Brecker Brothers Complete 8CD set for $13 at Amazon

[No Pride]

on the 4th listen through the 3rd disc...

umm... that open hi-hat hit between the beats... err... that's DISCO!

only 2 great tunes and 1 decent tune out of 7 tracks... this 3rd album struggles to win an 8 on the Gnosis scale

Yes, they really slipped their disco on the title track of Don't Stop The Music.

(Sigh...) Yeah, after their debut (which aside from the two tracks with vocals was pure bliss), I think they got confused about whether they wanted to be the artsy jazz/funk band they started out as or have some commercial success. Maybe they got pressure from the record label; I don't know, but on the second and third albums (Back to Back and Don't Stop the Music), it seems like they were trying to have it both ways. Both of those albums had an increased amount of questionable vocal tunes and even an instrumental or two that veered a little too close to smooth jazz. There are some gems on both where they got back to their original vision, but there was more crap to wade through. Their 4th, "Heavy Metal Bebop" was a great live album with only one vocal tune (also the only studio track), but most of the material was from the previous studio albums.

On their 5th album, "Détente," it was back to that mixed bag of lame vocal tracks and some cool instrumental ones. Finally, on their 6th album, "Straphangin'," they returned to form and made another artsy jazz/funk album that was devoid of any vocal tracks; not quite as ambitious as their debut, but a very nice album nonetheless. Then they disbanded until 1990, when they made two more albums. Those were on a different record label, which explains why they aren't in this boxset. There's some real nice stuff on both, but imho, they never quite lived up to the promise of their debut, which I consider to be a stone cold classic.

So... you guys are lucky you got the set for a great price. I'd say that between "Back to Back," "Don't Stop the Music" and "Détente," you could probably make yourself one CD-R of worthwhile stuff.

BTW, Michael Brecker made 8 albums as a leader. There's not a commercial track to be found on any of them and I love them all! But you'd have to be a fan of straight-ahead jazz to appreciate them, with the exception of "Now You See it, Now You Don't" and some of "Don't Try This at Home," which have some funk and fusion elements.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

thanks for the summary Ernie
I'm still gonna listen in order, but now I know that I have something to look forward to in Straphangin
and I presume the Montreaux albums

[nosebone]

I received mine yesterday.

I'm only familiar with Heavy Metal Bebop and Straphanging which had on vinyl.

[No Pride]

thanks for the summary Ernie
I'm still gonna listen in order, but now I know that I have something to look forward to in Straphangin
and I presume the Montreaux albums

I had the first Blue Montreux album when I had a vinyl collection many moons ago; never heard the second. It wasn't actually The Brecker Brothers Band, though both brothers were in it. I think (vibraphonist) Mike Mainieri put it together and it would eventually become Steps Ahead.

Here's a preview of what you'll hear:

[zeprogmeister]

A great deal overall. I like the first album all the through, and the others all have tracks worthy of merit. Haven't played the Blue Montreaux yet, but looking forward to.

[progeezer]

Mine arrived yesterday from the UK. Just listened to the debut and was pretty impressed. $13 & change incl. shipping.

[proggy_jazzer]

Here's a preview of what you'll hear:

Wow - thanks for sharing that video. What a gas to see a young TLev still working out his stick style! He'd probably only been playing it for a year or two at that point.

[Digital_Man]

Wow, I wonder what year that video is from? Does anyone know? Mid eighties maybe?

I would say that is more on the jazzy side of fusion but it's really good stuff regardless.

[Crystal Plumage]

And a very young ,without moustache, Tony Levin ?!

[No Pride]

Wow, I wonder what year that video is from? Does anyone know? Mid eighties maybe?

1978. The video is from the same concert that's on the album.

And a very young ,without moustache, Tony Levin ?!

Yes, as proggy_jazzer pointed out in post #57

[jkelman]

I had the first Blue Montreux album when I had a vinyl collection many moons ago; never heard the second. It wasn't actually The Brecker Brothers Band, though both brothers were in it. I think (vibraphonist) Mike Mainieri put it together and it would eventually become Steps Ahead.

I think I said that here

As for Steps Ahead, not really; he already had a band playing at the Breckers' club 7th Avenue South I think it was called (?) that was the presage to SA, originally just called steps,l.