I had the privilege of working with Michael, and I’m a drummer. My role was production and arrangement and rhythm programming, but not live drumming. I just wasn’t good enough to compete with the caliber of players that Mike was accustomed to working with. But there was a need for an overdub of a cymbal swell, and rather than setting up a session, we thought it would simple for me to just do it. After a couple takes, I could tell he was frustrated. He kept asking me to play it more like the way Jack DeJohnette would play it, but I just didn’t have Jack in my vocabulary. Little did I know that Mike could have just played it himself. I had no idea he was such a good drummer. I worked with him for quite a few months and he never even mentioned that he played. I didn’t know until watching this video. His talent was off the charts, and this just makes me miss him more than I already did.
Max, thanks so much for sharing your personal experience with us. This is why I upload these videos... Mike was a friend of mine, I created and ran his first web site, from 1995-2000. He was such a great person, I love hearing stories about him. He was so humble and gracious.
Oh man, I just listened to Return of the Brecker Brothers again last week - one of my favorite albums of that time, played it until the tape wore out. And your drum grooves are awesome, it doesn't get better than that.
Max, thanks for sharing that. I'm a pianist from South Africa, and when Mike toured with Paul Simon's Graceland band in 1985. The only real Jazz club that was in Johannesburg was a club called Rumours on the famous Restaurant Row, Rocky Sreet in Yeoville's, Greenwich-like, neighborhood. That Saturday night I was performing there with my band when in walked Mike and some members of Simon's band. He asked if he could sit in, of course we were, all to say the least, elated. However, he wanted to play drums, everyone was like, huh? Needless to say he's drum playing was, well..... we were all blown away. Further to that, many years later I got to perform with Rand Brecker in the Hamptons, NY. Awesome legendary brothers in their humanity, humility and musical excellence!!! Incidently, I got to perform with Kendall Kay, South African, years later, who was the student that gave up his drum chair for Mike in this workshop video. Wow, what a small world!!!
I was 20 playing Bass in Montreux with Etta James. They had equipment/drums set up in the lounge, and made it only for Musicians. One afternoon I had my bass plugged in, and Michael and Randy were there. Michael sat down and started playing swing on the drums with me. I wish I knew more about it at 20. Later learned a bit more at Berklee. Cool memory.
A saxophonist once asked me (a drummer), “What are you thinking when you accompany soloists?” I don’t know his motivation for asking, but the answer just instantly popped out: “I want them to know somebody’s listening.” Stunned silence.
Whoa !!!! I Had No Idea Michael Brecker Played Drums on That Level... Absolutely Amazing 😎👊💯💯 Rest in Power My Most Awesome Musical Big Brotha Michael B 💖💖
Damn. He's really good at it and knows what he is doing. Very light touch on the ride cymbal and perfect ghost notes on the snare drum. Jeez, what a musical colossus Mike was.
Yea, he actually is. As a seasoned drummer myself I can tell you he actually is a really good drummer other than you can tell he was just a little cold..
Michael was such a pleasure to record. Unlike here, he was kinda quiet, did all his speaking through his horn. Best though, was that he was always surprising, taking turns no one else thought of and playing the ensemble role to perfection. Much of my work with him included his brother Randy. They were as different as two brothers could be and the contrast was fantastic hearing on stage. I saw Michael go through some difficult times and always felt the need to lift his spirits. It was a sad day losing him.
Hi Paul - I’m another sax player that was watching/listening to Mr Brecker’s presentation that day from cloud nine! We were used to hearing horn players able to function on the drums, but Michael’s ability was, well, what you’d expect from who we now realize was one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. The next evening some friends and I went to see him with Steps Ahead at a club in Dallas which was further mind blowing Fun aside: I got to watch him play video games before he went back-stage before the show. Also, after the first tune, he commented - “Never eat too much Tex-Mex food before playing the saxophone.” :^) We were lucky to be there then. Thanks for posting!
What a fantastic story, thanks for sharing! I was still a senior in high school, I didn't get to Denton until that Fall. Fortunately I got to know Michael working with him on some stuff. I concur, Tex-Mex before a gig is not a good idea. :)
@@YoPaulieMusic Fantastic you got to work with him - I’d like to know more! Some years back I spent some time with another NTSU grad Tim Ries (Rolling Stones) who got to know Michael as a neighbor in NYC. He said Brecker was such a wonderful person. Have you checked out The Jazz Video Guy’s series of YT interviews regarding Michael? They’re definitely worth watching.
@@bryandickerson5365 I founded Mike's first web site, michaelbrecker.com back in 1995. It was a project to teach myself this new web thing, and a friend of his found my page and told Mike about it. Mike looked me up and called me, and that began our friendship. I ran his web site up until 2000 when my daughter was born. He introduced me to David Sanborn and I founded davidsanborn.com and managed his site as well until 2000. Then I turned the sites over to their record labels since I was a new dad and needed to focus on that. Stayed friends with Mike over the years, and after Impulse destroyed his formerly useful web site I met with Mike and suggested that we create a new web site more inline with what I had done, versus the boring marketing crap that his site had become. He loved the idea, so I launched ibrecker.com and ran that until a few years after his death. He was such a great guy, so humble and so into technology. My last email from him was a couple of weeks before he died.
@@YoPaulieMusic What great experiences those must have been! I’m not sure if the whole NTSU lecture is available so one more fun story: someone asked him about what it was like doing the Saturday Night Live show (1985). He answered that on the very first taping he had to do the two things he hated the most, “wearing a swimsuit and dancing” on the Eddie Murphy skit ‘James Brown’s Allstar Hot tub Party’.
I've played with so many drummers through the years some really good, but very few who keep "time" like he said. There is a big difference. The best way I can describe it is they play with conviction, you never have to guess where they are.
I've seen Michael in concert over a dozen times. One the last times was at the Blue Note in NYC in 2001, with Chic Corea. He did a solo that brought you down to the depths of hell and then back to heaven, one of the greatest things I have ever heard. Great guy, still can't believe he is gone. But I didn't know he played drums until now, and he sounds like a professional session player. Not bad for a guy who hadn't played in "many moons."
I'm not surprised.. This musician was a real genius! Back in time (It was in the 80's) I saw him play a couple of bars on the drums during a soundcheck.. I was impressed.
saw one his last appearances .he played with such intensity and virtuosity that i was completely worn out. brilliant player and now a drummer as well. Such a great talent to have lost!
Back in the early 70s I used to play gigs with Mike at a restaurant in Nebraska where Mike played drums. The restaurant was known for red snapper and hush puppies
I was completely surprised he was great at the drums. I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. It just means I am woefully ignorant of the breadth of his talents. That was cool to see.
Been aware of Michael Brecker since the '70's. Had no idea he played drums 'til I read "Ode to a Tenor Titan." Once I learned that fact, I was curious to see him behind the traps. Thank you for fulfilling my curiosity!
I've seen him playing BETTER than this before, and if I wasn't humbled by him already this blew me away. When asked I say; " He was good enough on the drums to play with Michael Brecker." 👍
On his Quartets recordings with Chick Corea there's a couple of tracks where MB does a duo on tenor sax with Chick on drum set. Wowee- talk about cooking!
To play jazz, college level time studies are imperative. This is an exclusive club and they have no patience for those trying to learn. You do that in class.
Thanks for sharing this clip! I attended this, but I forgot he played drums that day. I did hear him play drums at the North Sea Fest and was killin' it!
There were always two sessions (one morning and one afternoon). He probably only did this at one of them. I don't remember him playing drums either but there's a lot I don't remember from almost 40 years ago. 🙂
@@Freddels1 good point about the two sessions. I picked Brecker up at the airport that day but couldn't attend the clinics cuz I had changed my major away from jazz. All of my friends raved about him playing drums so I knew about it and only heard it in TH-cam about 8 years ago.
What people don't get is that this form of jazz is easy the body and hard on the brain. His brain already has the hard part learned. His point was to demonstrate what's the most important part of Jazz by switching to a rhythm instrument. It could have been a tambourine for all it matters.
More soloists need to understand the rhythm section, and the contributions of the rhythm section that soloists often stepping on. Everybody is supposed to participate, right? Right?
He didn't say "I'm going to play like Steve Gadd." The title of this video is based on my impression that Mike's left hand snare work is reminiscent of how Steve Gadd played his snare during swing grooves.
Instrument is only one form of musical way to play out what you got as a musician. The only difference between a pro to an amateur is the years it took him to master the instrument. But every genius could pick a different instrument and become a master of it the same way even if it would be a different one.
@@YoPaulieMusic Yeah NO I love mick but just no.... I sure Mike can tell the difference. And he give good advice .. Nice on the rudiments though th-cam.com/video/3EOTl-DLkuA/w-d-xo.html
I had the privilege of working with Michael, and I’m a drummer. My role was production and arrangement and rhythm programming, but not live drumming. I just wasn’t good enough to compete with the caliber of players that Mike was accustomed to working with. But there was a need for an overdub of a cymbal swell, and rather than setting up a session, we thought it would simple for me to just do it. After a couple takes, I could tell he was frustrated. He kept asking me to play it more like the way Jack DeJohnette would play it, but I just didn’t have Jack in my vocabulary.
Little did I know that Mike could have just played it himself. I had no idea he was such a good drummer. I worked with him for quite a few months and he never even mentioned that he played. I didn’t know until watching this video. His talent was off the charts, and this just makes me miss him more than I already did.
Max, thanks so much for sharing your personal experience with us. This is why I upload these videos... Mike was a friend of mine, I created and ran his first web site, from 1995-2000. He was such a great person, I love hearing stories about him. He was so humble and gracious.
Oh man, I just listened to Return of the Brecker Brothers again last week - one of my favorite albums of that time, played it until the tape wore out. And your drum grooves are awesome, it doesn't get better than that.
Max, thanks for sharing that. I'm a pianist from South Africa, and when Mike toured with Paul Simon's Graceland band in 1985.
The only real Jazz club that was in Johannesburg was a club called Rumours on the famous Restaurant Row, Rocky Sreet
in Yeoville's, Greenwich-like, neighborhood. That Saturday night I was performing there with my band when
in walked Mike and some members of Simon's band. He asked if he could sit in, of course we were, all to say the least, elated.
However, he wanted to play drums, everyone was like, huh? Needless to say he's drum playing was, well..... we were all blown away.
Further to that, many years later I got to perform with Rand Brecker in the Hamptons, NY. Awesome legendary brothers in their humanity, humility and musical excellence!!!
Incidently, I got to perform with Kendall Kay, South African, years later, who was the student that gave up his drum chair for
Mike in this workshop video. Wow, what a small world!!!
That's a great story, he was an amazing human being.
What an incredible story! Thanks for sharing! 😁
I was 20 playing Bass in Montreux with Etta James.
They had equipment/drums set up in the lounge, and made it only for Musicians.
One afternoon I had my bass plugged in, and Michael and Randy were there.
Michael sat down and started playing swing on the drums with me.
I wish I knew more about it at 20.
Later learned a bit more at Berklee.
Cool memory.
That makes you a member of a relatively exclusive club: people that played with Mike while he was playing drums. :)
Yes!
This was from my Etta gig! th-cam.com/video/zAMJVPlgvBc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-X1X7cdfn2Jda4U-
Rip Gerald Stockton
What a treat. Of course the guy can play drums. After all, he's not a saxophone genius, rather he's a MUSICAL genius!
For once someone is using the word "genius" correctly.
Yeah...the "g" word is properly applied here. Rest peacefully Mr. Brecker!
A saxophonist once asked me (a drummer), “What are you thinking when you accompany soloists?” I don’t know his motivation for asking, but the answer just instantly popped out: “I want them to know somebody’s listening.” Stunned silence.
Call and response?
Great response. Drummers need heavy ears and a light touch.
Spot on 😁😁😁😁
WOW! Didn't know he was this amazing on drums! This guy was truly a musical genius. RIP Micheal Brecker.
Whoa !!!! I Had No Idea Michael Brecker Played Drums on That Level... Absolutely Amazing 😎👊💯💯 Rest in Power My Most Awesome Musical Big Brotha Michael B 💖💖
Damn. He's really good at it and knows what he is doing. Very light touch on the ride cymbal and perfect ghost notes on the snare drum. Jeez, what a musical colossus Mike was.
Yea, he actually is. As a seasoned drummer myself I can tell you he actually is a really good drummer other than you can tell he was just a little cold..
Michael was such a pleasure to record. Unlike here, he was kinda quiet, did all his speaking through his horn. Best though, was that he was always surprising, taking turns no one else thought of and playing the ensemble role to perfection.
Much of my work with him included his brother Randy. They were as different as two brothers could be and the contrast was fantastic hearing on stage. I saw Michael go through some difficult times and always felt the need to lift his spirits. It was a sad day losing him.
Hi Paul - I’m another sax player that was watching/listening to Mr Brecker’s presentation that day from cloud nine! We were used to hearing horn players able to function on the drums, but Michael’s ability was, well, what you’d expect from who we now realize was one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. The next evening some friends and I went to see him with Steps Ahead at a club in Dallas which was further mind blowing
Fun aside: I got to watch him play video games before he went back-stage before the show. Also, after the first tune, he commented - “Never eat too much Tex-Mex food before playing the saxophone.” :^)
We were lucky to be there then. Thanks for posting!
What a fantastic story, thanks for sharing! I was still a senior in high school, I didn't get to Denton until that Fall. Fortunately I got to know Michael working with him on some stuff. I concur, Tex-Mex before a gig is not a good idea. :)
@@YoPaulieMusic Fantastic you got to work with him - I’d like to know more!
Some years back I spent some time with another NTSU grad Tim Ries (Rolling Stones) who got to know Michael as a neighbor in NYC. He said Brecker was such a wonderful person.
Have you checked out The Jazz Video Guy’s series of YT interviews regarding Michael? They’re definitely worth watching.
@@bryandickerson5365 I founded Mike's first web site, michaelbrecker.com back in 1995. It was a project to teach myself this new web thing, and a friend of his found my page and told Mike about it. Mike looked me up and called me, and that began our friendship. I ran his web site up until 2000 when my daughter was born. He introduced me to David Sanborn and I founded davidsanborn.com and managed his site as well until 2000. Then I turned the sites over to their record labels since I was a new dad and needed to focus on that. Stayed friends with Mike over the years, and after Impulse destroyed his formerly useful web site I met with Mike and suggested that we create a new web site more inline with what I had done, versus the boring marketing crap that his site had become. He loved the idea, so I launched ibrecker.com and ran that until a few years after his death. He was such a great guy, so humble and so into technology. My last email from him was a couple of weeks before he died.
@@YoPaulieMusic What great experiences those must have been!
I’m not sure if the whole NTSU lecture is available so one more fun story: someone asked him about what it was like doing the Saturday Night Live show (1985). He answered that on the very first taping he had to do the two things he hated the most, “wearing a swimsuit and dancing” on the Eddie Murphy skit ‘James Brown’s Allstar Hot tub Party’.
LOVE Steps Ahead!
I've played with so many drummers through the years some really good, but very few who keep "time" like he said. There is a big difference. The best way I can describe it is they play with conviction, you never have to guess where they are.
I've seen Michael in concert over a dozen times. One the last times was at the Blue Note in NYC in 2001, with Chic Corea. He did a solo that brought you down to the depths of hell and then back to heaven, one of the greatest things I have ever heard. Great guy, still can't believe he is gone. But I didn't know he played drums until now, and he sounds like a professional session player. Not bad for a guy who hadn't played in "many moons."
Those partial triplets really are like Steve Gadd, especially on Autumn Leaves with Chet Baker. Not exactly easy to get those fast and smooth.
Funny that was exactly what it reminded me of: Steve Gadd on Chet Baker’s Autumn Leaves. Perhaps Steve tought him a few tricks?
I'm not surprised.. This musician was a real genius!
Back in time (It was in the 80's) I saw him play a couple of bars on the drums during a soundcheck.. I was impressed.
Beautiful touch and so versatile. I witnessed him doing this, whilst playing with John Schofield at the RFH, many years ago.
Lucky you!!
@@cooldebt you do feel blessed. He certainly was a Titan and such a huge influence on other musicians.
saw one his last appearances .he played with such intensity and virtuosity that i was completely worn out. brilliant player and now a drummer as well. Such a great talent to have lost!
Could have been a top drummer in another lifetime
Wow. I am thoroughly impressed. Such a musical beast!
Yes, absolutely. And as great as a musician he was, he was an even greater human being.
Back in the early 70s I used to play gigs with Mike at a restaurant in Nebraska where Mike played drums. The restaurant was known for red snapper and hush puppies
Great jazzin Mike. like you left hand work.
Wow, not at all what I expected! That was really smooth.
i'm glad you put 3/3/84 on this because that jacket has to be from 1985 or earlier. lol
I don't care what anybody says.. that jacket is FIRE.. I want it
Always loved Breckers fantastic playing for yearsssssssss...AND, I love this!!!!!!
I'm not terribly surprised that fella could comp better than I can, but I AM delighted to discover it! Nice clip
I was completely surprised he was great at the drums. I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. It just means I am woefully ignorant of the breadth of his talents. That was cool to see.
This was a nice treat 🎼👍🎶 Michael my hero 💖
I am in complete awe. Genius!
Got the left hand down!
Been aware of Michael Brecker since the '70's. Had no idea he played drums 'til I read "Ode to a Tenor Titan." Once I learned that fact, I was curious to see him behind the traps. Thank you for fulfilling my curiosity!
Look at that left hand!! Swingin’!!
Amazing drummer. Amazing musician. Few can truly master more than one instrument.
First time i heard Steve Gadd play live was in the summer of ‘75 with the Brecker brothers in New York city!
7th Avenue South!
Amazing…!!! 😲 His comping is so musical. Just imagine what kind of drummer he would have been if he acquired the techniques… 😲😲
@@realitykicksin8755 True :)
Wow! Michael Brecker playing drums?! That was the first time I see it.
Drummer is like "did I just lose my job?!?" Mike played a lot of drums in the Loft Scene, they would all take turns.
I've seen him playing BETTER than this before, and if I wasn't humbled by him already this blew me away. When asked I say; " He was good enough on the drums to play with Michael Brecker." 👍
Man's multi talented. Peace Mike.
On his Quartets recordings with Chick Corea there's a couple of tracks where MB does a duo on tenor sax with Chick on drum set. Wowee- talk about cooking!
What a legend.
Once a drummer ALWAYS Adrummer
Amen.
I guess that’s why my bass teacher always stresses the groove. You can lose the note but don’t lose the groove.
Did not expect this!
Love the viewpoint of a NON-DRUMMER! VERY IMPORTANT FOR DRUMMERS TO KNOW!
Now this unique man is gone, as Jeff Beck is 😥 I didn't realize until I lose them. Will geniuses keep coming?
Wow he teared it up! Wasn't expecting that
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
I never heard Mike play drums, that was GREAT!!!!!
Ok yeah, I’m a great sax player…but hey did you know I can play drums too? Oh and I sing… such a humble guy but such a massive talent.
👍🙂‼️Niceness! R.I.P. sir!
That comping was pretty legit.
Love it !
The grin of the actual drummer says a lot.
Wow. Worth noting one of his albums is titled “Time is of the Essence”
That Confirmation in the Three Quartets album should have been done with Chick's drums and Michael's drums!
I'm in awe. I didn't know.😳
Great stuff! 👍🏾
Time is of the Essence
Miss him so
talento immenso...
Perfect swing and groove…
Thanks a lot this vidéo, impressive Michael
Yes he keeps time on drums. I’d like to see more he
He know to play super well
Wow. Now THIS is a video.
That’s worth subscribing cheers from Nz
Amazing!
Love this
Nic work on the drums, mate
To play jazz, college level time studies are imperative. This is an exclusive club and they have no patience for those trying to learn. You do that in class.
Really in a Gadd style. Great
As he humbly shames me as a drummer. Nicely done.
Nice to see Danny Tanner on drums!
He was an special one,.
Merci for this. Was this a lecture at the One O'Clock Jazz Lab?
You can't brush that guy off with a silly joke. Mike knows rhythm!
ナイスパフォーマンス！！！
I guess Michael Brecker could do anything he wanted to do. Wow!
Thanks for sharing this clip! I attended this, but I forgot he played drums that day. I did hear him play drums at the North Sea Fest and was killin' it!
There were always two sessions (one morning and one afternoon). He probably only did this at one of them. I don't remember him playing drums either but there's a lot I don't remember from almost 40 years ago. 🙂
@@Freddels1 good point about the two sessions. I picked Brecker up at the airport that day but couldn't attend the clinics cuz I had changed my major away from jazz.
All of my friends raved about him playing drums so I knew about it and only heard it in TH-cam about 8 years ago.
What people don't get is that this form of jazz is easy the body and hard on the brain. His brain already has the hard part learned. His point was to demonstrate what's the most important part of Jazz by switching to a rhythm instrument. It could have been a tambourine for all it matters.
a genius...
More soloists need to understand the rhythm section, and the contributions of the rhythm section that soloists often stepping on. Everybody is supposed to participate, right? Right?
wow, does anyone know how and when he learned to play?
Holy!
🔥🔥🔥
He sounds more like Elvin
He sound Elvin-ish! :)
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing
Wow, who knew..
How could that POSSIBLY embarrassed him?
We’ll said.
Didn't know Michael Brecker was that good at drumming??? He kept that quiet (pun not intended)...
I would’ve been there if I were older than 2
How do we know it was supposed to be like Steve gadd?
He didn't say "I'm going to play like Steve Gadd." The title of this video is based on my impression that Mike's left hand snare work is reminiscent of how Steve Gadd played his snare during swing grooves.
Shit!!!!….that’s all I got!!!….wow….
i was born in 1984
Like Elvin more like!
How come I’m finding out now that Michael Brecker can actually play the drums?! Incredible!
I just found out, too...never would have thought...
One of the greatest legacies in the Jazz genre, the Brecker Brothers!😐
Now lets hear Kendall play the sax..
Instrument is only one form of musical way to play out what you got as a musician. The only difference between a pro to an amateur is the years it took him to master the instrument. But every genius could pick a different instrument and become a master of it the same way even if it would be a different one.
Stay on the sax!
Like Steve Gadd ???
Yes, like Steve Gadd. Listen to the snare drum comping work he is doing... that is directly out of the Steve Gadd jazz style.
@@YoPaulieMusic Yeah NO I love mick but just no.... I sure Mike can tell the difference.
And he give good advice ..
Nice on the rudiments though
th-cam.com/video/3EOTl-DLkuA/w-d-xo.html