Great and poignant piece, Ted. My two cents: Many of our critical compatriots saw Brecker as a “studio cat,” which unfairly reduced his jazz cred among writers and jazz influencers back in the day. Also: you may have seen the recent Facebook posts about Joe Henderson’s beef that Brecker stole his licks. The feeling that Joe Hen was being…
Great and poignant piece, Ted. My two cents: Many of our critical compatriots saw Brecker as a “studio cat,” which unfairly reduced his jazz cred among writers and jazz influencers back in the day. Also: you may have seen the recent Facebook posts about Joe Henderson’s beef that Brecker stole his licks. The feeling that Joe Hen was being ripped off by a young whippersnapper, who was also White, may have subconsciously caused critics - in showing sympathy for an older Black musician - to deny Brecker his flowers, which is sad, because I’m quite sure Brecker was hurt by Joe Hen’s jeremiads. That being said, kudos to Bill for a great book, and to you Ted for this informative essay.
Great and poignant piece, Ted. My two cents: Many of our critical compatriots saw Brecker as a “studio cat,” which unfairly reduced his jazz cred among writers and jazz influencers back in the day. Also: you may have seen the recent Facebook posts about Joe Henderson’s beef that Brecker stole his licks. The feeling that Joe Hen was being ripped off by a young whippersnapper, who was also White, may have subconsciously caused critics - in showing sympathy for an older Black musician - to deny Brecker his flowers, which is sad, because I’m quite sure Brecker was hurt by Joe Hen’s jeremiads. That being said, kudos to Bill for a great book, and to you Ted for this informative essay.