Randy Brecker
I've been very fortunate to have worked and performed with some of the greatest musicians in the world, one of which is the outstanding trumpet/flugelhornist Randy Brecker. I had the great pleasure of performing with Randy while I was touring with Michel Legrand in the famous Mainsonette Room at the St.Regis Hotel in NYC. I recently posted a story about the shows we performed there, the live recording and album I'm featured on "Michel Legrand and Friends" on RCA that was created from those shows and of course along with Randy and Legrand the rest of that incredible band - Phil Woods, Ron Carter, Grady Tate and Joe Beck. Randy was cool with a kind personality and blew everyone away with his playing. He sure blew me away!! It was a fantastic time being a part such a tremendously talented group of musicians and being a part of discovering the greatness of Randy Brecker!!
Randy was already becoming an important name when I met and performed with him as some years earlier he had already played and recorded with the group Blood Sweat and Tears and then went to join Horace Silvers Jazz Quintet. His talent for playing any genre of music led him to perform and record with such artists Stevie Wonder, Jaco Pastorius, Johnny Hodges, Chaka Kahn, Gato Barbieri and George Bensen and Areosmith to name a few. Along with the many recordings and live performances Randy and his brother saxophonist Michael Brecker formed the band the Brecker Brothers that took off and became very successful. With the Brecker Brothers band, a solo career and recording and performing with artists from genres of music spanning from jazz, pop, rock and R&B, winning 6 Grammy awards and still doing his thing to this day, I'd say I've been pretty blessed to have performed with Randy Brecker.
After many years, it was great to reunite and see and hear Randy perform at the Legendary Jazz Showcase in Chicago!
