Brecker Lets Loose with His Band
Brecker is in superb form, really ripping into eight pieces with the energy of a player at his peak.
Don't Try This at Home catches Michael Brecker at a moment when he had figured out exactly what kind of bandleader he wanted to be. This is his second album, and it's looser and more generous than a lot of tenor saxophone records — Brecker shares space with his band instead of using them as a backing unit. The eight pieces are mostly group originals, which means everyone had a hand in shaping what you hear. That collaborative energy is what separates this from the standard "saxophonist plus rhythm section" template.
Brecker plays both tenor saxophone and the Electro-Acoustic Wind Instrument (EWI), which was still a novelty in jazz in 1988. The EWI could sound gimmicky in the wrong hands, but here it's just another voice in the conversation — he uses it because it lets him explore textures the tenor can't reach, not because he's chasing novelty. The rhythm section locks in hard, and the horns breathe together. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow gave it 4.5 stars, calling it superb, and that word sticks because you can hear the confidence in every solo.
The album won a Grammy for Best Improvised Jazz Solo in 1989, which is the kind of recognition that matters to working musicians. This isn't a record that's trying to reinvent the tenor saxophone or push jazz into unmapped territory — it's a band playing at full strength, enjoying what they're doing, and inviting the listener in. If you want to hear Brecker leading rather than just performing, this is where to start.
Who's playing
Jeff Andrewsfretless bass
Charlie Hadendouble bass
Don Grolnickpiano
Herbie Hancockpiano
Joey Calderazzopiano
Mike Sternguitar
Michael Breckertenor saxophone
Judd Millersynthesizer
Jack DeJohnettedrums
Adam Nussbaumdrums
Mark O’Connorviolin
Where next?
More by Michael Brecker
All 29 albums →
The musicians on this record
Head Hunters 1973
Herbie Hancock
plays piano here
plays piano here
Quartet West 1987
Charlie Haden
plays double bass here
plays double bass here
Parallel Realities 1978
Jack DeJohnette
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
