Michael Brecker - Michael Brecker

Michael Brecker's self-titled debut as a leader, released on Impulse! Records in 1987, arrived after nearly two decades as one of the most sought-after sidemen and session players in jazz and popular music. Brecker had been a fixture on recordings by artists ranging from James Taylor and Paul Simon to Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny, and had co-led the funk-jazz Brecker Brothers band and the fusion group Steps Ahead, but had never recorded an album under his own name. The record features a formidable lineup including Pat Metheny on electric guitar, Kenny Kirkland on piano, and Charlie Haden on bass. The program consists entirely of Brecker originals, ranging from the angular post-bop of "Syzygy" and "Nothing Personal" to the lyrical ballad "My One and Only Love" and the waltz-time "Sea Glass." Brecker's use of the Akai EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) on several tracks was notable at the time, integrating the synthesizer controller into an acoustic jazz context rather than treating it as a novelty. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, validating Brecker's transition from sideman to bandleader. It launched a prolific run of leader dates on Impulse! that continued with Don't Try This at Home the following year and established Brecker as one of the defining tenor saxophonists of the late twentieth century.