Tales From The Hudson

Performer: Michael Brecker
Artist: Pat Metheny; McCoy Tyner; Jack DeJohnette; Dave Holland; Joey Calderazzo
Engineer: James Farber
Producer: George Whitty; Michael Brecker; Pat Metheny
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Joey Calderazzo, McCoy Tyner (piano); Pat Metheny (guitar, synthesizer); Dave Holland (bass); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Don Alias (percussion). Recorded at the Power Station, New York, New York. TALES FROM THE HUDSON won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual Or Group. "Cabin Fever" won the 1997 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. Personnel: Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Pat Metheny (guitar, guitar synthesizer); Joey Calderazzo, McCoy Tyner (piano); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Don Alias (percussion). Audio Mixer: James Farber. Recording information: The Power Station, New York, NY. Photographers: Darryl Pitt; Odasan Macovich; Nicol d'Andrea. Though Brecker made his name as a pioneer in jazz-rock fusion, TALES FROM THE HUDSON is a different story altogether. On this one, Brecker brings together some of the finest modern jazz players for a round of bracing, intelligent post-bop compositions, and the results are miles away from you might have expected. Brecker tastefully cedes much of the spotlight to guitarist Pat Metheny, whose warm, fluid solos move gracefully through Brecker's tunes and through Metheny's own "Song For Bilbao," which features McCoy Tyner's piano. Drummer Jack DeJohnette's polyrhythmic undercurrent puts the wind in the band's sails throughout the album, combining with Dave Holland's bass to create a constantly shifting underpinning for Brecker's elegant lines. Often, Brecker's phrasing suggests nothing so much as human laughter, erupting with a natural, buoyant feel. That buoyancy fuels this album and makes it a consistently rewarding work.

Q (4/99, p.129) - Included in Q's "Best Jazz Albums of All Time." Down Beat (12/96, p.63) - 3.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...As expected, ensemble interplay flourishes....there are no setbacks with Tyner present..." JazzTimes (2/97, pp.92-94) - "Brecker...can be as exciting as any jazzman alive. His solos have a way of rising to a quick boil and catching you up in their immediacy. This happens several times on this album....The tenor man's estimable sidemen are in aggressive jazz form. They, too, seem caught up in the electric atmosphere."

As one half of the famous Brecker Brothers, saxophonist Michael Brecker defined the sound of modern electric funk-jazz in the '70s. Since the 1980s, he has been one of the most in-demand session players, appearing on hundreds of recordings in both the jazz and pop fields, and his solo albums have received several Grammys. Brecker is known for his powerful tone, monstrous chops, and endless soloing stamina. He passed away from a leukemia-related illness in early 2006.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25