Influential Jazz Saxophonist Michael Brecker Dead at 57

[MilesColtrane]

You may not know his name, but chances are you've heard him.

Brecker was carrying on in the tradition of the great John Coltrane. Every saxophone player alive knows what he contributed and it shows in their playing.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/wire/sns-ap-obit-brecker,0,2712728.story

[Bluebear]

1. OH what a loss. A big collaborator with Joni Mitchell . . .

[TomInTib]

2. A loss beyond measure

I caught him a few years ago at Iridium (NYC) on a Tuesday night when he was a guest player with Les Paul.

Groove on, Mr Brecker....

He was absolutely phenominal.

[PoiBoy]

3. R.I.P. Michael Brecker..

thank you for your awesome and inspiring music...

[dhill926]

4. oh, this is sad news...

knew he was sick with some weird disease. a great jazz artist, and also toured with Paul Simon and stole the show when he did. a glass is raised.

[westerebus]

5. This really sucks.

One of my favorite cds is the Return of the Brecker Brothers. Got me thru more than one midnight shift. I thought they just released something new? Tales from the Hudson,cut two seems appropriate. Good journey Michael.

[FredStembottom]

6. A good friend of mine and I are life-long jazz fans..........

And it just hit us one day how often we were hearing Randy and Michael Brecker - on everything everywhere.

Followed by realizing just how good they were and are!

It took a "light-bulb" moment to realize it because they have worked behind the scenes so much. But after a dozen or so "wow! who was that trumpet/sax player?!/" incidents sending my friend and I pouring over album and CD credits - and finding the Brecker Brothers - again - we knew we were hearing greatness.

I am afraid that the session-man route these guys took may blunt their impact over time..... but the greatness is there forever for those who will look.

Good on ya Michael!:applause:

[westerebus]

12. Greatness shines through

and it may take some time but, the more folks hear him/them the more hr/they will be lauded for their excellence. Truly A++
Peace.

[FredStembottom]

14. Thanks, Westerebus. I hope so.

I sometimes worry over-all how neglected so many really great musicians are!

We are in a golden age of musical genius - right now! - but you would never know it as pop culture just steamrolls everything else into the dirt.

I thought 500 channels of everything was supposed to give space to people like this.........

oh well..........

[newyawker99]

7. Rest in Peace Mr. Brecker.

[Paladin]

8. Sorry To Hear About This

The man was a masterful sax man. RIP.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

9. R.I.P., Michael Brecker.

[ramapo]

10. I loved his work with Dreams

Michael, his brother, Billy Cobham...two fantastic albums which I listened to probably a thousand times at least.

Thanks Michael, RIP

[Bluebear]

11. Alice Coltrane has died as well . . .

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Alice Coltrane, the jazz musician who was closely linked with the music of her late husband, legendary US saxophonist John Coltrane, has died at the age of 69, a newspaper reported.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070114/ts_alt_afp/afpentertainmentus_070114220306

[regularguy]

13. A true Sax legend.

I remember about twenty-five years ago or so my friend and I saw him play in a little club in NYC w/ Rich Bierach, Charlie Hayden, and Al Foster on drums. I've seen him in many other contexts but I still remember how I just had goosebumps that entire show. He sat down with me and my friend and chatted a bit and had a smoke. He was a huge, sort of awkward guy; we were pretty star stuck. The album that comes to mind as a favorite is "Heavy Metal beBop", an insanely energetic live Brecker Bros. album. RIP.