Michael Brecker Quartet John McLaughlin Michael Brecker John McLaughlin/Monaco 2001

Michael Jackson, who began his solo career in earnest in 1987 and signed with the prestigious Impulse label, has continued to explore true jazz with a straight-ahead 4-beat sound, and has grown into a master who surpasses even Coltrane. This powerful album perfectly captures a rare collaboration between his own quartet and McLaughlin, who is also said to be the world’s number one guitarist in every aspect, on a superb high-quality soundboard! ! This is a two-disc set that perfectly captures a rare live performance on May 1, 2001 in Monte Carlo, Monaco, during Michael’s peak, when he was at the peak of his career. The regular quartet was centered around Michael’s long-time right-hand man Joey Calderazzo on piano and Jeff Tayne Watts on drums, and Chris Minh-Dawkey on bass. John McLaughlin, who for some reason has not been recorded much, participated in most of the concert. The entire live performance was recorded over 1 hour and 45 minutes on a superb high-quality stereo soundboard with careful, state-of-the-art mastering by the label. The first half of the concert was performed by Michael’s regular quartet, with Michael’s tenor on one horn, and the piano player Joey Calderazzo, the drummer Jeff Tain Watts, and the newly joined Chris Minh Dokey, all of whom had been trained by Michael for many years and possessed incredible techniques and senses. They blew away the crowd without thinking about the consequences, starting with the first song, “Arc of the Pendulum”! As the performance progressed, Michael and each member became more and more excited, and the overwhelming performance just before the critical point, just before the explosion, was a masterpiece that can be summed up as a masterpiece in the funky version of “Autumn Leaves” at the end of the first half, which was an eye-opening masterpiece! And finally, as the second half began, our John McLaughlin appeared. In “Round Midnight,” which begins with Michael’s unaccompanied solo, McLaughlin’s guitar intertwines with him halfway through, giving us a wonderful performance. You’ll also be thrilled by the fierce battle between the two in Michael’s famous song “Song for Bilbao” and their superb playing! Michael, who pays respect to tradition while challenging a new legend, and the superhuman McLaughlin, who is perfect for his opponent, perform a Bing Bing performance with superb sound quality. It’s too good, so what’s wrong with it?!