Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn
Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone
Hal Galper - piano, electric piano
Larry Coryell - guitar
on tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8:
Eddie Gomez - bass
Mickey Roker - drums
on tracks 5, 6, 8:
Jerry Dodgion - alto flute
on tracks 2, 7:
Chuck Rainey - electric bass
Bernard Purdie - drums
Who's that saxophonist again? That name kinda rings a bell. I guess his future looks pretty bright...
Yes, this is Michael Brecker's first recording, yes he was only 19, and yes he would go on to have a very dense career in both jazz and pop spheres among other places. That was still to come, though - in early 1969, Michael was a fresh face on the jazz scene, the younger brother of Randy Brecker; Randy had already established himself in the New York jazz scene for two years, having played with Horace Silver and the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis orchestra. It's important to note that although Michael plays an important sideman role, this is Randy's recording. It was Randy's initiative as a leader at play, which is why he got Michael (his brother, mind you!) in the first place.
This is a very lean debut for Randy Brecker, showcasing his unique trumpet chops, his wry yet harmonically sophisticated writing, and his growing interest in the burgeoning idea of jazz-rock fusion. The general aesthetic is honestly pretty dated (just look at the album cover), which is reflected in the writing and especially the jazz-rock numbers, but it adds a kind of charm to the album. Even the recording work by Rudy Van Gelder gives the album an irrepressibly late 60's setting, which honestly does more well than harm.
For instance, Randy's two bossa tunes, "Morning Song" and "The Marble Sea", are standouts in their simultaneously peaceful and self-effacing nature. The latter is very harmonically simple, perhaps too much so, but the bridge inspires some twists and turns in Randy's and Larry Coryell's solos; there's even a chorus of them playing collectively. That being said, "Morning Song" is probably the better of the two; it's harmonically complex, the form is interesting, but it's quite pleasing and accessible (I feel that the melody to "Marble Sea" is too busy). The two tunes also benefit from an extra touch, Randy's Thad Jones bandmate Jerry Dodgion contributing alto flute to the written ensemble passages.
Probably my favorite pure Randy track on the album is his jazz waltz "Pipe Dream", with its witty title, shifting harmonies, Larry Coryell's guitar, and just its overall relaxed mood. Coryell, Eddie Gomez and Randy all contribute solos, and Mickey Roker adds some exquisite drumming to the mix. Not to mention, the album's overwhelmingly dated quality evades this track, which in terms of language implied by the title, is also the most transcendent on the album. Compared to most of the other tracks, it does way more that it needs to; it's most definitely the best glimpse of how Randy's writing would develop, as well as how his playing already had up to that point.
As for the tracks featuring Michael, where better to start than the anomaly on the album, the kooky minute-nineteen duet between brothers "The Weasel Goes Out To Lunch". It's a playful romp based on "Pop Goes the Weasel", but as the title infers, Randy and Michael take it way out in a way that frankly makes it quite adorable. It serves to reflect the days when they were kids, each playing their instrument (Randy on trumpet, Michael on clarinet) in their separate bedrooms through a connecting Jack-and-Jill bathroom. It also serves to showcase their remarkable chemistry together, which would be further showcased in the rock band Dreams, as well as their own well-renowned Brecker Brothers band. Definitely the most unique and fun track on the album.
Next is Hal Galper's "The Name Game", which features several distinct sections that still blend together to create a nice overall arc. Both Breckers and Galper himself navigate these turns very well, but admittedly it is Michael's solo that stands out, if anything else for how unusually patient its pace is. It definitely showcases a strong maturity for nineteen years old, no less for his first big recording date. It's also very beautifully melodic, even when utilizing Coltrane-inspired patterns, something Michael would eventually become consumed by. There's something very honest and human about this embryonic version of the mature Michael Brecker style.
Even the "embryonic" Michael has a mature, thoughtful side, which aside from "Name Game" is also featured on Randy's "Bangalore". The melody is fairly short with some meter changes, and the harmony is very complex; while very derivative (borderline plagiarism) of tunes from Herbie Hancock or Wayne Shorter, Randy proves himself capable of maintaining interest while snaking through the tricky form. Then when Michael solos, he dances delicately through the changes as if he'd been playing them his whole life. It's also a rare treat to hear Michael as recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, as his saxophone sound is given much more warmth here, which especially shows on this track.
Hal Galper's "The Vamp" changes gears into rock territory. This is one of my favorite standalone tracks for its purely likeable demeanor, helped by the static harmony and boosted by the contribution of legendary drummer Bernard Purdie. As the title implies, the basic harmony never changes, giving the soloists ample opportunity to stretch out. Randy does. By God, does he stretch out! This is definitely proof positive of why Randy's one of my favorite trumpet players: his burnished sound, warm demeanor, and his chromatic tricks are all on full display here.
As for Michael, he delivers as well, contributing pure, raw energy in his solo. He starts out with a screaming R&B-styled romp while inserting some frantic late-Coltrane honking and screeching to balance it out. As Michael's solo draws to a close, Randy joins in to create one of the best moments on the album: two brothers, screeching together, just going for it. It is this moment that proves both brothers are truly equals.
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| Randy (left) and Michael, circa early 1970's. |
Now, my problems with the album. Not many of the compositions themselves are that great, and are more springboards for playing within a certain idiom. They usually work to this extent, housing complexity and some excellent solos, but not much else. Much of the album is also very derivative; Randy's "Bangalore" has a nearly identical rhythmic/harmonic pattern as Herbie Hancock's "Riot" from Speak Like a Child. In fact, much of the bossa material gives off a similar relaxed vibe to that album, which is in part due to drummer Mickey Roker and especially alto flautist Jerry Dodgion having appeared on it a year earlier. This doesn't mean Randy or Hal Galper are bad composers at this point - on the contrary, "Pipe Dream" and "Score" are really solid pieces that should be played more. And none of the other pieces are bad or unlistenable per se, they're just a little too derivative.
Another problem the album has, albeit more forgivable, is that it doesn't really blend jazz and rock; it just has them co-existing together, which isn't necessarily the same as fusion. In general, the album sounds like a movie soundtrack from the time period, due especially to the severe contrast between the jazz and rock tunes. As for the rock numbers themselves, the title track has a good place on the album, but having "The Vamp" in the middle of an entire side of more low-key sounds is pretty jarring. ("The Vamp" isn't even that great a tune anyway, and its title seems to be self-aware of that.) Even Galper's "Name Game", an amalgamation of jazz grooves, only goes so far as including a bossa nova section as opposed to a more obvious rock backbeat. The gap is also apparent by usage of two opposed, separate rhythm sections for the jazz and rock numbers; ironically, bassist Eddie Gomez, while on the jazz numbers here, would eventually go on with Michael to play in the acclaimed fusion group Steps Ahead.
That being said, major props must be given to the album's stalwart, guitarist Larry Coryell, who threads jazz changes just as well as shredding out rock rhythms. He was undoubtedly on the same page as Randy in terms of mixing jazz with rock, something Coryell had done with Gary Burton's group much more successfully. The two separate rhythm sections also do their jobs beautifully. Eddie Gomez provides some signature acrobatic bass antics, and his tandem with the texturally sound Mickey Roker provides some of the most beautiful backdrops on the album. Then of course, there's Bernard Purdie with rock-solid bassist Chuck Rainey: what else can be said?
The general mediocrity in the writing is more than made up for with the slam-bang title track. A catchy Hal Galper melody, some cool harmonic turns, both Brecker brothers soloing, Larry Coryell's rock stylings, Bernard Purdie's driving rhythm - this couldn't fail, even if it tried. Alongside "Pipe Dream", it's my favorite composition on the album, and the way it plays out is just as good. Michael stretches out for an insane two choruses (listen for possibly the highest note he ever hit!), Randy enters and matches the intensity, and Coryell relishes in rockish passion; all the while, Purdie's drum groove propels and tosses the metaphorical salad throughout the whole track. In contrast to "The Vamp", the composition itself is at the same level as the playing at hand, making "Score" a more successful foray into rock. (I like the groove and the playing on "The Vamp", but "Score" is overall just more solid.)
On the whole, Score is nothing too impressive, but it showcases a very unique talent in Randy Brecker. His compositions are solid, but it's his and everyone else's playing that really sells the album; the tunes mostly work as different idiomatic contexts in which to feature the musicians, and it's pulled off beautifully. Often, the tunes themselves are elevated by the players performing them, but "Pipe Dream" and the Hal Galper title track are underrated classics. "The Weasel Goes Out to Lunch" is also a unique piece of recording history, and is the most unique and probably notable track as well. Of course, Michael Brecker proves to be a solid front-line partner, even at nineteen, cementing the brothers' chemistry that would be continued into Dreams and the Brecker Brothers. To me, this might be one of Michael's finest recordings just for the elements of rawness and imperfection; any slight blemish when he solos here serve to add humanity to an already quite developed sound.
That being said, like any of Michael's sideman recordings, he seems to threaten to take over the album, but Score still acts as a fine recording with Randy as the mastermind. This is clearly his brainchild, and despite the mostly mediocre writing, the musicians he assembles are all top-notch. He and Michael would both go on to greater things, but this isn't a bad starting point in the least. I'd recommend it mostly as an advanced "vibes" or "aesthetic" album to listen to as if you owned a bachelor pad. 6/10.
Tracklist:
1. Bangalore
2. Score
3. The Name Game
4. The Weasel Goes Out to Lunch
5. Morning Song
6. Pipe Dream
7. The Vamp
8. The Marble Sea
Further reading:
Ode to a Tenor Titan: The Life and Times and Music of Michael Brecker by Bill Milkowski - there's a good enough section on Score that chronicles Michael's first big recording session, but like much of the book, it's a lot of "wow, look at what he does here! Look how cool his solo here is!"
That being said, the book itself is pretty good overall, and I'll have to write a review on it sometime.
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