RANDY BRECKER w/MICHAEL
BRECKER
Some Skunk Funk
Telarc
Revisiting some tunes from the original Brecker
Brothers ‘70s fusion/funk repertoire and some from
trumpeter Randy Brecker’s solo career with a big band
and a fierce funk rhythm section was a great idea on someone’s
part. Recorded in 2003 at Leverkusener Jazztage and featuring
The WDR Big Band arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza,
Some Skunk Funk shows that the best fusion, like
the Breckers’ brand of strutting New York funk, can
sound just as great today as it did then.
The Breckers are accompanied by an ace unit
that backs them ably and brings the funk: Jim Beard on piano
and synth, Will Lee on electric bass, Peter Erskine at the
drums, and Marcio Doctor playing additional percussion.
Erskine and Lee for a solid pocket for the Breckers to play
from, and Erskine drives the soloists like a madman. Beard
provides the right colors and textures, and the WDR Big
Band charts are lovingly crafted by Mendoza to deliver the
most punch possible. Then there are the Brecker Brothers
themselves: Randy, clear toned and able to hit high notes
on cue, yet still based in the jazz canon, ripping off Gillespie-style
riffs at the drop of a hat, and Michael, playing only tenor
sax here, focused and sharp in his ensemble playing and
inspired on his solos.
Tracks such as “Some Skunk Funk,”
“Sponge,” “And Then She Wept” come
from such Brecker Brothers classic albums as Brecker
Brothers, Out of the Loop, and Heavy Metal Bebop,
while “Wayne Out” and “Shanghigh”
come from some of Randy’s solo excursions. All the
tracks adapt well to their new big band settings, and the
program sounds very much of a piece, rather than tunes separated
by a decade or two, demonstrating that the Breckers have
been models of consistency during the duration of their
careers, both as a band and as solo artists.
Vince Mendoza’s arrangements for the
WDR Big Band are tight and feature some outstanding ensemble
playing. Guitarist Paul Shigihara makes his presence felt
on several tracks, particularly “Shanghigh,”
on which he solos effectively. Both Randy and Michael Brecker
have lots of solo time on this disc, and it is a pleasure
to hear them play in this setting. While the compositions
are overwhelmingly Randy’s, there are two contributions
from Michael that demonstrate his writing abilities: the
very funky “Strap-Hangin’” on which he
plays a really hot solo, and the energetic “Song for
Barry” which ends things on a Latin note and features
burning solo work from both Breckers as well as Shigihara
and great percussion work from Doctor.
It sounds like those in attendance at this
concert got their money’s worth, and those willing
to shell out the price of this hybrid CD/SACD disc will
also be well satisfied with their purchase.
