Search - Brecker Brothers :: Return of the Brecker Brothers

Thankfully not "smooth jazz" but could be edgier at times

Greg Brady | Capital City | 04/29/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Fusion, when done right, can be one of the most exciting genres of music..harnessing the power and majesty of rock or the rhythmic inventions of funk (or both) while filtering in the subtle melodicism of jazz. The Brecker Brothers were one of the bands there with their "skunk funk" at the beginning, when the genre hit its stride in the early 70s. This was their first album since 1980.



HIGHLIGHTS:

Jazz purists will hate the hip-hop influenced "Big Idea" but it has one of the better musical grooves on the album to my ears. I think the addition of Veera's electronicly altered voice was a bit much though. Peppy somewhat Latin flavoured "Above and Below" reminds me a bit of Chick Corea Elektric Band. "On the Backside" is a strutting chunk of mid-tempo funk with some nice trumpet/sax interplay by the Breckers and tasteful piano asides from George Whitty. "Sozinho" is a lovely flugelhorn based ballad though it's perhaps a bit too long. "Roppongi", the album closer, flirts with Brazilian rhythms and flits between several quirky melody/meter changes that somehow manage to hold together.



LOWS:

Randy Brecker makes an ill-advised attempt at singing on "That's All There is to It", a self-penned tune that's no great shakes in the lyric department though the skewed reggae arrangement is at least occasionally interesting musically. "Good Gracious" sounds like the theme song to some bad WB TV show.



BOTTOM LINE:

There are some good songs here and I enjoyed it enough to buy it, but I don't count it among my favourite jazz CDs or even my favourite fusion for that matter. There are some definite "skip" tracks. Listen for yourself and choose accordingly."

A fusion jam!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 06/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an inspired album, that carves in relief the kaleidoscopic creativity of these outstanding musicians brothers.



The front page of the CD is eloquent and talks by itself. This album goes over many different rhythms with such mastery and enraptured vision that has meant not only one of the best albums in the whole discography of these brothers, but besides a never ending motive to enjoy their craft: innovativeness of first order. You will never let disappointed with this album.



Praising recommended.



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