TALES FROM THE HUDSON won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual Or Group. "Cabin Fever" won the 1997 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo.

Though Brecker made his name as a pioneer in jazz-rock fusion, TALES FROM THE HUDSON is a different story altogether. On this one, Brecker brings together some of the finest modern jazz players for a round of bracing, intelligent post-bop compositions, and the results are miles away from you might have expected.

Brecker tastefully cedes much of the spotlight to guitarist Pat Metheny, whose warm, fluid solos move gracefully through Brecker's tunes and through Metheny's own "Song For Bilbao," which features McCoy Tyner's piano. Drummer Jack DeJohnette's polyrhythmic undercurrent puts the wind in the band's sails throughout the album, combining with Dave Holland's bass to create a constantly shifting underpinning for Brecker's elegant lines. Often, Brecker's phrasing suggests nothing so much as human laughter, erupting with a natural, buoyant feel. That buoyancy fuels this album and makes it a consistently rewarding work.

Track Listing