Photo by Gus Cantavero
bringing up this project up. Even though Paul will say, “Who’s Michael Brecker?” and I’ll
Simon came out of the Contemporary Folk say, “Have you ever heard James Taylor’s
Music movement of the late 50s and early 60s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”?” There’s a
in New York City, and of course Bob Bennett saxophone solo at the end of it and it’s very
came out of a folk music background, there’s Coltrane-influenced too, but it’s so lyrical and
a beautiful marriage that can take place really amazingly deep at the same time. When
between American Folk music and Jazz. I don’t
think people understand that, but you and
I experienced that with Bob. It was all about
Mike passed there was an event at Jazz at
“One Man’s Ceiling is Another Man’s Floor” from
In the Blue Light
finesse and color and playing around what
Lincoln Center that his wife arranged with the
scientists and Robin Givens who had the same
rare disease that Michael had, but lived. In one
Bob was doing and it textured the music in a very close with him, he used to come by the night, this was the first time I ever played with
completely different way. And so, it’s thrilling house, and we became very tight, I played on Paul Simon live, this was way before the record,
that you’ve been able to work with Paul Simon. his last two recordings. He was a hero of mine, and James Taylor too, on the same night. So,
I used to sit there when we were playing and there I am again sitting there thinking to myself,
[John] Here’s the other thing, I wound up transcribe his saxophone solos. I was totally “I’ve got to tell my brother”. James was so
being very close with Michael Brecker, who into him, because he was a big John Coltrane sweet. He had been sick, he was in France and
of course died of that rare disease. But we fanatic, so I loved everything he did. had lost his voice, but he came all the way back
became very good friends. He’s the reason I
to do this thing because he loved Mike. Mike
moved to Hastings on Hudson in New York, [WM] Think of the impact that the Brecker actually saved his life, because Mike had some
because he lived there. He said you could live Brothers’ “Some Skunk Funk” had upon issues with addiction and then he became part
in a little village outside of Manhattan and still musicians. of the program, and he’s the one who saved
drive twenty minutes to all the places you want
James, he’s the one who did the intervention
to get to. I said I’d never had a commute like [John] To speak to exactly what you are that brought James into the program and was
that, certainly never in California (laughs). I was talking about, people who aren’t Jazz savvy kind of like a sponsor. At Mike’s funeral James
132
May 2019
Subscribe for Free...