Here’s another live clip I dug out of my computer. This is a more  mellow clip of a solo on the tune “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones.  To be honest, I’m one for staying in the mood of the tune when I solo.  I can’t stand it when I hear a slow ballad like tune and then the sax player takes a solo and goes nuts.  They play all these fast licks and go into the altissimo and it seems like they aren’t even listening to the tune.  Here I’m just trying to play a simple melody based solo. Nothing fancy, just simple yet melodic but still with a little bit of soul and feeling to it.

I’m playing on the Guardala laser trimmed Michael Brecker II tenor mouthpiece from WWBW (Woodwind and Brasswind).  I have to say that this was my favorite Guardala that I played back then.  I owned a couple of handmade studios but I liked the laser trimmed Michael Brecker II much more.  It had that same power and punch to it but a fatter and thicker sound than the studio models I had played before this.   It still seemed a little thin up top to me but nothing a little reverb in the mix wouldn’t cure…………….Let me know what you think. Steve

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I have written out 40 great Michael Brecker licks that I have picked up and used over the years.  Last week I cleaned them up and numbered them so they are easier to read.  I give these out to my more advanced students who want to start getting into this stuff.  I went through a stage in the late 80’s and early 90’s where I was consumed with Michael Brecker. I had never heard a tenor player with such authority or command of the horn. I’m sad that he is gone.  He has left an incredible legacy with all his recordings. I’ll always be grateful for the impact and influence he has had on my life.

These licks can be used in a variety of ways. Most of them are just plain chromatic patterns, some are over a minor tonality, some outline more of a 3 tonic kind of approach(Giant Steps…). I usually will talk with  students in person on how to use these but for all of you out there in cyber-space I have created some video lesson to talk about how to use these in your own playing.  You can find the lessons at my Neffmusic Lesson Store. These are great to get under your fingers. I hope you like them.  If you want to get more into the Brecker style of playing I would recommend buying as many recordings as you can of him. Hal Leonard also has a few transcription books out of his solos.  There are also some great sites out there with free transcriptions that you can find if you search around for them.   Steve

To get the 40 Brecker licks for FREE, you can just sign up for my Neffmusic mailing list on the top left of this site.  You will then receive an email with a link to download the PDF shortly afterward.   Enjoy!

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OK,   It looks like January is high baffle, powerhouse, mouthpieces on steroids month so far.  For this review I’m playing a PMS Michael Brecker II Fat Boy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece.  Now, if that long name confuses you, you are not alone.  Anything connected to Dave Guardala is going to be a bit confusing  (I won’t go into details……….but he wound up in some trouble for ripping people off and had to spend some time in jail………Let’s leave it at that)

Supposedly, Mr. Guardala sold the rights to his mouthpieces to WWBW and they started manufacturing them and selling them on the WWBW site but……..soon after I saw Guardala mouthpieces being offered by a company in Germany called PMS.  I don’t know all the legal  behind the scenes details but……WWBW is still selling their Guardala mouthpieces and PMS is still selling their Guardala mouthpieces.   The mouthpiece I am reviewing today is from Germany and is a PMS mouthpiece.

PMS Guardala Brecker II Fat Boy Tenor Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece is called a MB II which is for Michael Brecker II.   Dave Guardala made many mouthpieces and the one he is most famous for making is the one Michael Brecker used.  This is a version of that mouthpiece.  Is it exact?   I have no idea………. I’ll just offer my review.

PMS Guardala Brecker II Fat Boy Tenor Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece looks great!  It is a beautiful gold and is engraved with “Fat Boy” on the top of the piece.  As I compare it to another PMS Guardala, is is indeed fatter and seems to weigh more than a regular Guardala made by PMS.  The regular Guardala’s have a rounded top but the “Fat Boy’s”  have a peak at the top of the mouthpiece that gives it a different and unique shape.  The baffle is long and runs at a gradual decline until it slopes down into the chamber. 

The rails, baffle and table look beautiful and perfect but……… the tip on this piece  doesn’t really match the reeds.  The corners slope off faster than the reeds do.  I tried Rigotti Golds and Vandoren Java’s and found this problem with both.  I like my reeds to line right up with the tip of a mouthpiece so when I put the reed on and it didn’t line up I think it irritated that part of me that is a little OCD.  This kind of thing might not effect playing at all but I am just used to it so it rubbed me the wrong way.  (PMS might have shaped there tip using another brand of reed that slopes faster in the corners………..)

PMS Guardala Brecker II Fat Boy Tenor Mouthpiece

The Guardala MB II played great with a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 medium reed.  At first,  I tried a new Vandoren Java 2 1/2 and it was way too soft for me.   I tried to record a clip but I couldn’t even get through it because the reed was so soft.  The Rigottt Gold was just the right strength and offered just enough resistance to feel comfortable.

PMS Guardala Brecker II Fat Boy Tenor Mouthpiece

I won’t lie to you…….the Guardala Michael Brecker II is not a dark mouthpiece.  It is definitely on the brighter side of the spectrum of saxophone sound.   I think you can hear it in the sound clip.  I kept wanting to morph into my old Michael Brecker licks but I tried not to (you might hear one or two………….)

The strength of a good Guardala is the focus it has.   It has a very tight focus and core to the sound.   When you play it feels like a laser beam of sound is coming out of the bell and pointing straight at the mic.  Other mouthpieces without this focus feel more like a wave of sound is coming out of the bell.

The PMS Guardala Michael Brecker II also has more volume because of that higher baffle.  When you blow full force it really opens up and gets LOUD!   You have to be careful or you might damage your hearing……   The downside of the high baffle is that the tone isn’t as thick or full as a lower baffle mouthpiece.

PMS Guardala Brecker II Fat Boy Tenor Mouthpiece

Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

PMS Guardala Brecker II Fat Boy Tenor Mouthpiece

Same clip with 30% reverb  and a little EQ

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OK, It looks like January is high baffle, powerhouse, mouthpieces on steroids month so far. For this review I’m playing a PMS Michael Brecker II Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece.  My last review was of the “Fat Boy” version of this mouthpiece.  This is the regular version from PMS.

Supposedly, Mr. Guardala sold the rights to his mouthpieces to WWBW and they started manufacturing them and selling them on the WWBW site but……..soon after I saw Guardala mouthpieces being offered by a company in Germany called PMS.  I don’t know all the legal, behind the scenes details but……WWBW is still selling their Guardala mouthpieces and PMS is still selling their Guardala mouthpieces. The mouthpiece I am reviewing today is from Germany and is a PMS mouthpiece.

PMS Guardala Michael Brecker II Tenor Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece is called a MB II which is for Michael Brecker II. Dave Guardala made many mouthpieces and the one he is most famous for making is the one Michael Brecker used. This is a version of that mouthpiece.  Is it exact?………. I don’t think so because I’m pretty sure that Brecker’s mouthpiece had a straight or smooth edge on the end of his baffle.   Every other MB II I have seen has had a straight or smooth edge.   The rumor is that PMS went with a “bullet” type baffle so that the mouthpieces could be machined and less handwork was needed.

PMS Guardala Michael Brecker II Tenor Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece looks great! It is a beautiful gold and is engraved with “MBII” on the top of the piece. The baffle is very long and has that curved “bullet”edge I talked about above.  I have seen this same baffle type on the Guardala “King” and “Super King”  mouthpiece produced by WWBW.

The rails, baffle and table look beautiful and perfect ……… the tip on this piece does match the reeds better than the “Fat Boy” mouthpiece I reviewed earlier.

PMS Guardala Michael Brecker II Tenor Mouthpiece

The Guardala MB II played great with a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 medium reed. At first, I tried a new Vandoren Java 2 1/2 and it was way too soft for me. I tried to record a clip but I couldn’t even get through it because the reed was so soft. The Rigottt Gold was just the right strength and offered just enough resistance to feel comfortable.  This mouthpiece has a .114 tip opening.

PMS Guardala Michael Brecker II Tenor Mouthpiece

I won’t lie to you…….the Guardala Michael Brecker II is not a dark mouthpiece. It is definitely on the brighter side of the spectrum of saxophone sound. I think you can hear it in the sound clip. I kept wanting to morph into my old Michael Brecker licks but I tried not to (you might hear one or two………….)

I found this MBII to be a bit brighter  and edgier than the “Fat Boy” model I reviewed earlier.  You can compare the sound clips and judge for yourself.  Because it has that longer “bullet” shaped baffle, the air travels faster into a smaller chamber and gives it that brighter sound.  The “Fat Boy” had a fatter more round sound to it in my opinion.  Less edge on it than this MBII.  You can hear it more on the higher notes of the recordings………

The strength of a good Guardala is the focus it has. It has a very tight focus and core to the sound. When you play it feels like a laser beam of sound is coming out of the bell and pointing straight at the mic.  Other mouthpieces without this focus feel more like a wave of sound is coming out of the bell.

The PMS Guardala Michael Brecker II also has more volume because of that higher baffle. When you blow full force it really opens up and gets LOUD! You have to be careful or you might damage your hearing…… The downside of the high baffle is that the tone isn’t as thick or full as a lower baffle mouthpiece.

I gave this mouthpiece a 3.75 rating for tone.  This is a purely personal rating as I prefer a darker and fatter tone on the tenor saxophone.   I will say that if you like this type of tone then you might choose to rate it higher.  I usually rate a piece 4-5 if it is more of a tone I really love………

PMS Guardala Michael Brecker II Tenor Mouthpiece

Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

PMS Guardala Michael Brecker II Tenor Mouthpiece

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I’ve been getting back into a Brecker kick over the last few weeks and found this video on Youtube today.  It reminds me of the first time I saw Michael Brecker in 1986 with Steps Ahead.  Such an intense energy and passion.   He was a true master of the tenor saxophone.  Enjoy!

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Today, I am reviewing a mouthpiece made by Jennifer Price at Vigilante Mouthpieces.  There are 10 models to choose from on the Vigilante website.  Today, I am reviewing the New York II which is the 4th brightest mouthpiece that they make.  (I also have a Detroit Rock to review next which is their brightest mouthpiece.)

Vigilante NYII Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The two mouthpieces I have today are considered “high baffled” saxophone mouthpieces.  This means that the area after the tip of the mouthpiece is raised and forms what looks like a ledge inside of the mouthpiece.  This baffle has the effect of making the tone brighter and louder.  My first two tenor sax mouthpieces were high baffle mouthpieces.  A Brilhart Level-Aire and a Sugal JB mouthpiece.  I played those mouthpiece for about 8 years while gigging in different bands around Boston in the 80’s and 90’s.  Matter of fact, I don’t think I even tried a tenor mouthpiece without a high baffle for the first 20 years of playing the tenor……….I didn’t even know what a baffle was…………

The mouthpiece looks great. The tip rail looks even and it has a straight baffle that angles down into another slightly scooped baffle that drops down into the medium chamber. The sidewalls are straight while next to the baffle and flare out when they meet the circular medium chamber. The side rails are thicker than I have seen on other similar mouthpieces like Guardala’s and Ponzol’s and flare out a little bit wider than my Java reed at the tip.  There are some machine marks or file marks inside of the mouthpiece that look to be from the hand finishing.  It has some nice floral engraving on the outside of the mouthpiece as well as the name NYII and what looks like a few dates and maybe initials on it…………..

Vigilante NYII Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I don’t see any numbers revealing the tip opening on this mouthpiece but it feels like a .115 to me.  It comes with a generic metal ligature and I used  Vandoren Java 2 1/2 reeds on it which were perfect for this mouthpiece.

Vigilante NYII Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

As expected, the tone of the NYII was definitely on the brighter and louder side of the spectrum.  A mouthpiece like this would be right at home in any of the loud modern band situations facing most sax players today.  The extra volume and highs in the sound can really help a sax player to cut through the mix when having to battle with guitars, keyboards, drums and bass (who all seem to have volume knobs that seem to never have a limit)

Vigilante NYII Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Although the tone is brighter and more powerful, I still found it to have a nice core and thickness to it.  The intonation was good and the tone was even throughout the range of the horn.  That evenness is important to me as I feel like I can play faster when it is present.  The tone is in that same ballpark as Michael Brecker’s tone in my opinion.  I’m not saying you can buy this mouthpiece and immediately sound like Brecker but I think it could help you in that direction……..

The low end takes some adjustment to play softly.  I could do it easily using sub-tone but with full air it was a little harder to play with finesse. That can happen sometimes with high baffle mouthpiece and is a trade off for the volume and brightness.  This can be overcome with practice, time and familiarity though……….

One thing that I did find annoying with this mouthpiece is that my reed would stop playing every time I put my sax down for a while.  I tried 3 new Java reeds on it and all played great when I first put them on the mouthpiece as long as I kept playing.  If I put my sax down for 10 minutes to do something else, when I came back it wouldn’t play.  The reed wouldn’t get suction.  Usually when this happens, my guess is that the table is not flat and that maybe moisture is getting under the reed and then warping it when it sits idle and starts drying.  I’m not a mouthpiece refacer so I don’t know all that is going on but that would be my guess.  Whatever is causing it, it can be very inconvenient and a pain to deal with…..(nothing worse than picking up your sax to play that big solo and it won’t play or starts squeaking……)  Most mouthpiece makers have been happy to look at and fix these “warping reed tables” when I have brought up this issue to them…………..Regardless of this issue, this mouthpiece plays very well.  I would just think about asking the maker or another mouthpiece refacer to look at the table issue to see if it can be remedied………

UPDATE:  I heard from Jennifer Price about 5 months after this review was posted.  This is what she had to say about the reed warpage issue I experienced:

“In answer to your GUESSING about the flatness of the table on both USED Vigilante NYII and Detroit Rock Tenor pieces.

I can tell you absolutely that I’m using a Starrett Granite Surface Plate which is AA grade. This means Flatness and repeatability are the two key specifications that define a surface plate’s accuracy. Federal specification GGG-P-463c lays out the specification for each grade of surface plate. I’m using a
Laboratory grade AA: (40 + diagonal [in inches] of surface plate squared/25) x 0.000001 in.

This is surface is used in machine shops for accuracy. I use this surface when I face my Vigilante pieces for the same. All pieces are also tested to make sure they seal and play to the same standard which I’ve always been accounted for working with DG. This is not a GUESS this is a fact.

As a retail buyer and working with saxophonist for the past 30 years I’ve had many discussions about reeds and their inaccuracy. Reeds are as we know made of cane, unlike brass, cane is unstable. We’ve all had boxes of reeds which die quickly or don’t play right as cane is not accurate. So now of course I’m guessing you had a bad batch of reeds when you played my pieces.”

I want to thank Jennifer for weighing in and giving her opinion on the matter.  I also talked to a mouthpiece refacer who did say that it could also be a bad batch of reeds, cane or just a really dry winter working environment that was causing the reed problems I was experiencing…………….  The refacer also said that since the mouthpieces were used it could be possible that some wear or damage could also account for the issue.      Hopefully, I can get a chance to review these pieces again with other reeds in the future to put this matter to rest.

Vigilante NYII Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Take a listen to the sound clip below.   If you are interested in the Vigilante NYII saxophone mouthpiece contact Jennifer at Vigilante Mouthpiece.  Next to be reviewed is a Detroit Rock model that is the brightest and loudest model………………..Hold on to your seats………..

Let me know what you think in the comments below………….Thanks, Steve

Vigilante NYII Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

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Here’s another new transcription I’m working on.  Every once in a while I get in a mood to transcribe some Michael Brecker.  Then, after I get started I soon think “What the heck was I thinking?  This is crazy!”  It’s usually after I have slowed down one section to the slowest it can possibly go and  listened to it one hundred times in a row.   I might then throw my pen across the room and start pulling out my hair!   You don’t see many Brecker solos on my site and that is why………   Usually,  I have to have a solo completed and as close to perfect as possible before I share it but………with my new goal of transcribing a chorus ever week, I have decided to break my tradition and just share what I have done so far………

 Michael Brecker in the 70’s

Today, I’m presenting you with page one of Michael Brecker’s solo over the changes to Confirmation.  Brecker performed this at a clinic he did at Berklee in 1987.  The surprising thing to me is that I was at Berklee  in 1987 and somehow I missed this whole clinic.  I don’t know how that is even possible but I have no recollection of attending this event and I was crazy about Brecker back then.

This is Michael Brecker playing acapella to the changes of Confirmation before he starts talking and answering questions from a bunch of  students and teachers.  Along with this solo I have also started transcribing Brecker’s solo on Blue Bossa from 1985.   I completed 7 choruses of that before I started losing my mind………..  I’ll share that later on also………

Like I said, this is page 1 of 4 and I will put up other parts of the solo as I complete them.  Some of these sections are pretty hard so I will do what I can with no promises……..  I hope you enjoy this part of the solo.     Steve

Confirmation Solo-Brecker Clinic 1987 Chorus 1 Bb

Confirmation Solo-Brecker Clinic 1987 Chorus 1 Concert

Confirmation Solo-Brecker Clinic 1987 Chorus 2 Bb

Confirmation Solo-Brecker Clinic 1987 Chorus 2 C

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Happy Holidays Everyone!!    Here’s another new transcription I have been working on. It’s Christmas Eve, the wife and kids are in bed, the presents are under the tree, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse, when down from Steve’s office arose such a clatter, the sound of Michael Brecker……that was the matter……….

This is the first 8 choruses of a burnin’ Michael Brecker solo over the standard “Blue Bossa” from the Roppongi Pit Inn in Tokyo,  1985.  This was taken from a grainy video camera recording that is on youtube.  I have included the video below for you to enjoy.

 Michael Brecker in the 70’s

This solo might rattle your brain a bit if you are the kind of person that believes life…… and jazz  for that matter,  should be played by the rules.  That we should color within the lines if you will……….One of the things I always loved about Michael Brecker was the total freedom he had while soloing.  You don’t have to look far in the PDF before you notice certain anomalies. If you were to just see them on paper you might think “This guy isn’t playing the right notes” or “He doesn’t know what he’s doing”  but that is far from the truth. Brecker used these “outside” note choices to create exquisite tension and resolution throughout the lines of his solos.  These amazing lines are what drew so many of us to his concerts and recordings.

One very cool concept you see Brecker using in this solo is the use of the B melodic minor scale and E7 sound over the Bb7 chord.  Measure 12 outlines B minor. Measure 28 has a E Major vibe to it. Measure 44 starts with the remainder of the F minor line from the previous measure but on beat 3 he surprises us by not going to F but to F# and then outlining B-7. Measure 60 is all B melodic minor (also known as Bb altered scale).  Measures 75-76 sound like a strong E7  line.  He’s thinking of the tri-tone sub of Bb7 and playing it right through the whole ii-V would be my guess.  He even carries it in to the Eb Major bar a bit. He does the same thing in measures 92-93. Delaying the resolution of the Eb Major chord………Same thing with 108-109.

There are many other melodic “gems” and concepts in this solo to dig through and try to understand.

This is pages 1 -4 and includes the first 8 choruses.  I will put up the other 12 or so choruses of the solo as I complete them. Some of these sections are pretty hard so I will do what I can with no promises……..  I hope you enjoy this part of the solo. Let me know what you think or if you have any comments below (although I don’t blame you if you feel speechless after watching the video………….)  Enjoy,       Steve

Blue Bossa Solo-Brecker 1985 Pages 1-4 Bb (8 choruses)

Blue Bossa Solo-Brecker 1985 Pages 1-4 Concert Key (8 choruses)

If you want to learn more about using the melodic minor and altered scales for a modern sound while improvising, check out some of these great video lessons:

Complete Lesson  and Book Index

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Here’s another new transcription I have been working on.  This is Michael Brecker’s 5 chorus solo over the tune “Four Chords” from the album Paradox by Steps Ahead.  This is young Michael Brecker tearing it up with some high energy classic “Brecker” lines. The Paradox album is one of the many Steps Ahead albums that I purchased back in the 80’s when I first heard about Michael Brecker and Steps Ahead.

 Michael Brecker in the 70’s

I’ve been been working on this solo for the past few weeks. Figuring out the chord progressions on some of these tunes can be rough.  I always wished I was one of the guys that had perfect pitch and could hear every single note and what inversions the chords were in but alas………I was not born with that gift.  I remember taking lessons with Charlie Banacos and I was working hard trying to hear two notes at once and being able to name them by ear.  I was having a rough time and Charlie told me he has had some students that had such good ears that he could play 13 random notes on the piano at the same time and the students could name all of them by ear (He did tell me that those students were a rare exception though……which made me feel better)

I believe these chords are close to what is being played although I am not 100% certain.    I was driving myself crazy trying to figure out the exact chords and inversions on the piano and finally I couldn’t take it anymore.  This is as close as I could get……….If any of you can hear the chords easily I would love to hear from you if you hear something different than what I have.

There are a ton of great lines and licks in this solo and what actually spurred this on was that Rick Margitza shared two other bootleg transcriptions of “Four Chords” on Facebook which are awesome too.  I actually started putting all 3 transcriptions together on a 3 stave version of the solo to compare them and work through the lines.  I hope to share them when they are ready.

Addition:  I’m adding this a week after the original post.  I ended up buying the Don Grolnick Collection because a few of these chords were driving me insane.  This is what Don Grolnick’s original lead sheet states for the chords on the solo section:

E-7sus /E-7sus                  /CMaj7                       /B-sus E7#9/

A-7      /G-7b5      C7b5     /F#-7b5 Fm6 Abm6/B7#9           /

E-7      /D-7           G7         /Camj7                      /B-7sus Bb13/

A-7sus/EbMaj7   DbMaj7/GMaj7b5                /F13                /

The first chord is labeled as E-7sus which makes sense as at the 8 minute mark I hear Mike Mainieri comping a suspended sound on the vibes.  I take this to mean EGABD.   My Finale program wouldn’t let me  put in a minor suspended notation so I labeled that chord as a E-11 chord (which I think of as having the same notes).  Where ever there is a minor sus chord in the tune I call it a minor 11 chord in the transcription. 

The 2nd chord is still baffling me though.  The sheet music says it is still a E-7sus chord but in the piano part there is a D# as the left hand bass note.  I would usually think this is a chord with D# in the bass because of that but I still hear the bass playing lots of BC#D# on that chord.  I basically hear that chord as D#GABD concert key.  Brecker does seem to be gravitating to an F lydian sound on this 2nd measure so that would make sense.  

I had measure 3-5 mostly correct. Measure 6 is a minor ii-V which surprised me.  Brecker’s lines are definitely outlining a minor ii-V so that is what I first thought that measure was but when I play it on the piano it doesn’t sound right to me.  I think it’s a matter of finding the right voicing to fit with the other chords.

The rest of the chords are pretty straight forward.  I missed the b5 on measure 15 but I knew there was more tension on that chord than a normal GMaj9 chord………..I changed all the chords to reflect the Don Grolnick version of the lead sheet.  The only difference is that measure 2 which I kept as C#7#5#9 just because I’m pretty sure it is not a E-7sus chord there…………Enjoy!

Four Chords Brecker Solo-Paradox

*I’m not sure if this recording is available right now but you can listen to the solo online here for free.  If your resourceful there is probably a way to record it while it streams from that site………….

*It is also on Google Play to buy for .99 Four Chords

If you love these type of outside Brecker type lines, be sure to check out my PDF book “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing” in which I take 100 classic minor “outside” lines in 16th notes and write them out in all 12 keys.  These lines are devastatingly awesome!! (that’s my opinion anyways……)

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk

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We are in for a treat today!  I contacted Rick Margitza (a great tenor saxophone player) on facebook the other day and asked if I could share his two transcriptions of Michael Brecker’s solos from two Steps Ahead bootlegs of Four Chords.  I came up with the idea of placing these two transcriptions along side my transcription from the original Paradox CD  to compare Brecker’s lines and ideas over the chords.

 Steps Ahead in the 80’s

I’ve found that by placing the 3 solos next to each other on staves you can find certain similarities and concepts in common through each chord.  This is a great way to decipher and pinpoint an approach or concept that Brecker might have used when soloing over certain chord changes.  The similarities make these concepts all the more recognizable.

Let’s take a look at these concepts one measure at a time (We will be referring to the Bb key for the chords). I will start on the first measure (not counting the pickup measure):

Measure 1-F#-11 (the original Don Grolnick score has this chord as a F#-7sus)

For the most part, Brecker is highlighting the F# minor pentatonic during these F#-11 chords. The main notes are F#ABC#E F#.  When playing over a minor chord the question arises on what to play for the 2nd and 6th degree of the scale.  If you go with dorian the 2nd would be G# and the 6th would be D#.  Brecker does not do this.  During the times that he includes those scale degrees he goes for a G for the 2nd and a D for the 6th. This is the Phrygian mode. F#GABC#DEF#.  When trying to figure out what scale to use over a minor chord I teach students that they have to do a little detective work with the chord before and after the specific minor chord (as well as using their ears).  In this case the chord before F#-11 is a G13(has a G and D). The chord after the F#-11 is a C#7#5#9 (also G and D if you use the C# altered scale). So in this case the phrygian mode makes sense for this minor chord.

Measure 2-C#7#5#9  (the original Don Grolnick score has this chord as a F#-7sus although there is a F in the bass on the sheet music and I know I hear an F in the comping on this measure so I’m going with C#7#5#9……..)

The typical approach to this chord is the C# altered scale which is C#DEFGABC#.  Brecker’s lines over this measure generally take on the form of outlining a C# altered scale, F Lydian type of idea or a G7 bebop scale type of line.  F lydian is FGABCDEF and the G dominant bebop is GABCDEFF#G. You can see how the F Lydian and G7 bebop lines share most of the same notes as the C# altered scale.  The lines sound great over this chord and using these 3 concepts over altered chords will give us a load of new ideas and lines!

Measure 3-DMaj7

Brecker treats this measure with some pretty common D Major patterns on every chorus.  He even throws in a common Coltrane line a bunch of times (top of page 8 solo 2 DMaj7 , bottom of page 10 solo 3 DMaj7, top of page 12 solo 2 DMaj7, middle of page 13 solo 2 DMaj7, bottom of page 18 solo 3 DMaj7.  It’s obvious that Brecker likes this lick and probably got it from Coltrane as did the rest of us that studied Coltrane at one time…………

Measure 4-C#-11 F#7#9

Here we have a ii-V going to B minor.  For the most part Brecker seems to be treating this whole measure as F#7 altered or G melodic minor.  These are the same scale GABbCDEF#G.  The difference  in my opinion is usually when a player is thinking G melodic minor the G minor sound is outlined. When the same notes aren’t outlining G minor then the player is probably thinking more of the F# altered scale.

Measure 5-B-7

Brecker is mainly outlining the B minor sound.  I notice a greater use of approaches to B minor in these measures.

Measure 6-A-7b5 D7(b5)

For the most part,  Brecker seems to be going with A locrian on this measure. ABbCDEbFGA.  Once in a while he throws in a B instead os the Bb or an F# instead of F.  He also uses the D7 altered scale at times as well as just some cool chromatic lines.  The chord on the sheet music is D7b5 but I don’t see Brecker trying very hard to hit an Ab on the D7b5 chord…………

 Michael Brecker in the 70’s

Measure 7-G#-7b5 Gm6 Bbm6

The common theme with this measure seems to be B’s and G#’s during beats 1 & 2.  In general Brecker does a great job of staying within the chords on beats 3 & 4.  They happen fast at one beat each and I’m surprised he stays withing the chord changes as many times as he did during the solo for those beats.  That is mastery!!  Sometimes he chooses to also go chromatic on beats 3 & 4 also…………….

Measure 8-C#7#9

You guessed it……more of the altered scale madness. C#DEFGABC#. (Which again is also D melodic minor).  He also goes the chromatic route a number of times during this measure.

Measure 9-F#-7

Same as measure 1 above…….Lot’s of F# minor pentatonic lines going on…………….

Measure 10-E-7 A7

These lines are pretty straight forward outlining the E-7 and then Brecker usually morphs into an A altered line during A7. Page 15 solo 2 is interesting as Brecker is outlining E-7 F7 Bb Db7……and then continues into D Major on the next page with F#  which of course we recognize from Coltrane also (Countdown)…………

Measure 11-DMaj7

Same as measure 3 above…………..

Measure 12-C#-11 C13

This is an interesting measure as it is a ii-V with a tritone substitution for the V7.  The V would be F#7.  I didn’t specifically hear the C13 expect for a few times and thought that chord was a F#7 altered.  I’m guessing that the band goes back and forth on that chord.  Brecker certainly seems to be favoring the F# altered scale (G melodic minor) on this measure.  Many times he starts the measure with EGBbD over the C#-11 chord. (I love the line on page 10 solo 1 on this chord!! He’s using wider intervals on the altered scale to give it an almost pentatonic sound…….)

Measure 13-B-11(the original Don Grolnick score has this chord as a B-7sus)

Same as measure 5 above…………..

Measure 14-FMaj7 EbMaj7

Brecker does a great job of outlining these chords in this measure.  So much so that I knew the chords just from the lines he was playing.  There is a  line on page 11 solo 3 where he seems to be thinking triad pairs of F and Eb over the whole measure and creating a random line with that concept.

Measure 15-AMaj7b5

For the most part, Brecker is just playing with A major ideas during this measure.  I don’t see him trying very hard to incorporate the b5 into his lines although once in a while he does.

Measure 16-G13

Brecker’s going totally bebop scale crazy on this measure usually.  It is so dominant that before I even knew the chords I thought that was a G7 chord there just from Brecker’s lines.  There are some classic hardbop lines to check out here.  Page 8 solo 1 is one of my favorites on that measure.

Michael Brecker-Steps Ahead Poster

Again,  special thanks to Rick Margitza for allowing me to post his incredible transcriptions.  I feel like I learned a lot by placing them side by side with my own and analyzing the lines.  I’m looking forward to continuing to work on these solos and implementing the lines and concepts into my own playing more and more.  Brecker was the man!!!!  We all miss you!

**If you run across any ideas or concepts that I overlooked in my analysis please feel free to comment on them below.  Have fun practicing!!!!

Four Chords-3 Brecker Solos Combined

Four Chords Brecker Live 2-NYC 9-81 original transcription by Rick Margitza

Four Chords Brecker Live 2-NYC 9-81 Bootleg mp3 (right click and click on “save link as” in your browser to save this mp3 to your computer)

Four Chords Brecker Live 3-NYC 9-81 original transcription by Rick Margitza

Four Chords Brecker Live 3-NYC 9-81 Bootleg mp3 (right click and click on “save link as” in your browser to save this mp3 to your computer)

If you love these type of outside Brecker type lines, be sure to check out my PDF book “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing” in which I take 100 classic minor “outside” lines in 16th notes and write them out in all 12 keys.  These lines are devastatingly awesome!! (that’s my opinion anyways……)

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk

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For this week’s new transcription I have been working on a solo by Michael Brecker over “A Night in Tunisia”. This is from a video on Youtube of Chaka Kahn performing a great version of this tune in 1981.

I just discovered this Youtube video last week when someone posted it on Facebook. I must have watched Brecker’s solo 20 times in a row that night.  This is just classic “tearing it up” Brecker!!  These kinds of solos bring me right back to 1985 when I first discovered him………I love this stuff……….

 Michael Brecker in the Early 80’s

I’m starting off this week with chorus 1 of the solo and will post other choruses when and if I get to them. I make no promises as some of these measures could drive me insane.  I hope you enjoy this stuff as much as I do…………Let me know what you think in the comments below………Steve

Chaka Kahn-A Night in Tunisia Video

A Night in Tunisia Solo-Brecker with Chaka 1981 Page 1 Bb PDF

Audio of Brecker’s Solo on A Night in Tunisia with Chaka Kahn

If you love these type of outside Brecker type lines, be sure to check out my PDF book “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing” in which I take 100 classic minor “outside” lines in 16th notes and write them out in all 12 keys.  These lines are devastatingly awesome!! (that’s my opinion anyways……)

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk

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For this week’s new transcription, I am posting the first 5 choruses of a transcription that Igor Tomanoski sent me this week.  This is Michael Brecker soloing over Recorda Me with Steps Ahead in the 80’s.

This is from a Youtube video that I first heard a few years ago.  This is just classic “tearing it up” Brecker!! I actually started transcribing this solo a few months ago but quickly realized it was going to be more difficult to complete than I thought.  Luckily Igor took on the challenge for the first 5 choruses!

 Michael Brecker in the Early 80’s

This one should give you enough material to shed for the next few months!!   Enjoy!   Thanks again to Igor Tomanoski for sharing it……….Steve

Michael Brecker-Recorda Me

Recordame Solo-Brecker with Steps Ahead Bb Chorus 1-5 PDF

If you love these type of outside Brecker type lines, be sure to check out my PDF book “Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing” in which I take 100 classic minor “outside” lines in 16th notes and write them out in all 12 keys.  These lines are devastatingly awesome!! (that’s my opinion anyways……)

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk

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In todays modern world, you see new products popping up on the internet almost everyday.  About a month ago, I was on Facebook just browsing through friend’s posts when I came upon some beautiful pictures of some mouthpieces I had never seen before.  These were posted by Liu Shizhao who lives in Beijing, China and apparently makes saxophone mouthpieces.   Judging from the pictures I saw, these were masterfully made mouthpieces that looked beautiful!  Of course, with sax mouthpieces, looks are not everything…….the true test is in how they play.   I contacted Mr. Shizhao and asked if I could review some of his mouthpieces on Neffmusic.com and he graciously agreed.

Liu Shizhao MB Prototype Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

A few weeks later, I received a package in the mail from China.  I was very excited!  These mouthpieces looked beautiful and I was really hoping they played as good as they looked.  I opened up the package and inside were a carefully packed silver tenor mouthpiece and silver alto mouthpiece.  Today I am reviewing the tenor mouthpiece.   Mr. Shizhao calls this mouthpiece his MB prototype mouthpiece which I assumes refers to Michael Breckers Guardala mouthpiece that he played for so many years.

Liu Shizhao MB Prototype Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Shizhao MB model looked great upon inspection. Although you can’t tell from the pictures, it has a beautifully designed dark green bite plate.  The craftmanship looks superb.  The rails are thin and even and the tip rail looks to match the shape of my reeds exactly.  The table looks to be exactly the width of the reed so the edges of the reed are even with the outside of the thin side rails.

It looks to have a step baffle like the Guardala mouthpieces I have played in the past.  Instead of having a sharp edge on the step baffle like the laser trimmed Guardala mouthpieces have, the Shizhao step baffle edge has been smoothed to produce a smooth rollover that then descends down into the large chamber.  Everything looks very even and smooth in regards to the baffle and it’s shape.   Very well crafted!

Liu Shizhao MB Prototype Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The sidewalls of the Shizhao MB mouthpiece are scooped out and the chamber looks pretty large to my eye.  On the side of the mouthpiece is engraved .114 which is the tip size.  I generally don’t like going over .110 tip openings but when a mouthpiece has a baffle of this length and height a tip of around .115 can still feel pretty comfortable for me.

I found Rigotti Gold reeds to be a bit too edgy for me on this mouthpiece but the Rico Select Jazz reeds worked perfectly with a 3S unfiled size.  I found that the RSJ reeds gave a bit more body and thickness to the tone and took away some of the edge that I got with the Rigotti reeds.  I tried a Rovner ligature on this piece also but I didn’t like it as much as a metal ligature.  The Rovner coupled with the Rico reeds just took too much of the highs out of the sound for my tastes but others might like the Rovner for a darker vibe.

Liu Shizhao MB Prototype Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Shizhao MB prototype played great for me. I’ve played a number of handmade Guardala mouthpieces as well as laser trimmed Guardalas and in my opinion this mouthpiece is in the same category as those. Liu actually emailed me and told me that he based this mouthpiece design off of a handmade Guardala that he owns. He did say that he changed the end of the baffle on the tenor piece as well as making the rails shape slightly different.  If I compare this piece to those Guardalas I have played I would say this piece is less edgy and fatter sounding than those mouthpieces although in my opinion, it still has that awesome core to the sound that players of these kind of mouthpieces love.  I always had a hard time playing standards on Guardalas but I taught for a few days with this piece on my tenor and had no problem laying back and playing a few jazz tunes on it.  You have to be careful not to blow full volume as the volume and brightness multiply exponentially.  Play laid back and it sounds great for jazz though.

To me the sound is full and fat with a ton of power available. Like most high baffle mouthpieces, the tone can get really bright and edgy if you don’t adjust your embouchure to balance that.  I found that making my lower lip fatter and more pillowy really helped fatten up the tone and take some of the edge away.  I’ve also found that the way I blow and focus my air has to be different than playing on a Link style mouthpiece. It usually takes me some time to readjust to a high baffle piece but once I do they can play and sound great!

I have  heard the complaint about laser trimmed Guardalas that they can sound too thin up in the palm keys.  I had the same experience with one years ago. I think Mr. Shizhao has taken some of the edge and thinness away from those high notes on his piece as I didn’t notice that at all while playing it. I wonder if the smooth rollover at the end of the baffle helps in that regard…………

The intonation on this mouthpiece was terrific in my opinion and the piece played really smooth and evenly throughout the range of the horn also.

Liu Shizhao MB Prototype Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

For many years, China has had a bad reputation for producing inferior products related to the saxophone but I’m seeing more and more saxophone related gear from China that is quite good!  The Shizhao MB prototype is right up there with some of the best high baffle tenor mouthpieces I have played. I am told that these tenor mouthpieces sell for 495.00 USD which I think is a great deal.  To order one you can contact Liu Shizhao by email at saxproshop@gmail.com.  If this tenor mouthpiece is the first  of many mouthpiece to be made by Mr. Shizhao I am excited to see what other mouthpieces he produces in the future!  Great Job!

Liu Shizhao MB Prototype Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

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I just found this on Youtube this morning and wanted to share it. This video was made in 2003 and is a reunion concert of the original musicians from Chick Corea’s “Three Quartets” album. Chick Corea, Michael Brecker,Eddie Gomez and Steve Gadd.

Three Quartets was released in 1981 and was one of the first albums I had bought after discovering who Michael Brecker was in 1985. I remember spending countless hours listening to the original recording in the 80’s while having no idea whatsoever what Brecker was playing. I was obsessed in trying to figure it out!  This brings back a lot of memories and it’s great to see them together in this video.  The close up shots of Brecker are great also!

Michael Brecker’s birthday just passed on March 29th. We all miss him very much. His legacy will continue to live on through his music. Enjoy the video and if you haven’t heard the original recording check it out!

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A month or two ago,  I posted a review of a couple new saxophone mouthpiece from Liu Shizhao out of China.  He sent me a tenor saxophone mouthpiece prototype MB Prototype and an alto prototype that I was very impressed with and wrote reviews on. Recently,  he has sent me two more saxophone mouthpieces to review that I am equally impressed with if not more impressed.  This review is on his new tenor sax mouthpiece called the Pilgrimage MB model (MB stands for Michael Brecker).

Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Pilgrimage MB model is a copy of an original Guardala traditional model tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  The main difference between the MBI, MBII, Studio model and the traditional model is that the shelf baffle in the Studio, MBI & MBII is rounded off  to descend smoothly into the large chamber.

The Pilgrimage MB model tenor saxophone mouthpiece is exceptionally well made in my opinion.  The rails and tip are even and thin.  The baffle rolls over smoothly and evenly all the way down to the chamber.  The side rails are slightly scooped out near the chamber but they are straight until they reach that point.  I would consider the Pilgrimage MB to have a large chamber as it looks as big as most of my Otto Link chambers as I compare them side to side.  The bite plate has a beautiful green design on it although it is hard to make out in the picture above.

Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Shizhao Pilgrimage model has a tip opening of .114 which I have heard is right around the tip that Michael Brecker played on. Mr. Shizhao believes this is the style of mouthpiece that Michael Brecker actually played on as opposed to the MBI and MBII style mouthpiece baffles that WWBW has reproduced but I have heard many differing and competing opinions and statements regarding that fact from many sax players over the years so I will leave that for a different blog post and discussion perhaps………

I have to admit that I had high hopes for this sax mouthpiece because every other Brecker style mouthpiece I have owned and reviewed has always been too bright for my personal tastes at the end of the day.  My first original Guardala Studio model I bought 13 years ago sounded killer in a big room with natural reverb or on a gig,  but in the practice room I was always struggling with my sound being too bright and edgy.  I was really hoping that this baffle design would be a change in the right direction for me…………

Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I first tried the Shizhao Pilgrimage mouthpiece with Rigotti Gold saxophone reeds which played pretty well but I found them a bit too edgy for my tastes.  Vandoren Java 2 1/2 reeds were amazing on this mouthpiece and I felt like they played with less edge and had a fatter sound to my ear.  I had a Rovner fabric ligature that fit the Pilgrimage well but I felt it muted the tone a bit too much as Rovner ligatures can do sometimes (IMHO) so I actually ordered a new Selmer 402 alto ligature from WWBW to use on it.  When I received the 402, I felt like it was perfect for this mouthpiece and livened up the sound perfectly as compared to the Rovner.  I believe Michael Brecker used one of these Selmer 402 ligatures also.

Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Shizhao Pilgrimage mouthpiece played absolutely great for me. I’ve played a number of handmade Guardala tenor mouthpieces as well as laser trimmed Guardalas over the years and in my opinion this mouthpiece is in a similar category as those BUT the big difference for me is in the high end of the horn.  I felt like the higher register of the horn had a definite fatter and smoother sound to it than many of the Guardala mouthpieces with a straight baffle and ridge inside.  I mentioned in my last Shizhao MB protoype review how my opinion was that that mouthpiece had a fatter, less edgy tone than many Guardala originals and copies because of the smoothed over ridge on the baffle.  This “Pilgrimage” mouthpiece takes that even farther and has an even fatter and warmer sound because the ridge is totally gone!  The baffle just curves down evenly and smoothly until it reaches the bottom of the chamber.

Even though it is fatter and a tad warmer, I believe it still has that Guardala core sound and power that these designs are known for.  The question for most gigging players is “Does this fatter warmer sound affect the ability for the player to cut through in a live playing gig?”   That is the eternal question for us sax players.  I can’t tell you how many mouthpiece I have played that sound killer on the gig through the sound system but in the practice room are overly loud, bright and edgy.  I then find a mouthpiece more pleasant in the practice room with a fatter warmer sound and then when I get out on the gig I find it not cutting through the mix and I can’t hear myself!

Although I haven’t taken the Pilgrimage out on a gig as of yet, I believe strongly that this mouthpiece is a good mix of the legendary Guardala properties and more of a traditional fat saxophone sound.  It can definitely play loud and wail.  It leans to the right side of bright that is for sure but for me it is not over the top at all.  It can be controlled and manipulated for a variety of styles.

I made this statement in the Shizhao MB protoype review but it is still true for this mouthpiece as well so I will include it here also:

“I found that making my lower lip fatter and more pillowy really helped fatten up the tone and take some of the brightness away.  I’ve also found that the way I blow and focus my air has to be different than playing on a Link style sax mouthpiece. It usually takes me some time to readjust to a high baffle piece but once I do they can play and sound great!”

I’ve only played this mouthpiece for a couple of hours,  but for me the key to getting closer to a Michael Brecker type sound concept on it is playing at at least 80% air and a full air column supported with the diaphragm.  The mouthpiece can take all the air you give it because of the large chamber and I feel like the more air you give it the fatter and more powerful it sounds.

The intonation on this mouthpiece was terrific in my opinion and the mouthpiece played really smoothly and evenly throughout the range of the horn also.  The altissimo was especially easy. (towards the end of the clip (3:03) I do an altissimo run from high E up and back down surprisingly easy.  I don’t know that I’ve even ever done that before that I can remember!)

Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I’ve provided two samples of the same clip below.  One is a clip with added reverb and the other is a dry clip in a moderate sized room.  I think it’s important to add the reverb clip just so people can get a sense of what the sound is like with a little bit of that added affect since most studio recordings of Brecker have some reverb added I believe.

I’m a little rusty on my Brecker influenced licks but I threw a few of them into the sound clip as well as a few attempts at some Brecker influenced overtone lines.  Towards the end I play a little of “Moose the Mooche” and a ballad to give you a little bit of a different taste of what this mouthpiece can do and sound like.

The Shizhao Pilgrimage saxophone mouthpiece is right up there with some of the best high baffle tenor mouthpieces I have played on.  I am told that these tenor mouthpieces sell for 495.00 USD at the time of this review which I think is a great deal.  To order one you can contact Liu Shizhao by email at saxproshop@gmail.com or you can usually also find these mouthpiece for sale on Ebay if you do a search there.

Congratulations to Mr. Shizhao for making another excellent well crafted mouthpiece!  Great Job!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you get a Shizhao Pilgrimage saxophone mouthpiece be sure to come back and let us know what you think below……..Thanks!!

Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Added Reverb

Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Dry

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I wanted to write a blog post on this subject because there has been a lot of discussion and confusion over the years about the Guardala mouthpiece Michael Brecker played on.    I started a discussion on this subject about a month ago on Facebook but thought it would be good to post what I discovered here as well so we don’t have to keep discussing this every 7 months over and over again.

The issue is this:   Michael Brecker played a Guardala mouthpiece, no one will argue with this fact, it is well known by fans of Brecker. Sometime in the early 80’s he switched to a Guardala tenor saxophone mouthpiece and he played a Guardala until his death in early 2007.  The issue is, what model Guardala mouthpiece did Michael Brecker actually play and what did the inside of his mouthpiece actually look like?

Original Guardala Tenor Sax Mouthpiece

I was a huge Michael Brecker fan in the 80’s- 90’s.   I had every album and CD I could find with Michael Brecker playing on it.  I’m sure there are many of you out there that can relate to this.  Matter of fact,  I think I am mainly a tenor sax player because of Michael Brecker.   I played alto saxophone all through high school and college and even though I had heard tons of tenor players during those years I never thought once of switching to the tenor saxophone.

That all changed around 1986 when I first heard Brecker on a recording and then saw him live with Steps Ahead in Buffalo NY.  I was obsessed and had to get a tenor saxophone!  From the moment I got my first H. Couf tenor sax I was chasing after that elusive Brecker sound and tone.  Soon after that I switched to the tenor sax full-time and have been playing it as my main instrument ever since.

Years later, I bought an original Guardala Studio model tenor mouthpiece in search of that Brecker sound.  I thought now that I had a hand finished Guardala that my search would be over.  Although the Studio model was in that Brecker ballpark as far as sound, I found it extremely bright and too buzzy for me.  I found the palm key notes and altissimo thin sounding to my ear.  I ended up selling the Guardala studio model a few months later.

A little while later, I heard that WWBW was releasing a Guardala MB mouthpiece.   I was ecstatic!  Finally, I could try the exact mouthpiece that my idol Michael Brecker played on.  I immediately bought one and started playing it.  Soon after, I started hearing and reading gossip and rumors that Brecker didn’t actually use the MB model I had just bought.  “WHAT!!  Is this true?”  “What the heck!” “Why release a MB model that wasn’t what Brecker played on?”  I was confused, angry and disappointed again.

I tried to find out the truth from a variety of sources on the internet including SOTW and other various chat rooms and forums but it seemed like I could never get a straight answer and every person I talked to had a different opinion and experience to share……..

Then WWBW released the MBII mouthpiece.  I heard that this was finally the actual mouthpiece that Michael Brecker actually used.  Thank you WWBW!!!   Now I could try the mouthpiece that my idol used.  I bought one and started playing it.  Wouldn’t you know, soon after,  I started hearing more rumors and gossip on the internet.   “Yeah, the MBII is closer to the Brecker sound but Michael didn’t really play a MBII.  His mouthpiece has a smooth baffle with no ledge”  “WHAT!!!  Come on!  Are you kidding me! Why release a MB model that isn’t like Michael’s mouthpiece and then release a MBII that is still not like his mouthpiece?  Is this a conspiracy?” Still, I could not get a definitive answer, everyone I talked to had a different take and opinion.

A month ago,  I posted a review of the Shizhao Pilgrimage tenor mouthpiece and I asked Mr. Shizhao if this was a copy or an original design.   He responded that it was a copy of an original Guardala he had bought off of Ebay and forwarded the description to me from the Ebay ad which again brought up this whole subject of which mouthpiece Michael Brecker actually played:

Guardala Description from Ebay Ad

Haha!!  This ominous posting from an unknown source confirms all the rumors and conspiracies that I have heard! (sarcasm…..) Here is a picture of the Shizhao Pilgrimage model which is a copy of the mouthpiece that was sold in the ad above:

Liu Shizhoa’s Pilgrimage model exact copy of Guardala Traditional model?

Notice the smooth baffle and lack of a shelf baffle in the photo………..

This is of course proven as fact by an anonymous Ebay seller who heard this truth from the anonymous person that he bought the Guardala from!  What more facts do you need!  Mystery solved!! (sarcasm…….)

BUT, what of all the people that claim otherwise?  Jennifer Price who worked with Guardala wrote this on Facebook:

“Michael mostly used a standard MB1, however for a short period of time he used the MBII which is basically the same with a slightly longer baffle. Both pieces were just regular Guardala pieces. I of course know this because I worked on the pieces he played. Periodically we would go to Mike’s home and he would switch out. He really loved the sound of the wood one we made, it was really hard to make and I’m still picking dust from the wood off me lol but after the three of us discussed it – in the end the wood is not practical, but his smile that day was infectious and to hear him play something that took days to make was definitely a highlight in my life.” -Jennifer Price

“Yes, as I explained we went to Mike’s house a lot and he had a draw of pieces, but……the ones that he played that we made were always the same thing. He would trade out with us each time and kept about 8”-Jennifer Price

So that settles it Michael Brecker played a MBI or MBII which looked similar to this:

A Vigilante MBI made as Jennifer Price remembers making Brecker’s Guardala

Notice the shelf baffle………..

But then we have these other reported accounts from across the internet:

“When I saw Michael playing in the early 90s, he was actually playing (for that gig anyway) a Branford model.. I had one for a while, and the baffle was smaller/shorter? Meaning a warmer sound..still had a nice refined focus”-John

The original listing Steve posted looks like a misquoted story from Jeff Powell I saw years ago. He said MB decided to use what was called a Traditional model back then. So DG renamed that design the MB and they came up with a new Traditional design that had a lower arched baffle. So if you have a really old Trad, it could be the same as a MB design.-Mojo

What I know was that the so-called MB1 that Brecker played was different from the MB1s sold in the market. The step baffle drop was smooth and not a straight drop. The Traditional model was what Mike played until later when it was renamed the MB1. The MBII was an accident. Somebody in the factory brought home Studio blanks and hand-finished MB1 baffles in them. So the MB2 was actually a bastard-son of the Studio and the MB1.-unknown

I have a friend who was at his master class and saw the inside to his mouthpiece and said it was a roll over baffle no step up at all…-unknown

We originally had two mouthpieces- Studio and Traditional. When Michael decided he would play the Traditional we renamed it Brecker. We then made a new mouthpiece with a slightly shorter baffle and called THAT the Traditional-Jeffrey Powell (also worked with Guardala)

The MBII is actually a Studio, but with a MB chamber/bore. This was how it was created…by accident when one of Dave’s workers brought home Studio blanks and worked the MB chambers into them… I believe Jeff Powell, (Guardala’s partner), said he designed the original MB II for a tour Brecker did with Paul Simon, (as an aside, Jeff also said Michael didn’t use it). From what I remember, Jeff said that he did the CAD/CAM work and Dave finished the pieces, (hand filing them). -Wersax (SOTW)

After reading all these comments,  you’re probably even more confused. So am I…….  So what is the answer here? What did the inside of Brecker’s mouthpiece actually look like?  I’m still confused! Louis Gerrits recently put this picture on Facebook which was cool to see and perhaps helped me come to resolution to this question that has plagued me for years.   It is a picture of a cabinet in Michael Brecker’s home. What do you see?

A Cabinet in Michael Brecker’s Home

If you look down at the bottom of the cabinet in the picture above,  you can see what looks like 12-15 Guardala mouthpieces!  Is it possible that Michael Brecker had a variety of Guardala models and baffle configurations to choose from?  Could it be possible that he at times chose to play on different mouthpieces to suit different gigs?  If this is perhaps true, maybe we have an answer to the conflicting reports that I have been reading and hearing over the years.

Maybe the lesson to be learned here isn’t that we need a copy of the exact mouthpiece Michael Brecker played to be great and sound like him but maybe the lesson here is that Brecker perhaps played on different Guardala mouthpieces and baffles throughout his career and if he did, did any of us notice?  Or did he pretty much just sound like the amazing Michael Brecker that he always has?   Who knows the answer to that one???

At this point you’re probably wanting more definitive answers and proof.   Both of which I do not have at this point in time.   All I have heard and read is posted above for you to draw your own conclusions. I am still very curious and wish Michael was still around to ask first hand that is for sure.

The purpose of this post wasn’t to so much reveal the definitive answer to this question as it is to raise the question and perhaps get some more insight from readers of this blog.   If you have any more inside information on this subject I would love to hear it.   Feel free to post in the comments below. Thanks,   Steve

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Here’s another great Michael Brecker tenor sax transcription to check out.  It’s a short one of Michael Brecker sitting in with the Paul Shaffer band on the David Letterman show in the 80’s.  This transcription was done by Joe Raia who is a local sax player down in Massachusetts and was nice enough to share it on Facebook.  I actually found the transcription as I was cleaning stuff off my computer the other day and asked Joe if it was ok to share here on the site.

This is classic Michael Brecker playing over the standard Letterman show intro in A7 concert (B7 for tenor saxophone).  This is a great example of Brecker mixing up the G# blues scale G#BC#DD#F#G# with the B blues scale of BDEFF#AB over B7.  The G# blues scale which is also called the B Major Blues Scale BC#DD#F#G#B (notice it is the same notes as the G#Blues scale) is a very consonant sound and the only note with a lot of tension is the D which gives it a bluesy sound.

In measure 5 Michael plays a few notes from the B Blues scale which gives you a little more tension and bluesy sound with the F and D.  It also introduces the A (b7th) into the line.  He gives a little taste and then switches back to the G# blues scale until measure 8 where he switches back to B blues scale.  Measure 9-10 is back to the G# blues scale.  Measure 11-12 back to B blues again for the unison lick with the band.

Measure 13 until the end is just pure classic Brecker mastery that he was known for. Holding out the ending chord?  Brecker’s going to crush it with everything he’s got!  Love it!

Michael Brecker Sax Solo Transcription on David Letterman Intro 
Michael Brecker Sax Solo Transcription on David Letterman Intro Bb

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Here is another great solo transcription of Michael Brecker on the McCoy Tyner tune “Happy Days” from the album “Infinity”.  This has been on my transcription list for many years now and this morning I thought I would hammer away at it and finally finish it.

I remember when this album came out, I was so excited to get home and listen to it!  I listened to it over and over for weeks. I was even lucky enough to see Michael Brecker perform with McCoy at the Regattabar in Boston soon afterwards.  The friends I was with wanted to meet Michael after the show and I remember being so nervous and not wanting to bother him.  My friends walked right up to him and started talking.  I could barely speak.  I remember Michael looking tired but he was so nice and talked to us for a few minutes while packing up. I’m glad I got a chance to meet him…….

McCoy Tyner and Michael Brecker 

This is a great solo to analyze to see some of the concepts Brecker would use on dominant chords.  For the majority of the solos A7 measures (referring to the Bb music) you see him using a “bluesy” approach by using the A major blues scale (ABCC#EF#A) with notes from the A Mixolydian scale thrown in for color and effect (D and G).  He also uses the A Minor Blues Scale at times (ACDEbEGA) as in measures 9-17,21-23, 59-66,80-81 and 86-89.

In each chorus there is a 6 bar transition that travels around the circle of 5ths back to A7.  You can see it in measures 10-15 for the first time D7, G7, C7, F7,D7 Ebo7, E7(sus4).  Brecker usually lets loose on these sections with a variety of concepts.

You see bits and pieces of the dominant bebop scale like in measures 32, 55 and 76.

In measure 37 you see him use a F melodic minor line over the E7(sus4) chord giving him an altered scale sound over that V7 chord.

In between these concepts you see Brecker use some chromaticism to get from one concept to another which he was the master of.

Hope you enjoy the solo!  Thanks to Michael Brecker for the solo and McCoy Tyner for writing this great tune!   We miss you Michael Brecker and think of you often……..

Michael Brecker Solo on Happy Days-Bb PDF
Michael Brecker Solo on Happy Days-C PDF

Michael Brecker’s Solo on Happy Days from the McCoy Tyner Album Infinity (Solo starts at 5:15)

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Here is another great solo transcription of Michael Brecker on the McCoy Tyner tune “Mellow Minor” from the album “Infinity”.  This has been on my transcription list for many years now and this morning I thought I would hammer away at it and finally finish it.

I remember when this album came out, I was so excited to get home and listen to it!  I listened to it over and over for weeks. I was even lucky enough to see Michael Brecker perform with McCoy at the Regattabar in Boston soon afterwards.  The friends I was with wanted to meet Michael after the show and I remember being so nervous and not wanting to bother him.  My friends walked right up to him and started talking.  I could barely speak.  I remember Michael looking tired but he was so nice and talked to us for a few minutes while packing up. I’m glad I got a chance to meet him…….

McCoy Tyner and Michael Brecker 

This is a great solo to analyze to see some of the concepts Michael Brecker would use on a D minor tonality.  I love how Brecker mixes the D blues scale up with lines that outline the chord changes.  It’s a seamless transition back and forth and gives the solo a great cohesion.  I also love the 16th note runs. Classic Brecker!

Hope you enjoy the solo!  Thanks to Michael Brecker for the solo and McCoy Tyner for writing this great tune!  We miss you Michael Brecker and think of you often……..

Michael Brecker Solo on Mellow Minor-Bb PDF
Michael Brecker Solo on Mellow Minor-C PDF

Michael Brecker’s Solo on Mellow Minor from the McCoy Tyner Album Infinity (Solo starts at 2:47)

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Here’s another new transcription I’m working on.  Every once in a while I get in a mood to transcribe some Michael Brecker.  Then, after I get started I soon think “What the heck was I thinking?  This is crazy!”  It’s usually after I have slowed down one section to the slowest it can possibly go and  listened to it one hundred times in a row.   I might then throw my pen across the room and start pulling out my hair!   You don’t see many Brecker solos on my site and that is why………   Usually,  I have to have a solo completed and as close to perfect as possible before I share it but………with my new goal of transcribing a chorus ever week, I have decided to break my tradition and just share what I have done so far………

 Michael Brecker in the 70’s

Today, I’m presenting you with page one of Michael Brecker’s solo over the changes to Confirmation.  Brecker performed this at a clinic he did at Berklee in 1987.  The surprising thing to me is that I was at Berklee  in 1987 and somehow I missed this whole clinic.  I don’t know how that is even possible but I have no recollection of attending this event and I was crazy about Brecker back then.

This is Michael Brecker playing acapella to the changes of Confirmation before he starts talking and answering questions from a bunch of  students and teachers.  Along with this solo I have also started transcribing Brecker’s solo on Blue Bossa from 1985.   I completed 7 choruses of that before I started losing my mind………..  I’ll share that later on also………

Like I said, this is page 1 of 4 and I will put up other parts of the solo as I complete them.  Some of these sections are pretty hard so I will do what I can with no promises……..  I hope you enjoy this part of the solo.     Steve

Confirmation Solo-Brecker Clinic 1987 Chorus 1 Bb

Confirmation Solo-Brecker Clinic 1987 Chorus 1 Concert

Confirmation Solo-Brecker Clinic 1987 Chorus 2 Bb

Confirmation Solo-Brecker Clinic 1987 Chorus 2 C

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