Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 910
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One of the highlights of my journalistic career was interviewing the great saxophonist Michael Brecker in his hotel room in Singapore in the early '90s when he was touring with Paul Simon.
A gracious and humble human being who took time out from his hectic schedule to grant a one-on-one with a nonentity like me, he offered an invaluable lesson in living for the sheer joy of playing music.
He had plenty to talk about (the interview lasted more than an hour), having done sessions with a virtual who's who in pop, rock and jazz (James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan et al) since the early '70s. He even shared an inside story about how shocked he was to discover that his solo on a Michael Bolton song was quietly replaced with one by Kenny G just because the latter's image was hipper... not because he was better (which he was not, of course!).
Needless to say, it's an interview session I shall treasure all my life.
It's now sad to hear that this brilliant musician, whose albums <i>Michael Brecker (MCA/1987</i> and <i>Don't Try This At Home (MCA/1988)</i> have given me countless hours of pleasure, is gravely ill.
He has been diagnosed with the blood disorder Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and is in immediate need of a stem cell transplant.
Those of us touched by his generosity of spirit and the joyous energy of his music pray for his speedy recovery.
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NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Brecker felt a sharp pain in his back while performing at last August's Mount Fuji Jazz Festival in Japan, but initially thought it was just another of those ailments afflicting touring musicians that an ice pack or massage could alleviate.
Instead, it turned out to be the first outward symptom of a life-threatening disease that has temporarily silenced Brecker's saxophone. His best hope for a cure lies in finding a donor who's a suitable genetic match for a blood stem cell and bone marrow transplant.
He had always been the more introverted of the Brecker brothers - with Randy on trumpet they led one of the most successful jazz-rock fusion groups - preferring to speak through his instrument.
But now his illness - diagnosed as MDS, or myelodysplastic syndrome, a cancer in which the bone marrow stops producing enough healthy blood cells - has led him to speak out to encourage people to enrol in a donor program.
"It's something that doesn't come naturally. . . . I obviously miss playing and writing music," said the 56-year-old Brecker, his voice sounding frail in a telephone interview from his suburban home in Hastings-on-Hudson where he's recuperating after being hospitalized for nearly seven weeks for chemotherapy treatment. "On the other hand, this whole experience has allowed me to be a conduit to attract attention for a cause that's much larger than me . . . for people to go get tested (for the marrow donor program) because I know a lot of lives will be saved."
Brecker's illness forced him to cancel a much anticipated appearance at this month's Newport Jazz Festival, where he would have showcased the stylistic versatility that has won him 11 Grammys, including two last year for his large ensemble album Wide Angles. Brecker had been scheduled to perform with Saxophone Summit - whose adventurous and spiritual music reflects the influence of tenor saxophone legend John Coltrane - and Steps Ahead 2005, the latest edition of the all-star jazz-rock fusion band formed by Brecker and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri in the late '70s.
Former Miles Davis sideman Bill Evans filled in for Brecker with Steps Ahead because its arrangements required a saxophonist. But Brecker's co-leaders in Saxophone Summit - tenor sax standouts Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman - decided not to replace him and dedicated their performance to their friend, climaxing their set with the Coltrane composition India.
"It's impossible to get a replacement for Michael Brecker," said Lovano, interviewed backstage after the Newport performance. "Mike's a virtuoso . . . and he brings his personal history into everything that he does on his horn."
Liebman's friendship with the Philadelphia-born Brecker goes back to 1969, just before Brecker moved to New York and began making a name for himself with the jazz-rock group Dreams and as a sideman with his brother in pianist Horace Silver's band, eventually becoming one of the most influential saxophonists of his generation.
"A year ago we were having dinner at a restaurant celebrating Saxophone Summit and had a wonderful time . . . and then a year later he doesn't know if he is going to live," said Liebman. "When this happens, it's really a shock for you. We're all hoping he'll be back with us on the stage soon."
Brecker's presence was very much felt during the festival which was the launching point for an international drive spearheaded by his wife, Susan, and longtime manager and friend, Darryl Pitt, to encourage people to sign up as potential bone marrow donors.
Announcements from the stage urged people to go to a tent set up by the Rhode Island Blood Center. By the festival's close, more than 300 musicians, festival staff and fans had given blood samples to enrol in the registry, said Patricia Lang, director of the centre's Marrow Donor Program. Similar drives are planned for other jazz festivals, including this week's Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel.
Brecker's siblings and children were tested but none turned out to be a suitable match for a transplant in which the donor's healthy blood stem cells are used to replace cells destroyed by chemotherapy. The best chance for finding a match is likely to come from someone who shares Brecker's Eastern European Jewish ancestry, but European Jews as well as blacks, American Indians, Hispanics and other minorities remain underrepresented in the donor pool.
Brecker says he has been "completely bowled over" by the outpouring of support from close friends such as pianist Herbie Hancock and singer Diana Krall as well as many fans he has never met. His two children, Jessica, 16, and Sam, 12, have been dropping by his management office to answer e-mails and telephone calls.
Brecker said all "the cards, letters and e-mails often reduced me to tears. It's given me a strong lifeline, a powerful force to keep trying to live."
Brecker says it has not been easy to stop making music, but he has tried to shift his focus and not think about it.
"If I'm able to play again that would be incredible. . . . I remain hopeful in terms of my own personal plight and at the same time I would encourage everyone regardless of their background to go out and join the (bone marrow) registry . . . to help someone in saving their life."
Message from Michael's wife Susan
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