to translate their musical ideas directly to their instruments, without having to spend endless hours training their appendages. I lived in a rehearsal studio (in NY), and witnessed this with all 3, "first hand" :-).

[@noteworker]

Oh my GOD! A tape of "The Jazz Lecture Series," circa 1984. I was there. Michael played the drums, at one point, and also played a tune he hadn't touched in 10 years -- "Haven't played this in a long, long time..." and he played it flawlessly. Definitely Jon Ballentyne on the keyboard -- you can tell by his unique "bowl cut" hairdo. He also did another "Jazz Lecture Series" with a great female guitarist. Word is that they "got together" that night, and his (then) BLONDE girlfriend was NOT happy.

[@WildRoseArtists]

Cool video. Thank you. Similar licks in the "Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" recording with Jaco Pastorias and Don Alias.

[@protocol66]

This is the only lecture series video I have. Iwas at the Joe Henderson one... it was cool, but he was messed up.

[@Ifrit699]

I'm going to UNT next year for Jazz Perf. on Saxophone, w00t! Sweet vid!

[@justinberkley2403]

yeah whoever dislikes this doesn't deserve ears

[@alansmollen]

i entered this school from the ozarks,, and it was like being thrown into a tumble dryer...I remember Kendal kay on the yellow drums.

[@brendonavalos2562]

bass is swingin

[@jamesramsey4231]

7 guys are pissed that they can't play like Brecker

[@Maverick3654]

It would truly be awesome if you posted the Q & A session.

[@Mattorious]

That is great=)

[@hank3258]

I was there too...I made audio tapes that I still have...I've listened to them over the years & remember his answers to be highly articulate and thoughtful--not sure what youre implying by your statement. Anyway, maybe the video exists somewhere at the school...if would be great if someone out there in KZbin-land can locate it!!

[@guysaxophone]

actually at 2:52 is where the coltrane is thats a trademark lick from impressions

[@mslapik]

Yeah, thats what I'm talkin' about. Love the lidian

[@tdeane34]

Well I can tell you, Mike was a very good friend of mine and he actually hated Guardala mouthpieces(and Dukoffs). He only played because of his throat problems and always wished he could go back to playing Links. He was in a constant search for something Link like that would be free blowing enough to not hurt his throat.

[@synanthony]

LOL at the arguments...it's a freaking GOD playing with some very talented students...enjoy!

[@protocol66]

It's Michael. Randy plays the trumpet. This is a tenor saxophone. :)

[@saxmaneli]

awsome

[@joelspan]

Wow.

[@janzu4336]

I like the way he does the glissando

[@undeadJazz]

oh yeah you can hear that best at '51 that riff.

[@jazzbeau507]

Nice fast tempo; love it. Though the long part of freelance/freestyle in the middle was more for others than my tastes.

[@protocol66]

The video I got is the one from the school. :-)

[@ooganblat]

idk if delta city blues in his original but, u can hear the style coming out a bit there...

[@Modes9]

It's okay to play a Bb blues if you're in the other eleven keys most of the time anyway!

[@bearblaster420]

You should get a drumkit. Seriously.

[@TheIzzysteve]

@TripleOctaveMusic I know. Just asking.

[@ooganblat]

You can hear the delta city sounding influence around 2:20 >

[@Modes9]

Are you people on acid?! Listen to the guy! He obviously hammered away at the Nicolas Slonimsky Thesaurus of Scales like an animal for months (if not years). There's an interview with Mike where he talks about practicing...and he says he has to work on ideas a lot before the appear in his improvising.

[@hank3258]

where did you get this? Does a video exist of Joe Henderson lecture series from the next year (1985) & do you have it?

[@tdeane34]

He's playing a Dukoff here.

[@BAMeynig]

i've played on that exact same stage...i feel ashamed to have played on that stage.

[@sanfordcisco1]

It's obvious: You have to be from Saskatchewan to play piano that well. Go Jon!

[@jazzuffe]

Who did this! Recording?, however, all thanks!

[@hank3258]

Bass player could be Andy Eulau??

[@gjbsaxman94]

@soulfullyanointed are u kidding me? u obviously dont listen wta brecker, he has sooo much soul. damn due go watch him playing delta city . he frickin rocks, u obviously dont "know music"

[@maxthesloth93]

ooo yes 1:36

[@TheIzzysteve]

What mouthpiece does he use?

[@billabbott6092]

If you had the same piece would you suddenly sound like him and be a better player...? Think about that one.

[@christopherfischer6998]

He used an Otto Link, and a Dukoff i believe. He used the link earlier, and im not sure what it is here though

[@drwinkle101]

'Latter' is not spelt 'later', and there is no need for obscenity. I am not a player at all, but still have the right to make judgements. A huge factor in the production of talent is social background. Middle class parents buy their young kids expensive instruments, pay for lessons and so on, and these kids then predominate on any music scene despite in many cases not being naturally gifted musicians.

[@decus69]

@Modes9 Lol

[@drwinkle101]

Mconn: Good point. Yes indeed, what can it mean to talk about natural musicality? I have not studied this, but from years of listening to developing and mature players, I'm persuaded that rhythmical fluency and complexity are more "natural" than harmonic awareness. I find that players with poor rhythm/tempo on their instrument are also poor at tapping out a simple repeated phrase on a table. It is not that they haven't practised enough. They are just not "wired up" for rhythm.

[@tdeane34]

It's not a guardala. It's a dukoff.

[@drwinkle101]

Patmyweenie and Saffman: Of course it's right that kids get the opportunity of a higher education; but my sterotyping of this player is based on my experience in a UK city with a university jazz dept. For many years I've seen these students being given more gigs than local older amateurs who have worked wonders in teaching themselves. These students largely come from privileged backgrounds, and rarely is a black player enrolled. The course fee is over £6000. Go figure.

[@guysaxophone]

joe henderson was messed up? and if you have the video from joe henderson put it on here man.

[@walsh93jazz]

if you reckon brecker doesn't have soul listen to "angle of repose" off the album "wide angles" and you will see how entirely WRONG you are. shit ALL his stuff has soul, if you can't hear it YOU don't have soul. quit trolling and listen to kenny g or whoever you reckon has soul, and i'm not just saying that. brecker isn't for everyone, but no need to hate and talk about your opinions like that fact. GROW UP

[@benkordoo5899]

@soulfullyanointed your confusing soul technique with complexity that you cant comprehend. complexity that actually tells a story, what do you listen to? all music has soul, even freaking justin bieber has a little you just have to be open minded enough to hear it.

[@Saffman1]

You can't really assume that much detail about the kid's upbringing, and since we can't all be Miles Davis, the rest of us who want to become proficient jazz players have to take the evil route of purchasing instruments, formal instruction, and practice. You're making it sound like you have to basically be a poor black kid in order to have any credibility or musicality in the genre of jazz.