14 de enero de 2007

Nos dejó Michael Brecker

Michael Brecker

Cuando un artista de la talla de Michael Brecker fallece, es noticia en todo el mundo. Este fabuloso saxofonista americano nos dejó el día de ayer, sábado 13 de enero a los 57 años de edad, debido a la leuquemia que ya venía padeciendo. Su deceso sucedió en un hospital de Nueva York.

Michael Brecker ha sido una figura muy influyente en el jazz, una voz muy distintiva, una mente muy creativa y un compositor sobresaliente. Inicialmente Michael empezó el estudio del clarinete, pero luego cambió al saxo tenor.

En esta entrada de nuestro Blog podrán apreciar un estupendo video de esta leyenda del jazz. Su biografía está aquí, y esta es su página web oficial.


El saxofonista Mark Turner se expresa de esta manera sobre Brecker:

Fuck those motherfuckers who don't give it up for Michael Brecker.

He was so influential to so many players. I fully admit to hours of learning and studying Brecker solos. He's consistently excellent. That Claus Ogerman album Cityscape is prime Brecker--just incredible.

He was one of the greatest technicians of the saxophone that ever lived. The saxophone is deceptive--it is initially easy to play, but hard to really delve into. Brecker really delved into the details. His sound was huge, but he only used a [size] seven mouthpiece. Trane used a six-star, Wayne a seven (nowadays an eight) and many modern players are using sizes up to ten, but Brecker always used a mid-sized mouthpiece with tremendous control, paying attention to the voicing of the low, mid, and high registers of the saxophone in a way that few have. This enabled him to play things that are really hard to play. I saw him put his horn on at clinics and soundchecks and--cold, without warming up--instantly play the most fucking incredible shit, stuff that most saxophonists simply cannot deal with.

In recent years he was improvising more, taking more chances, and exploring more kinds of music. He was really blossoming. I was really looking forward to a few more decades of powerful Brecker.

I met him a few times, and he was always just so cool. A true master.



Un minuto de silencio.... Brecker descansa en paz.