Michael Brecker
Electric Wind Instrument (EWI) Solo on
Original Rays

About

Michael Brecker opens with an open-form solo on the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) on "Original Rays," producing futuristic timbres over a straight-eighth groove in B-flat at approximately 176 BPM. The EWI, an electronic controller he helped bring to prominence in jazz, allows Brecker to explore synthesized textures while maintaining the same improvisational logic as his acoustic playing. As the first of three soloists on this collaborative composition with Mike Stern and Don Grolnick, his electronic solo establishes the track's adventurous character, incorporating electronic instruments alongside traditional jazz saxophone without compromising musical substance.

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