One of the most beloved and highly respected musicians of his generation, saxophonist Michael Brecker has spent four decades playing with a passionate intensity and incredible soulfulness in genres ranging from pop, funk and jazz to world beat and chamber music. At this writing, Brecker is back in the woodshed, continuing his life-long search for new sounds, new modes of expression.
In the months that followed, he has undergone a barrage of tests, surgeries, therapies, trials and protocols to fight this deadly disease. In January , Brecker received an experimental haplo half-matching blood stem cell transplant, with his daughter Jess as the donor.
His longtime friend and programming partner George Whitty has been working with Brecker on some advanced surround sound applications with the EWI. Meanwhile, Brecker is feeling OK. On good days, he makes phone calls to friends and returns emails. Then there are those other days when he feels fatigued. And so it goes. He has a good day, he has a bad day. And we continue to send prayers and good vibrations his way in hopes of a full recovery for this iconic sax player and beloved gentleman of jazz.
JazzTimes reached out to friends, colleagues and disciples of Michael Brecker to get a better read on the character of the man, his contribution to the saxophone and to jazz in general.
At roughly the same time, vibraphonist, longtime friend and Steps Ahead founder Mike Mainieri presented Brecker with a special quilt as a birthday gift. It had been stitched together from dozens of autographed T-shirts gathered from musicians that Brecker has played with during his storied career.
