THE BRECKER BROTHERS

1. "Keep It Steady (Brecker's Bunp)" (6:24) funk at its finest from the very first notes, with choral vocals (courtesy of the young and unknown Luther Vandross and Patti Austin) and plenty of really tight and crisp play from the horn section. There is a lot of similarities here to the music of Average White Band and Earth, Wind & Fire, only a level more sophisticated (which is what you'd hope for, even expect, from these amazing musicians)--until you get to the solos: Steve Khan's awesome guitar solo first, then a sax solo that I'm going to assume comes from co-composer David Sanborn, all the while the Brecker brothers keep things very tight, funky, and, yes, steady. Pretty awesome song (though it could have developed a little differently--with more great solos or even some more horn interplay). (9.333/10)

2. "If You Wanna Boogie.....Forget It" (3:56) Bassist Will Lee really gets into his vocals (though they are supposedly arranged by Luther Vandross), while, at the same time, he's playing the funk out of his bass as the b vox and horns engage with great activity and enthusiasm (both). This is, however, a song that really is oriented toward the vocals: meant to be a dance/R&B radio friendly tune. While it may succeed as such, I'm really looking and hoping for more Jazz-Rock Fusion stuff. (8.75/10)

3. "Lovely Lady" (6:16) now moving into the domain of laid back, late night seduction songs, brother Randy leads us into and through this one (with the help of co-composers Allee Wilson ["September," "Boogie Wonderland," "Neutron Dance"] and singer Charlotte Crossley). There are suitable background soul vocals from the lovely, delicate voices of the esteemed array of singers the B brothers have employed, but it's really the Smooth Jazz music and performances of the musicians that are on display here--especially Randy and keyboard maestro Don Grolnick. (8.875/10)

4. "Night Flight" (6:14) early or pre-disco of the Kool & The Gang funk-type fused with an attempt at a kind of big band approach to some dynamic Mahavishnu Orchestra-level music. The layers of activity are excellent and each quite interesting in their own rights: keyboards, bass, percussion, horns, and composer Michael Brecker's lead saxophone. A very entertaining and admiragble song, even if it does enter the realm of that which will become stereotypic Dave Sanborn-style music. Some pretty wild effects used on the horns (especially Randy's trumpet) as well as the synths. (9/10)

5. "Slick Stuff" (4:46) now Randy's turn to express himself through his own composition, a fast pace with full horn and percussion complements, some very funky bass, synth bass, and clavinet play, a bit of the disco beat, and some cool use of Michael's flute play for some of the leads (alternating with some saxes). Randy's solo seems to arrive in two parts: the first quite dynamic, the second (flugelhorn?) more smooth and melodic, and then back to show-off dynamic. Then brother Michael steps in to take a turn on his tenor sax. (I much prefer the trumpet.) Very tight both compositionally and performatively. (9.125/10)

6. "Dig A Little Deeper" (3:58) back to radio-friendly funk, this time laid back and lyrically entertaining like something from Kool & The Gang or Parliament, this is another composition coming from outside the Breckers: from singers Allee Wilson, David Lasley, Don Grolnick, and lead singer/bassist Will Lee. The vocal arrangements (courtesy of Luther Vandross) are quite sophisticated--and excellent--and the song is certainly funky and heavily horn-accented, but, ultimately, it does little to engage me, personally, as I am looking for the jazz elements, less the R&B. (8.75/10)

7. "Grease Piece" (5:46) another funky instrumental song that has great performances everywhere one looks, and grooves with some syncopated AWB-type funky jazz-rock but then suffers from the alternating motif of what I call the Dave Sanborn generic pop instrumental jazz (too repetitive and marred by those multi-track multiple saxophone riffs. (8.875/10)

8. "What Can A Miracle Do" (4:14 ) a song that is composed by Don Grolnick and Luther Vandross turns out to be a very easy-going Pop-Soul vehicle for Luther (with some very piano/keyboard dominated music backing him). A little medieval fanfare-like horn play (trumpet) fills the spaces between the verses, but this is really a mostly-hornless song. Still, this is quite an engaging, likable, and even memorable song. (9/10)

9. "I Love Wastin' Time With You" (6:32) Michael teaming up with Allee Wilson and Charlotte Crossley to compose this jazz-rock vehicle for vocals (with Will Lee and Allee covering the lead vocals). The jazzy parts of the music feel a lot like STEELY DAN and even a little of THE DOOBIE BROTHERS' Michael McDonald era. The finish feels like a jam on the Saturday Night Live theme or something from Dave Letterman and Paul Shaffer's World's Most Dangerous Band. (8.75/10)

Total Time 46:06

My overall impression from this album is that the Brothers are excellent composers, have hired an ensemble of top notch musicians to help them realize their visions for these songs, but that they're a little too spread out with as many/more songs aimed at pleasing the Funk/R&B audiences as the Jazz-Rock Fusion (and even less toward the Jazz lovers). The opening song had me so very excited but the rest of the album, for me, failed to live up to the same high standards of J-R Fusion.

B+/four stars; an excellent Funk-R&B-dominated album of Jazz-Rock that falls a little short of qualifying as a true Peak Era Jazz-Rock Fusion album.

1. "Some Skunk Funk" (5:50) with its horn section opening and funk play from the rhythm section this song sounds a lot like something from a Steve Wonder album of the same period (next year's Songs in the Key of Life, in particular). The horn arrangements are rather impressive, perhaps even unusual, while the play of the rhythm section is top notch funk and brothers Michael and Randy spew forth some pretty awesome, R&B-funky solos on their respective horns (as does 30-year old David Sanborn--who is here still fairly early in his long and esteemed career). While high on the funk and jazz scales, this one lacks the melodic hooks necessary to make it more memorable. (9/10)

2. "Sponge" (4:05) organ chords, cymbal taps and snare snaps with heavily wah-wah-ed electric bass open this one before the tightly synchronized horn section and keys join in. Funk is oozing from this song as Randy's trumpet amicably duels with Don Grolnick's Odyssey Strings synth. The tight horn bank motif continues to pop up between the soloist's "verses"--one of which is given to Will Lee's very funky bass. (8.875/10)

3. "A Creature Of Many Faces" (7:41) opening with some "older"-sounding horn charts, the song then surprises with a turn down Smooth Jazz Lane. Wah-wah-ed bass and rhythm guitar accompany the horn and keyboard synth on a rather insipid and very vanilla-melodied pop construct. The solos (alto and tenor saxes, trumpet, electric guitar) are also rather tame in a Herb Alpert kind of way: I mean, you can tell the players are skilled, but they've chosen to go for easy-listening melodies and hooks rather than test the proletariat brain of the masses with more complex lines. I get a frequent flood of acrid taste whenever the band congeals for its Burt Bacharach-like bridges between the solos--which is weird cuz I used to adore the horn arrangements on Burt Bacharach and Fifth Dimension songs as well as all those schlocky television show theme songs of the late Sixties and early Seventies. (13.125/15)

4. "Twilight" (5:44) cinematic horn section melody opens this one before Will and Ralph MacDonald's Latin percussion take us down a speeding highway, but then the whole band slips into what feels like a Matrix-like state slow motion. These two seemingly incompatible motifs continue to alternate over the course of the entire song, the faster one (with some very impressive bass, drum, and percussion play) allowing space for soloists like Dave Sanborn and Bob Mann to try to shine. In the end, the two very different motifs sour me. (8.75/10)

5. "Sneakin' Up Behind You" (4:54) just hearing those electronic percussion sounds of the Disco era activates my PTSD. And then, put on top of it, the AVERAGE WHITE BAND/RUFUS/TAVARES-like group vocals and you really get me wandering into a wormhole. This would've been a very popular song in the Disco's at the time (even later as this was 1975: quite early from full-fledged Disco music.) It jsut doesn't stand up as well 50 years later. (8.875/10)

6. "Rocks" (4:38) the funk here feels rather diminished by the constant injection of bursts from the CHICAGO-like big band jazz horn arrangements. When the soloists (Dave Sanborn and Michael Brecker, dueling) play, the horn section goes quiet, and these are the best parts of the song. The arrangements and performances are super-impressive but they don't always register very high on the enjoyment scale. (8.75/10)

7. "Levitate" (4:32) gentle, plaintive reverbed-trumpet opens this with minimal support coming from Don Grolnick's Fender Rhodes and Ralph MacDonald's electronic percussion "water drips." In the second minute spacious bass and drum play and horn section support join in, but the song proceeds as a very gentle, doleful and introspective late- night performance. Randy is so gifted. The song is amazing if not quite as engaging as one might expect (or hope for). (8.875/10)

8. "Oh My Stars" (3:14) a smooth Yacht Rock type of jazz-rock pop song with Randy singing the lead vocals in a kind of MICHAEL FRANKS-like voice. Nice Yacht Rock accompaniment and solos from all. Had Randy's voice been a little better--more experienced--this might have been an Adult Contemporary radio hit. (8.875/10)

9. "D.B.B." (4:46) some smooth jazz with very lightning fast and complex horn section accents and a pre-Disco beat. Saxophone takes the first solo. (I believe it is Dave Sanborn on his Alto.) Nice performances from one of jazz-rock fusion's stellar rhythm duos in drummer Harvey Mason and bassist Will Lee. Randy takes the next solo with an electronically-treated trumpet (called his "electric trumpet")--backed nicely by Bob Mann's active rhythm guitar. (8.875/10)

Total Time 43:24

1975. This just feels so early for both Disco and Smooth Jazz, but I cannot deny it: They're both here on this album! Luckily, so are the incredible skills and prime funk.

B/four stars; an excellent example of some of the earliest Adult Contemporary Smooth Jazz despite its complex horn section performances. Recommended for any of you fans of the more commercial, radio-friendly side of late 70s Jazz- Rock Fusion.

"Slang" starts the album off very strong. Cool, yet forward-driving jam, complete with a beautiful horn solo from Randy. The album feels a lot more "straight" compared to the last, Return of the Brecker Brothers, which had a heavy Latin slant. The overall straightness continues on the cool, reflective "Evocations". Not a whole lot of excitement here. "Scrunch" then follows it and it also ain't a whole lot to write home about... Straight-playin' Brecker Bros. unsurprisingly means more of a Smooth Jazz thing, so not for me. You'll hear this un-Fusion on other tracks like "Secret Heart" (at least sort of classic), "African Skies" (but strong soloing from Michael and some more interest than most tracks) and "The Nightwalker" (also kinda classic).

"When It Was" is that modernized Jazz thing which I just... don't love. It's like jazzy R&B. Good on paper, some strong moments here and there, but overall I'll sit this out.

More exotic moments can be expected on "Harpoon", hearkening back to Return. More interesting rhythmically and melodically than most on the album. Definitely a highlight.

But that's about it. A lot of "just alright" in this one. I'm rounding up to a 3... Full transparency, I guess.

As the Brecker Bros. well deserve, we have a star-studded cast of performers on this'n! Most notably featured are Mike STERN on guitar, Dennis CHAMBERS and Don ALIAS on drums and percussion, respectively, and frequent Brecker collaborator David SANBORN (he strictly on track 2, "King of the Lobby").

Speaking on the aforementioned second track, we are presented with elements common to Fusion at this time (the mid-80s through the '90s), which to my ears really have not aged well altogether. At best, it's funky and fun. At worst, these sonic choices are hokey and plastic. Even with "King of the Lobby" as a fine example, it's a mix of both weaknesses and strengths. This implementation of Jazz into Funk and RnB shouldn't surprise listeners of earlier Brecker Bros. material. As a child of the '90s myself, I'm certainly not against it (I'm at least intrigued by Jazz Rap, for instance, but also I love to see Jazz anywhere it can thrive).

"Above and Beyond" is a definite must-hear. This is a lively, (speaking as a layman) samba-type jam. An excellent performance all around. It actually struck me as a predecessor to the now-classic epic "Lingus" by SNARKY PUPPY (if by some chance you are unfamiliar with this, the viral live performance off We Like It Here is Required Listening (and viewing)).

It's not a sure-fire highlight for this release, but the beautiful "Sozinho (Alone)" is a great showcase of the Brecker Bros. as individual performers. Helluva family, that one! haha. If people don't know them by now, that would be surprising.

Highlight Tracks: T1, T2, T4, T6, 59, T11

True Rate: 3.5/5.0

Third album from the BB, and one that took unashamedly the radio-friendly route, ranging from disco, to brassy funk to everything an Arista label band had to lower themselves to. Indeed, in the late 70's, Arista became responsible for the downgrade of excellent early 70's artistes that had to keep surviving and had to resort to signing a contract with them. Very few bands came unscathed from this disastrous passage through the label, and the BB didn't make an exception. The BB band didn't seem to have a stable line-up then and among the guests, we hear Steve Kahn (guitars), Lenny White and Steve Gadd (both drums), alongside the mainstays of Grolnick, Lee and McDonald and, of course, Michael and Randy.

Right from the first ugly disco beat of the opening Finger Lickin' Good and the title track opening the flipside, one can only think of an atrociously kitschy soul-funk-disco. Along the soppy side of their spectrum, we have As Long As I've Got Your Love or the no-less cheesy instrumental Petals provide romantic mood (both filled with string arrangements), but are not completely without merits. Indeed some instrumental tracks like Funky Sea or the album-longest instrumental Squids were highly enjoyable (if you like that sort of thing), but drowned in a sea of radio-friendly brassy soul-disco-funk crap that flooded the airwaves and the nightclubs. The closing lengthy Tabula Rasa again presents a fast funk-fusion where the brothers add a slight Spanish brassy touch.

Well the present album is not as bad as I would tend to make it appear, but it is mainly plagued by those two ugly binary disco crap tune, that automatically lessen the album's appeal, but the other two string-laden tracks do not help either. Still mildly interesting, but IMHO, not really worth the detour.

Indeed, there are ultra-clean mothering funks on the album, like the opening Skunk Funk or the following Sponge, or Rocks and DBB on the flipside, all of them with impressive techniques and virtuosity, but that also lack soul (which is kind of weird for funk music). Is it the fault that the production is too clean, too slick? Most likely, ' mon humble opinion. Don't get me wrong, there are some delightful moments on the album, but unfortunately, there is often something that doesn't click all that well for me. Even when their 100 MPH music does slow down like in the Many-Faced Creature, the feel is rather cold and slick, instead of suave and sweaty. The album's better tracks are conga-filled Twilight

On the flipside, five relatively shorter tracks, with only the opening Sneaking Up Behind You nearing 5 minutes, and I believe this was the 'hit' back then, and also the only sung track, with somewhat average and semi-scatting but still-catchy War-like vocals, laid over some strings synth layers. The following Rocks might have been renamed Funks, because that 150 MPH muze will certainly funk up with your brains, but maybe too much for your own good. The problem is that when BB really slows down, they tend to fall asleep and they're contagious, and the Levitate more or less Gravitates, and the following soppy and sappy sung My Stars really dropped shamelessly below the ground level, leaving DBB give a honest closing to the debut album.

Well theoretically, an instrumental JR/F album from the mid-70's should still please me, and in a way, it does. But there was such an over-production of these vinyl plaques during those years, that I'm simply never in need or feel to play any of BB's albums, outside maybe once in a decade their debut (and presently reviewed) album. So if indeed one must investigate the BB, starting with the first two albums is the best (and only, IMHO) place to start, because by their third album, BB were not much more than a technically brilliant AOR (read radio-friendly) band without much interest to the demanding fusionheads.

The playing on here is superb, Randy and Micheal both play with fierce aggression and high speed dexterity. As the album title suggests, they are attempting to merge the power of metal with the demanding technique of bop. Both Breckers also utilze the technology of the day to great effect as they supplement their horns with echoplexes, wah-wah pedals and chorus units. Another plus is the technical and high speed drumming technique of Terry Bozzio.

There are a couple of tunes on here that take a shot at something a little more subtle, 'Funky Sea, Funky Dew' starts off as a ballad before heading straight to a heavy funk jam, and 'Squids' has some nice Latin touches in the verse before it too succumbs to the adrenaline fueled energy.

This album was recorded and released right around the time that the brothers were playing in Frank Zappa's band (check out "Zappa In New York"). Zappa's drummer from those years, Terry Bozzio, appears in this album. And while there is little Zappa influence, there is some fine funky fusion.

East River, the only studio track on the album, starts things out. It's also the only track not written by either on the brothers. This song, by bassist Neil Jason (and others), is sort of like a more rocking Earth Wind & Wire song. It's not bad, but one of the weaker tracks on the album.

Inside Out sounds similar to the bluesy jamming that Jeff Beck was playing at the time, but with more horn solos. Some Skunk Funk is the best track on the album. This wild funk track features some of the best frenetic horn arrangements you will ever hear (I once heard an unusually talented punk band play this, it was weird, but great).

Sponge is a very simply written song, but contains some incredible solos, not just from the Breckers, but also guitarist Barry Finnerty. Funky Sea. Funky Dew is the slower song on the album, with a heavier break in the middle, and a fine sax solo at the end. Squids is another good, mid-tempo funky piece.

Be warned, there is no heavy metal on the album, even by seventies standards. Just quality funky jazz rock fusion. It's a little bit dated in sound, but still a fine album to own.