Some Skunk Funk
In the mid '70s, trumpeter Randy Brecker and his saxophonist brother Michael were the Wynton and Branford Marsalis of their jazz fusion day.  This live date features the brothers performing with the WDR Big Band in Koln, Germany in 2003. Augmented by conductor/arranger Vince Mendoza, bassist Will Lee, and drummer Peter Erskine, the Breckers revive some of their hits from their classic LPsBack to Back,Don't Stop the Music,Heavy Metal Be-Bop,Detente, andStrap-Hangin'. Randy's full-bodied trumpet tones and Michael's Tranish sheets-of-sound sax appeal reveal their tradition-born technique applied to funk, world, and pop-oriented soundscapes. The peppery title track and the mid-tempo backbeat on "Sponge" reveal their mainstream jazz cred, and the  oblique "Wayne Out" is a tribute to Wayne Shorter. The Latin-tinged "Shanghigh" is a shout-out to Randy's former boss Horace Silver, while the percussive "For Barry" reveals Michael's type of tenor madness. Contrary to some critics, these fusion catscouldswing.--Eugene Holley, Jr.