Secret Slang

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.

This is a logical tribute album from one great bassist (Brian Bromberg) to another (Jaco Pastorius). The front of the CD purposely resembles Pastorius' debut recording and the program features six Pastorius songs (including two versions apiece of "Come on, Come Over" and "Teen Town"), Joe Zawinul's "A Remark You Made," the R&B standard "The Chicken," and Bromberg's "Tears." A master at tapping his bass and equally skilled on electric and acoustic basses, Bromberg also has the ability to sound a bit like Pastorius when he wants. This excellent tribute set uses different personnel and instrumentations on each selection and shows off the many sides of Pastorius, both as a bassist and as a composer.