Mike (Brecker) reacting to it is priceless. They were having a lot of fun up there. Saw the band around this time and it was cooking. It was September, so just a bit after.
Thanks for posting this. I saw the original version on PBS in '87 when i was in high school when it first aired and it inspired me to make a life of music!
I’ve been listening to Mike Stern since 1991. I’ve never seen this performance. Thank you. Mike’s playing has been such a wonderful blessing to my life.
We lost a great one when we lost MIKE. He brought so much talent and vision for jazz, my tree great Nick Brignola barritone Mark Russo alto and the monster Mike. All play with love and great passion and control of octaves. You might be gone but never ever forgotten what a talent.
Wow!! This is a where we’re you moment from my childhood. My Dad actually called me from bed (after my bedtime) to come downstairs and see this. Permanently burned into my brain
I saw this group back in the late 80's at the old Musicians Exchange Cafe in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl; I miss that place! They blew me away! Stern just rips my heart out with those bends and Brecker was AMAZING! In my opinion, the three most influential Sax players in Jazz history were Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Michael Brecker. RIP Michael Brecker, your music will live forever!
Dude, BOTH solos completely kick ass, for exactly different reasons. If Michael Brecker can get down to Mike Stern's solo, then you can too, my man. I was AT this concert in Newport, RI. I was 16 years old at the time, and I've never been the same since. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life (and I'm talking about these very two different solos). Peace...
..one of best ensembles I’ve ever heard..Michael Brecker RIP firing on all cylinders and the agent provocateur from Berklee, my biggest influence since going to Berklee..Mike Stern on full joyous blaze..btw the gentleman on bass is Jeff Andrews RIP, another Berklee brother..note by note, phrase by phrase..to coin a comment from my friend and classmate Victor Bailey RIP..”those cats were killin’ it man”..damn straight
I remember seeing this on PBS and quickly grabbing a spare VHS tape to record it. I recall it was from a performance at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival in Florida. Nancy Wilson sang with the Crusaders. Branford blew crazy tenor wearing his shorts and ballcap. It was a great show!
No excuses necessary; receive a well-earned : 'order of you-tube jazz merit' for posting this landmark performance... crazy non-intelligent pitch-shifting isn't quite as extreme as on the album cut but the tenor solo is an earth-message to distant civilisations of our goodwill... two-to-the-bar you green guys !!! peace !!!
Stern's sound is just so unique and original. He's so identifiable. Then again, so is Michael Brecker. His work with John Abercrombie in particular comes to mind. Just great stuff here.
+Brian D YES!! So many modulations in the melody. Outstanding and so beautiful. Brecker and the band was so on point. I just love this video. Found it years ago and just revisiting it now!
This is CLASSIC! I don't know how many times I watched this as a young saxophonist, back in the early 90s. Some really uplifting music. Dig the 'candid' facial expressions and reactions of a very young Michael Brecker...
Worst thing you can do is letting MB's MUSIC play on youtube while you want to work in the house. You'll never finish, he draws you so into his world of sound. Thx for posting, one of my favs on RU-vid.
Thank you so much for posting this. I, too, am a professional, working musician, partially as a result of this specific clip (combined with the cassette tape my mentor made of this record...LP, that is). Brecker was the master.
The history of the guitar by Mike Stern. The legend Michael Brecker, may he RIP! I don't know how many times I have watched this video. I also have a worn out vhs of this number....life changing...Brecker laughing his *ss off at Stern taking it completely over the top....Breckers tag at the end..the ewi solo....I never tire of this clip...I just wish it were stereo and HD!
I just commented to the JazzVideoGuy about this clip-and here it is again!!!! I knew this had been on youtube before-but I thought it had been taken down.THANKYOUFORPOSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Adam Nussbaum drivin that truck straight through the ice like it’s his last day on planet earth. That’s the deal. 🎖 They brought the A+ game for the people that day. I used to have this on vhs. Wore it though.
Thanks a million for posting this amazing performance. This recording is from the PBS broadcast of the Newport Jazz Festival 1987 (see "Jazz on Film and Video in the Library of Congress" by Rebecca D. Clear). In addition to Brecker and crew, the video includes performances by the Crusaders, Kenny G, Branford Marsalis, and Nancy Wilson. I only wish I could find a commercial copy of this amazing video. RIP MB
the famous saying is that the toughest solo to play is right after Michael Brecker....well, Mike Stern stood his ground on this one ;-)...just for the record: next to MB and Mike there were Joey Calderazzo on keys, Jeff Andrews on bs, Adam Nussbaum on dr, truly an EastCoast band ;-)
I watch this video at least a couple times a week and still get goosebumps each time, especially during Mike's solo at 6:37 and 6:54 . Whoever uploaded this, I fucking love you! lol
brecker is just amazing, but i've got to hand it to mike on this tune to bring so much more energy to the stage. even though brecker brought so much already. take two amazing guys, omfg....sooooo amazing, certainly a great job.
Oh heck I was just thinking that. This is by far one of my favorite solos in all of music. I don't know even how to describe how it makes me feel! 4:48 onwards his solo speeds up my heart
8:31 [one eye open, scanning the crowd] "Is Kenny G out there, sucking his thumb like the musical baby that he is? [sees Kenny G in fetal position] OK, good." [Returns to closed eyes, completely killing it]
Laugh is Kenny G was at this same festival, with a Yamaha WX-7... Oddly he kind of manned up when he played "Slip of the Tongue", about the only time any of his music ever piqued my interest. (since the rest of it is garbage)
Isn't the bass player Jay Anderson? Listened to MB with same band (I think) play this same tune at Copenhagen Jazz Festival 1989. It was just magic, he continued his sax solo for the longest ever, climbing ever higher in intensity. At the end the audience just stood on their feet either screaming or laughing of sheer joy... Wish someone had recorded that session, I never heard MB play better than that!
I like Mike Stern but it makes me kind of mad how much more of a response/applause he gets for a relatively standard shredding. Whereas Brecker's solo is mind blowing
Agreed. My take is: groups like Brecker Brothers and Spyro Gyra always had the guitar players as their weakest link...however I appreciated the shamefully forgotten Barry Finnerty with the BB`s.
Stern brought the energy level up for everyone in attendance. Look at Nussbaum, Andrews, and especially Becker grinning. The thunderous applause from the audience was the cherry on top.
I love this vid!!! It was off for a while and thanks to you, I can now enjoy it again!! Do you know who played bass on this performance? Any answer would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks :-)
@indaplace2b I've been working on figuring this out myself for a long time. I understand how it works, he's assigning the synth to play 2 notes underneath his played pitch at (somewhat) randomly generated intervals. I don't know how to program something like this, but look up "Oberheim Trick" posted by Flagoletten. He seems to know how to do it
To Marcus Blade i guess you couldnt see past your own tunnel vision to see what he was doing. Thats why they call it jazz fusion , how many grammys you have? Thank You
