Michael Brecker: Not For Initiates Only

For the most part, jazz today is a music for initiates. But occasionally artists will cross over to a larger audience. Saxophonist Michael Brecker certainly ranks among those jazz musicians with a common touch. For his most recent CD, Tales from the Hudson (Impulse!), he put together a quintet of similar broad appeal, with guitarist Pat Metheny, pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. On Groundhog Day they sold out two shows at the Charles Hotel Ballroom.

They lost little time getting into gear on the first set Sunday night. Brecker's potent combination of blues, bop, and the music of John Coltrane energized the very first tune, "Slings and Arrows." Calderazzo's medium-tempo "Midnight Voyage" brought out Brecker's bluesier side with an expertly paced, melodically compelling solo. Metheny's "Every Day I Thank You" featured another beautifully paced Brecker tenor solo, a lyrical statement that soared over the chiming chords of Metheny and Calderazzo and broke into ecstatic waves of notes as it ended. "African Skies," a dedication to Coltrane, found Brecker using the late saxophonist's vocabulary in an entirely personal way. His lines are more regular than Coltrane's, and they built from short phrases that piled up into a statement of imposing solidity, clarity, and boldness. The multiphonics and split tones that ended his solo rose more from buoyant optimism than from inner turmoil.

Metheny's warm tone and inviting quirks were an excellent foil to Brecker's steely intensity. On "Midnight Voyage," he reworked a riff all over the range of his guitar, trailed off unexpectedly, then flowed on into dark stuttering phrases at the low end of his instrument before climbing upward on luscious lines that he colored with bent notes and chords. His unaccompanied interlude on "Every Day I Thank You" provided a quiet moment in an otherwise tumultuous set.

This is a line-up without a weak link. On "Slings and Arrows" Holland shadowed Metheny so closely, they sometimes improvised the same lines simultaneously. And Holland's introduction to "African Skies," a highlight of the set, started with almost folk-song simplicity to build to a towering line of Baroque complexity that extended into low-down blues, sudden flurries of notes, and jagged embellishments. DeJohnette knew exactly what to play. While his hi-hat kept the beat, his cymbals, bass drum, and snares and toms kept up a constant dialogue with each soloist. His rhythmic sparring with Calderazzo on the unidentified set closer provided some of the show's most exciting moments. And his empathy with Brecker in particular reinforced the saxophonist's solo structure while adding depth and color.

For an added treat, Chick Corea, who had been dueting in a reunion with vibraphonist Gary Burton in the Regattabar since Thursday, joined the group for an encore of Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround." They responded with some of the earthiest blues and most ethereal abstraction of the night, making it a special guest appearance that actually was special.

If you missed the show, Tales from the Hudson is worth picking up. It offers the same optimistic excitement, formal clarity, and drive, plus pianist McCoy Tyner and Don Alias as guests on two tracks. Brecker is at his inventive and athletic best, Metheny is both cheery and full of surprises, and the band are rock solid. They exude confidence and play with power and grace. And you don't need to be an initiate to appreciate those qualities.

-- Ed Hazell