On September 9 Verve will release Wide Angles, an album of new tunes written by saxophonist Michael Brecker and played by his quindectet. I didn’t make that word up, Brecker did, by combining the prefix “quindec,” which connotes a group of 15, and the suffix “tet,” which is, um, the name of the Vietnamese New Year. By now you should have realized that Wide Angles is Brecker’s first big-band recording.
Last winter Brecker toured the U.K., and in between pots of tea and games of cricket he played a number of dates with a small jazz band and a bunch of British string, woodwind and brass musicians-the quindectet. The repertoire was filled with old tunes by the Breckster, all arranged especially for the band by keyboardist Gil Goldstein. Apparently liking the sound and foreseeing more possibilities with the quindectet, Brecker broke out the blank score sheets when he returned home and wrote nine compositions for a studio recording with the band, getting help on “Scylla” from producer George Whitty. Later, former Brecker Brothers keyboardist Don Grolnick contributed the song “Evening Faces” and Brecker then had a nice round number of tracks for his next album. (Full track list below)
The quindectet, which includes bassist John Patitucci, trombonist Robin Eubanks and drummer Antonio Sanchez, recorded Wide Angles at New Jersey’s Bennett Studios, a joint established by Tony Bennett and his son, Dae. Both Goldstein and Brecker did arranging for the album’s tracks, making sure to give Iain Dixon’s bass clarinet plenty of action. (Full personnel list below)
I wouldn’t tease Brecker fans with this news if I couldn’t supply at least a few sound clips to whet their appetites before the album’s release. Click here to listen. As for catching Michael Brecker live, he has shows booked through the end of the year and a handful booked in 2004. We’re not sure if these dates will feature the quindectet or not, but they’re listed below as well.
Wide Angles track list:
Broadband
Cool Day in Hell
Angle of Repose
Timbuktu
Night Jessamine
Scylla
Brexterity
Evening Faces
Modus Operandy
Never Alone
Wide Angles personnel:
Michael Brecker • tenor saxophone, producer, arranger
Antonio Sanchez • drums
Alex “Sasha” Sipiagin • trumpet
Robin Eubanks • trombone
Peter Gordon • French horn
Steve Wilson • flute, alto flute
Iain Dixon • clarinet, bass clarinet
Charles Pillow • oboe, English horn
Mark Feldman • violin, concertmaster
Joyce Hammann • violin
Lois Martin • viola
Erik Friedlander • cello
Adam Rogers • guitar
John Patitucci • bass
Daniel Sadownick • percussion
Michael Brecker tour dates:
8/20/2003 • mt fuji jazz festival • Mt Fuji
8/21/2003 • mt fuji jazz festival • Mt Fuji
8/22/2003 • mt fuji jazz festival • Mt Fuji
8/23/2003 • mt fuji jazz festival • Mt Fuji
8/24/2003 • mt fuji jazz festival • Mt Fuji
10/1/2003 • Boulder Theater • Boulder, CO
10/2/2003 • Santa Fe Jazz & Int’l Music Festival • Santa Fe, NM
10/2/2003 • Santa Fe Jazz & Int’l Music Festival • Santa Fe, NM
10/3/2003 • OutPost Performance Space • Albuquerque, NM
10/3/2003 • OutPost Performance Space • Albuquerque, NM
10/4/2003 • University of Berkeley • Berkeley, CA
10/5/2003 • Royce Hall • Los Angeles, CA
10/6/2003 • Kuumbwa Jazz Center • Santa Cruz, CA
10/13/2003 • Central Station Kulturbetriebsgesellschaft • Darmstadt
