Michael Brecker
Tenor Sax Solo on
The Cost of Living

About

Michael Brecker follows Charlie Haden with roughly half a chorus of tenor saxophone on "The Cost of Living" at approximately 84 BPM, bringing the ballad to its emotional climax. His enormous sound is reduced to a restrained intensity over the 40-bar AABA' form in C minor, the partial-chorus format reflecting a commitment to serving the composition's emotional arc rather than pursuing extended improvisation. Following Haden's deeply moving bass solo, Brecker's concise statement creates a dialogue between two profoundly different musical sensibilities, the result being a performance of extraordinary beauty and emotional depth.

Michael Brecker was 37 to 38 years old at the time.