Wide Angles (Verve Music Group)
Michael Brecker Quindectet
Released September 9, 2003
Grammy Award Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 2004
YouTube:
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Spotify:
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About:
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.
Track Listing:
1. Broadband (Michael Brecker) 6:46
2. Cool Day in Hell (Michael Brecker) 7:51
3. Angle of Repose (Michael Brecker) 6:42
4. Timbuktu (Michael Brecker) 8:00
5. Night Jessamine (Michael Brecker) 5:21
6. Scylla (Michael Brecker / George Whitty) 10:40
7. Brexterity (Michael Brecker) 6:40
8. Evening Faces (Don Grolnick) 7:14
9. Modus Operandy (Michael Brecker) 5:27
10. Never Alone (Michael Brecker) 5:39
Personnel:
Michael Brecker: tenor sax
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: (concertmaster) violin
Joyce Hammann: violin
Lois Martin: viola
Erik Friedlander: cello
Adam Rogers: guitar
John Patitucci: bass
Antonio Sanchez: drums
Daniel Sadownick: percussion
Recorded January 22 – 24, 2003, at Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ
Produced and arranged by Michael Brecker and Gil Goldstein
Orchestrated by Gil Goldstein
Executive Producer: Jason Olaine
Recording and Mixing: Jay Newland
Assistant Engineer: Brian Dozoretz
Mastering: Greg Galbi
Illustrations: Nicholas Wilton
Art Direction: Hollis King
Review:
Assembling fifteen top jazz musicians to play complex original material
is risky business. The session could turn into a repetitive solo showcase or
conversely lose its sharpness amidst overproduced arrangements. However, Wide
Angles, from tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, comes off as an
adventurous presentation of new music in a format rife with possibilities. With
a string section, English horn, bass clarinet, flute, French horn and oboe
among the traditional big band mix of drums, bass and brass, Brecker keeps
things amazingly focused.
Aside from the expected tenor wizardry, the Gil
Goldstein arrangements and orchestrations give Wide Angles its
signature sound. Whether Brecker calls up Trane’s spirit, as he does on
“Brexterity,” or voices the balladry of “Evening Faces” and
“Angle of Repose,” a host of orchestral nuances are cleverly and
surprisingly brought to bear behind him. Plaudits should also go to first
violinist and concertmaster Mark Feldman who, together with cellist Erik
Friedlander, keeps the string section in check while creating a very rich
backdrop that allows Brecker to strut his stuff. Brecker doesn’t hold back and
his sound is up-front with creative solos and his king-sized tone. Likewise,
Iain Dixon turns in a stellar performance on bass clarinet blending perfectly
with bassist John Patitucci on the very catchy “Broadband,” the
twists and turns of “Cool Day in Hell,” and the sweeping
“Scylla.”
Brecker has produced a cohesive work that maintains a sharp jazz edge while availing itself of the wider angles available through orchestral instrumentation.
Elliot Simon (All About Jazz)
