Return of the Brecker Brothers is the sixth album by the American jazz fusion group, the Brecker Brothers. It was released by GRP Records in 1992, their first recording after a decade-long hiatus. The track "Big Idea" was released as an R&B single.
Reception AllMusic awarded the album with 3.5 stars and its review by Thom Jurek states: "This set marked a fitting return for the Breckers, who never let the fashionable tenets of the smooth jazz '90s totally appropriate their creativity or their sound".Jurek, Thom [ Allmusic Review: Return of the Brecker Brothers] accessed 27 June 2015 At the 1993 Grammy Awards the album received three nominations: Best Contemporary Jazz Album, Best R&B Instrumental Performance ("Big Idea") and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (Randy Brecker on "Above & Below").
Track listing "Song for Barry" (Michael Brecker) — 5:07 "King of the Lobby" (Michael Brecker) — 5:20 "Big Idea" (Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Robbie Kilgore) — 4:20 "Above & Below" (Randy Brecker) — 7:05 "That’s All There Is to It" (Randy Brecker) — 5:26 "Wakaria (What’s Up?)" (Michael Brecker) — 5:26 "On the Backside" (Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker) — 6:25 "Sozinho (Alone)" (Randy Brecker) — 7:36 "Spherical" (Michael Brecker) — 5:58 "Good Gracious" (Randy Brecker) — 5:13 "Roppongi" (Randy Brecker) — 4:56
Personnel
The Brecker Brothers Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone, Akai EWI (1, 6, 11), keyboards (1, 2, 9), synthesizer programming (1, 2, 6, 9), arrangements (1, 2, 5, 7, 9), soprano saxophone (6) Randy Brecker – trumpet (1–7, 9, 10, 11), flugelhorn (1, 2, 6, 8), arrangements (4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11), vocals (5)
Other Musicians Max Risenhoover – synthesizer programming (1, 2), percussion programming (1), bass (2), drums (2), arrangements (2), snare drum programming (6), ride cymbal (6), cymbals (8) George Whitty – keyboards (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8–11), additional Rhodes piano (3), arrangements (5, 9), acoustic piano (7), programming (7), additional arrangements (7), synthesizer programming (9, 11) Mary "Maz" Kessler – keyboards (3, 7), drum programming (3, 7), arrangements (3) Robbie Kilgore – Rhodes piano (3), bass (3), arrangements (3), additional acoustic piano (7), synth bass (7) Mike Stern – guitars (1, 2, 4, 8–11) Dean Brown – guitars (2, 5, 11) Armand Sabal-Lecco – bass (1, 5, 6), piccolo bass (1, 6), vocals (1, 6), drums (6), percussion (6), arrangements (6) James Genus – bass (4, 10, 11), acoustic bass (7, 8), electric bass (8) Dennis Chambers – drums (4, 5, 6, 8–11) Don Alias – percussion (1, 8, 9, 11) Bashiri Johnson – percussion (4) David Sanborn – alto saxophone (2) Jason Miles – arrangements (2) Veera – voices (2, 3) Will Lee – additional voices (5), bass (9) Malcolm Pollack – additional voices (5)
Production Dave Grusin – executive producer Larry Rosen – executive producer The Brecker Brothers – producers (1, 2, 4–11) Maz & Kilgore – producers (3, 7), mixing (7) Max Risenhoover – co-producer, editing, sequencing George Whitty – co-producer Todd Childress – engineer, assistant engineer Malcolm Pollack – engineer Garry Rindfuss – engineer Michael White – engineer, assistant engineer Jenny Bette – assistant engineer Brian Kinkead – assistant engineer Lolly Grodner – assistant engineer Ray Bardani – mixing (1, 2, 3) Joe Ferla – mixing (4, 5, 6, 8–11) Joseph Doughney – post-production engineer Michael Landy – post-production engineer Adam Zelinda – post-production engineer Greg Calbi – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY) Kyle Benson – A&R Cameron Mizell – production coordinator Hollis King – art direction Scott Johnson – design Sonny Mediana – design Andy Ruggirello – design Dan Serrano – design Sharon Franklin – design assistant Darryl Pitt – cover concept, photography Judith Schiller – photography
Return of the Brecker Brothers – Live in Barcelona (VHS)
In 1992, a VHS video entitled "Return of the Brecker Brothers – Live in Barcelona" was released by GRP Records of a concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona. The concert has not officially been released on DVD format. It was officially released on Laser disk however. (GRP Video – PILJ-1124)
Track listing "Above & Below" (Randy Brecker) "Spherical" (Michael Brecker) "Some Skunk Funk" (Randy Brecker) "Common Ground" (Mike Stern) "Song for Barry" (Michael Brecker) "Inside Out" (Randy Brecker)
Personnel Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone, EWI Randy Brecker – trumpet George Whitty – keyboards Mike Stern – guitars James Genus – bass Dennis Chambers – drums
References