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Import exclusive 1997 compilation from jazz fusion act Michael & Randy Brecker, two of the most in-demand & respected musicians on the New York music scene have graced countless records with their distinctive horn arrangements for more than twenty-five years. Born in Philadelphia the brothers moved to New York in the sixties where Randy joined Blood, Sweat & Tears before becoming part of Horace Silver's quintet. Michael & Randy later hooked up with Billy Cobham to form the pop-jazz collective Dreams whilst also doing session work during the early seventies. By 1974 the two brothers were ready to venture out on their own, releasing the debut single Sneakin' Up Behind You. Although the track was a club favorite it failed to make the charts. The commercial breakthrough came in 1978 with East River, a stomping & funky brass workout which was a top 40 hit in the UK. 12 tracks including East River, Skunk Funk & Sneakin Up Behind You.

 In the '70s, brothers Michael and Randy co-led a band of New York session big shots that included, at various times, David Sanborn, Don Grolnick, Will Lee, and George Duke, among others. When they chose, the Brecker Brothers Band could be one of the most intelligent and creative fusion outfits. Chief composer/trumpeter Randy's best tunes were structurally unpredictable, melodically intricate, and harmonically complex — inside/out bop heads played in an impossibly precise manner over a bed of funk rhythms. Unlike the bulk of jazz-funk (then and now), the Breckers — on their first record, at least — kept the pandering to a minimum. Though it had a certain commercial appeal, 1975's Back to Back was an artistic success as well. The Brothers' music was a smart combination of extended pop forms, top-notch jazz improvisation, and sophisticated compositional techniques. On later albums, the temptation to sell lots of records apparently became too great to resist. Even the otherwise excellent first record bore some marks of disco, and with each subsequent album, the band's creative IQ shrank by several points. Still, virtually every record had something of substance to recommend it. In the early '90s, RCA issued a pair of compilation CDs that combined the best of the band's purely instrumental, jazz-based work. By 1982, the brothers had ceased working together. They reunited for touring and recording in the early '90s.

Chris Kelsey, All-Music Guide

Tracklist:

1    East River     3:35   
2    Skunk Funk     5:51   
3    Inside Out     9:29   
4    Funky Sea, Funky Dew     6:12   
5    Straphangin'     8:07   
6    Three Some     6:19   
7    Rocks     4:39   
8    Baffled     5:21   
9    Jacknife     6:18   
10    Tee'd Off     3:43   
11    Not Ethiopia     5:43   
12    Sneakin' Up Behind You     6:17