Year of Release: 1982
| Selections:
Cityscape |
Musicians:
Michael Brecker - Tenor Saxophone |
Liner Notes:
At Montreux in 1981, producer Tommy LiPuma and saxophone player Michael Brecker crossed paths. Their meeting was not an accident: in fact, LiPuma had a very specific proposition for the sax virtuoso. "I asked Mike if he'd be interested in recording again with Claus Ogerman," LiPuma recalls.
The two musicians had played together some four years before on Ogerman's Gate Of Dreams album. As the producer, LiPuma had become obsessed by a single cut, "Caprice," and had resolved to bring the two back together. Hence his discussion with Brecker...
A tall, Philadelphia-born musician, Michael Brecker is widely regarded as one of the world's leading sax stylists. He creates a sound that is at once strong and very personal, making him one of the most sought-after session men in New York. Wel known for his work with sibling Randy on Brecker Brothers projects, Michael has been called "the greatest saxophone virtuoso ever." The compliment was paid by Claus Ogerman, a man who should know.
Ever since Frenchman Anoine-Joseph Sax invented the saxophone in 1846, it's been instrumenta non grata as a solo device in orchestral circles. THe single-reed instrument circumvented this boycott by dominatng the world of spontaneous musical expression - jazz. With a few exceptions - Claude Debussy, Aleksander Glazunov and Jaques Ibert - "99 percent of all composers neglect the saxophone," believes Ogerman.
Claus Ogerman began his musical career as a pianist. Now 52, he has emerged as one of the worlds premier composers and arrangers. Ogerman has written scores for Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine, among others. He's contributed to watershed albums for the likes of Evans and Antonio Carlos Jobim. His talents as an arranger have been featured on countless albums, including George Benson's Breezin'. And he's worked on large-scale projects such as a recent recording with the London Symphony Orchestra featuring Gidon Kremer.
...Enter Tommy LiPuma, with the news that sax player Michael Brecker was interested in a collaborative effort. "I assumed I'd hear something about the project in six or seven months," said LiPuma. "This was in August."
In September, Ogerman called LiPuma. He wa ready to record. He had composed the vast majority of the music in less than 30 days.
With that news, LiPuma set out to assemble a cast of musicians worthy of the project. The rhythm section roster itself is an impressive document: Steve Gadd. Eddie Gomez. Marcus Miller. Warren Bernhardt. Buzz Feiten. Paulhino da Costa. John Tropea.
"To make the best possible album, I knew I needed these musicians," says LiPuma. "I wanted the cast to be perfect, and I was willing to wait."
Including no less than five concertmasters of Eastern orchestras, a 64-member reed and string section was additionally recruited for the album.
Brecker admits there are difficulties mixing sax with strings, both being penetrating sound sources that tend toward center stage. But Ogerman's symphony for tenor sax and orchestra handles the balancing act deftly.
From January 4-8, 1982, the musicians recorded in two New York facilities - Power Station and Mediasound. Both feature large, high-ceilinged locations; Mediasound, in fact, incorporates an old cathedral (with vaulted ceilings and stone walls) in which the strings were recorded. And according to LiPuma, mcuh of the ambience heard on the album can be credited to these locations.
Cityscape is in every sense a collaborative effort. From Ogerman and Brecker to the rhythm section and the strings, the album, like a city itself, is far greater than the sum of its parts.