The Brecker Brothers

This 1977 effort continues their hitmaking streak of one of fusion and R&B's durable and respected units. While this album's predecessor, Back to Back, was credited to the Brecker Brothers Band and featured members including David Sanborn and Steve Khan, it came off as underdone and facile. Don't Stop the Music does present their gifts in a more cogent fashion, but not without a few odd detours. The title track and "Finger Licking Good" are pure disco efforts, with pushy rhythms and ingratiating backing vocals. Although they are both a little silly, they have great horn riffs and boast a potent production. Despite those danceable offerings, Don't Stop the Music also features some of the brothers' most challenging work…

Randy Brecker's debut album features the trumpeter leading two distinct all-star small groups, each with younger brother Michael (who was only 19 when this was recorded) on tenor sax, Larry Coryell on guitar, and Hal Galper on piano. The tunes alternate between jazz-rock (a style the Brecker Brothers were later to successfully exploit) and modern mainstream jazz. There are the customary fades, popular at the time, and a light, though constant, beat throughout that makes the music both accessible and even danceable, an impressive feat considering that virtually all the tunes are originals. The Brecker Brothers exhibit a command of their horns and a maturity that was to serve them well for many years. The recording has weathered the years well, in part because even the fusion pieces never lose their focus, nor do they compromise artistry for popular fads.

With the tragic passing of Michael Brecker in 2007 at the all-too-young age of 57, it seemed that the flagship group the Brecker Brothers, co-led by the saxophonist with his trumpet-wielding older brother Randy, was also to be a thing of the past. But some things never die; as it was, during the saxophonist's lifetime, the horn-led band that defined the term "downtown funk" and an edgy, urban sound that could only have come from New York City seemed to have an unquenchable life clearly fated to continue, even as the brothers separated at various points to pursue other projects.

On Out of the Loop, Randy and Michael Brecker stepped up to the plate with their second long-player of the '90s, 20 years after their first foray into the jazz-funk-fusion realm. The album is surprisingly strong, and any fears of a paint-by-numbers attempt to cash in on past glories are quickly dispelled with the opening "Slang," which is reminiscent of Amandla-era Miles. Here, as throughout the disc, Michael's sax solo burns with abandon, while brother Randy's trumpet glides across a tastefully smooth and melodic terrain.

Released in 1976 as the follow up to the self-titled Arista debut album by super musicians (trumpeter) Randy and (saxophonist) Michael Brecker, Back To Back was issued under the moniker The Brecker Brothers Band as a result of the inclusion of other key players - Will Lee (bass, lead vocals); Chris Parker (drums); Don Grolnick (keyboards); David Sanborn (alto sax); and Steve Khan (guitars). Back To Back not only featured the super talents of the Breckers and the extended band but an all-star cast that included drummer Steve Gadd, percussionists Ralph MacDonald and Sammy Figueroa, vocalist Patti Austin and at the time, session and jingle singer Luther Vandross (who co-wrote two songs on the album).

The Brecker Brothers - The Bottom Line Archive (2015) {The Bottom Line Records-BFD BLRCD011 rec 1976}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 459 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 167 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 2015 The Bottom Line Records / BFD | BLRCD011
Jazz / Fusion / Jazz Rock / Trumpet / Saxophone

Why is this the first and only official live release by The Brecker Brothers Band, you ask? Perhaps surprisingly, it documents a group that rarely played live, much less toured extensively. This is due in part to a 1970 s music world with the constraints of a vital studio scene, wherein virtuoso musicians were kept busy tracking for television, movies, commercials, and all styles of solo spots and horn sections – regardless of musical style. We were making a living in the recording studios, recalls Brecker. The clubs paid next to nothing, as did ‘opening act’ gigs. Clive Davis was always begging us to go out on the road, but we weren’t going to blow the studio work.