Michael Brecker - Two Blocks from the Edge

Japanese Release featuring the Bonus Track: Sylark. Album Details

good times

this is an enjoyable record... Delta City Blues is a great way to end the record. Sure, it's some showing off, but what a blast.

El Nino is a great track. Brecker's ballad playing is very sweet on this one. Joey Calderazzo definitely smokes throughout.

Wasn't this the regular touring group at the time? In any event, I recommend this one. Like Brecker's better albums, a good collaborative effort makes for a nice album.

Shawn October 4, 2005

Joey CAN play

I actually haven't heard the album Two Blocks from the Edge, but i have Tales from the Hudson and i also own many braford recordings with joey calderazzo on piano. I just want it to be known that Joey Calderazzo CAN play with emotion. Go listen to Branford's Footsteps of Our Fathers album or Branford's Eternal. Both amazing cds. Also checkout Branford's new dvd playing A Love Supreme. All three showcase Joey's build of solos, his motifs, and his complete and utter pure energy with the piano. He has fiery and explosive solos on movements 1, 2, and 3 of a love supreme and some of the most moving solos on the Eternal album. December 31, 2004

A stellar album!

This is one of the most beautiful pieces of modern jazz around: period. You don't really need to know more. Calderazzo is THE newfound gem in jazz, thanks to Michael. Nervous yet lyrical and creative as a young Mc Coy Tyner on steroids could be.

Buy it. September 14, 2004

This album rules, period.

I am a player. All you need to know is that he plays chords on a single-note(primarily)instrument. How, you may ask ? EXACTLY. This album puts to bed the single-note smirk any guitar or piano player friend of yours may have given you in the past. Get it ? Got it ? Good. July 18, 2004

Well la-di-dah

I think some of the reviewers are seriously splitting hairs. Michael Brecker is a great player and so is Calderazzo. They have the great moments and their so-so moments. This is defintely true of the "incendiary soloists" referred to. Lots of chops, runs etc. That's exactly what's wrong with their playing in jazz. Total chops, no substance. Rubalcama and Valdez. Camilo is also out of that vein too. You get bored to tears if you are truly understand jazz phrasing. If you like chops for chops sake and have a short attention span, those are the guys for you. There's a place for chops--but Peterson and Tatum showed you the proper tightrope to walk. Any way Latin music is their soul, jazz their study. The reverse is true of Calderazzo and many other jazz players. Is a truly latin phenom montuna player required on this album and that cut? Not hardly January 13, 2004

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