Live at the Baked Potato!
Press Coverage and Reviews
Jazz Podium Review in English
Even during the lifetime of the saxophonist, who died in 2007 at the age of 57, the army of Michael Brecker clones disregarded the fact that from the seventies on, Brecker had certainly shaped the ideal sound on the tenor saxophone like no one else. But this sound was based, above all, on a unique gift for phrasing and tone coloring, as well as embedding them in creative compositions.
Precisely these qualities are the focus of this tribute record by the Bay Area-based trio Charged Particles with tenor saxophonist Tod Dickow. Their first experiments began in 2015, and this live recording was made in March 2019.
Brecker's records were always band records. The stars of jazz came to him in droves.
Jon Krosnick (drums), Murray Low (piano, organ, synthesizer), and Aaron Germain (electric and acoustic bass) are also a tight unit that keeps the band sound exciting and the intensity high throughout the almost 73 minutes, especially due to smooth shifting between acoustic and electric instruments.
With Dickow, Krosnick & Co. have a soloist at the fore who understands that Brecker was not interested in a technical exhibition. And as close as Dickow is to the original, he's not a clone. The notes are naturally playable, but Dickow, like Brecker, is concerned with HOW to wind and color them. And the group has captured every nuance of Brecker’s pieces in their performances.
Brecker never took the easy path. Despite the catchy character of "Not Ethiopia" and "Song for Barry", for example, his compositions take sidetracks and deviations and turn right when the music wants to go left. They include shifts and shapes that are always surprising. And this group embraces these complex structures, making the case that the originals are worthy of revisiting.
Precisely these qualities are the focus of this tribute record by the Bay Area-based trio Charged Particles with tenor saxophonist Tod Dickow. Their first experiments began in 2015, and this live recording was made in March 2019.
Brecker's records were always band records. The stars of jazz came to him in droves.
Jon Krosnick (drums), Murray Low (piano, organ, synthesizer), and Aaron Germain (electric and acoustic bass) are also a tight unit that keeps the band sound exciting and the intensity high throughout the almost 73 minutes, especially due to smooth shifting between acoustic and electric instruments.
With Dickow, Krosnick & Co. have a soloist at the fore who understands that Brecker was not interested in a technical exhibition. And as close as Dickow is to the original, he's not a clone. The notes are naturally playable, but Dickow, like Brecker, is concerned with HOW to wind and color them. And the group has captured every nuance of Brecker’s pieces in their performances.
Brecker never took the easy path. Despite the catchy character of "Not Ethiopia" and "Song for Barry", for example, his compositions take sidetracks and deviations and turn right when the music wants to go left. They include shifts and shapes that are always surprising. And this group embraces these complex structures, making the case that the originals are worthy of revisiting.
Jazz Life Review in English
Charged Particles, a trio led by Jon Krosnick, has been tackling challenging contemporary jazz compositions in San Francisco for 10 years. Tod Dickow is one of the best saxophonists in the world. The quartet plays selections from Michael Brecker's solo albums. This is a tribute album. Randy Brecker endorsed the album, saying, "It's like Michael is still alive.” Peter Erskine praised the recording as well. This is not mere imitation of Brecker, of course, but a re-evaluation of the giant's skills as a composer, approached from a modern perspective.
Takehiko Tokiwa
Takehiko Tokiwa
Jazzism Review in English
Eight compositions by the late Michael Brecker, played by the trio Charged Particles with tenor saxophonist Tod Dickow. Don't be fooled: The Baked Potato is a real jazz club, which was founded in 1970 and hosts many fusion groups. The group features pianist Murray Low behind the keyboard, bassist Aaron Germain and drummer Jon Krosnick—and another guest, conga player Omar Ledezma. Tod Dickow has the leading role, of course, a seasoned tenor saxophonist from San Francisco, who received the blessing of Michael Brecker's descendants before this venture. Brother Randy is delighted with the recordings (smoking and intense from beginning to end) and widow Susan Brecker also fully supports it, also because part of the proceeds go to a foundation for MDS research, the disease from which her husband succumbed. Very intense: Arc Of The Penduluum.
Jazzthetik Review in English
The trio Charged Particles, consisting of drummer Jon Krosnick, pianist Murray Low, and bassist Aaron Germain, has joined forces with tenor saxophonist Tod Dickow to pay tribute to the music of his legendary late colleague Michael Brecker. The recording was not supposed to be released, but when longtime Brecker collaborator, drummer Peter Erskine, heard it, he recommended that it be done urgently. Good thing, because Dickow proves to be a master at feeling Brecker's sound without slavishly repeating his licks and solos. Classic Brecker pieces like the challenging "Peep", the power-packed "Arc of the Pendulum", or the "The Mean Time", teeming with technical difficulties and from Brecker's last album, Pilgrimage, are mastered by Dickow with a nonchalance that is indeed second to none. But the band should also be singled out: Keyboardist Low switches from piano or organ to sampled sounds and various synthesizers without a second thought in order to do justice to Brecker's diverse world of sound, and Germain also switches from upright bass to electric bass every now and then. Drummer Krosnick is a tireless driver of this powerhouse band, and Live at The Baked Potato! is a reminder of a musician who conquered new musical worlds in his own unique style.
Rolf Thomas
Rolf Thomas
JazzThing Review in English
Jumping on the running board of great names seems to be a booming business, as the number of posthumous tributes is growing. However, those who want to build a sound monument to the tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, who died in 2007, face a challenge. First, because his technique is only slowly beginning to establish itself alongside the Coltrane and Rollins schools. And secondly, because Brecker's compositions are not necessarily well-known and demand a lot from the musicians. The piano trio Charged Particles, led by drummer Jon Krosnick, nevertheless took up the challenge, especially because in Tod Dickow, they found a tenor saxophonist who was one of the first to integrate Michael Brecker's techniques into his playing without sounding like his clone. This is another reason why the recordings from the small club The Baked Potato in Los Angeles is a successful and fascinating restoration of Brecker jewels like "Peep", "Arc of the Pendulum" or "The Mean Time". It's never the showcase of a saxophonist. Here, the whole band works. You can feel their dedication and intense preparation. It sizzles and pulsates. For this tribute, one could even demand payment of entertainment tax.
