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MICHAEL BRECKER


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Words fail me, this is absolutely tragic news. May he Rest In Peace.

Saw him live just the once back in about 1980, firing on 6 cylinders in a London Jazz Festival tribute to Charlie Parker, one of the best performances on a stage full of jazz greats. A fitting memory.

Edited by sidewinder
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Wow. As with many serious cases of cancer, it's hard to call this completely unexpected, but it's still a blow when it happens. My thoughts are with his family during this trying time.

I remember when my aunt passed away of cancer several years ago. We were sad, but we were also glad that she was out of pain. I imagine that his family must be having similar feelings right now...

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From AP via Newsday.

Saxophonist Michael Brecker dies at age 57

NEW YORK -- Michael Brecker, a jazz saxophonist who won 11 Grammys over a career that spanned more than three decades, died Saturday at age 57.

His death was confirmed by Bruce Bobbins, a public relations specialist who had been working with Brecker's family. No further details, including the cause of death, were immediately available. But Brecker had been struggling with a blood disorder known as myelodysplastic syndrome, a cancer in which the bone marrow stops producing enough healthy blood cells.

Becker, who had a home in Hastings-on-the-Hudson, was born in 1949 in Philadelphia and had won 11 Grammys for his work as a tenor saxophonist. He was inspired to study the tenor saxophone by the work of jazz legend John Coltrane, according to his web site.

He and his brothers led a successful jazz-rock fusion group called the Brecker Brothers. Throughout his career, he recorded and performed with numerous jazz and pop music leaders, including Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell, according to the web site. His technique on the saxophone was widely emulated and taught.

Edited by brownie
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Holding out for a scintilla of hope:

Has this report been confirmed by any outside source ?

If its true, we've lost yet another major talent at an age where he should just be coming into his best work.

This is a real tragedy ..RIP Mike

you will be missed, but in no way ever forgotten.

Mr. Brecker's death is confirmed. Still no official word on Ms. Coltrane yet.

Edited by trane_fanatic
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Guest youmustbe

Michael was doomed from the start....I know he wanted to give up several times but modern medecine, for various reasons keeps you 'alive' longer than the body, especially the heart, can stand.

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Can't help but remember selling him records in Bloomington. He was the "hip" jazz student on campus at the time. His reputation at the time was connected to his brother being on the first BS&T record.

Very sorry to hear of his departure.

He was still quite highly thought of around these parts. There are going to be some very sad members of the B-town jazz veteran community this week.

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I'll miss him a lot. For the past couple of years I have opened up one of his albums for Mardi Gras weekend. I was planning to do it again this year with his Ballads album, but maybe I'll get to that one now.

When I was a senior in college, I had the first Dreams album (self-titled), which included Mike, Randy and John Abercrombie. I liked it a lot and persuaded a friend to buy it as well. I'm not sure if that was his first recording, but I'm not aware of an earlier one.

One of my favorite albums, I've said this many times, is Mike Nock's In Out & Around, which was a quartet date with Mike B, George Mraz and Al Foster. I felt that his first album on Impulse! was a pale imitation of that one. Too bad it didn't get more promotion (It was on Timeless as I recall).

RIP

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