Dan's Papers -March 27, 2009 - Back Beat - Local Jazz Musician Brings Home Grammy Award

World renowned trumpeter and East Hampton resident Randy Brecker recently made the East End proud when he won his fifth Grammy on February 8. His most recent album, Randy in Brasil, took home the award for Best Contemporary Jazz CD. During a career that has spanned 40 years, he's made his mark in the worlds of both rock and jazz, releasing more than 25 albums on his own, as a duo with his brother, Michael Brecker, and with various bands, including Blood Sweat & Tears and The Horace Silver Quintet.

Having been nominated for many Grammys since the 1970s, but not having won his first one until 1994, Brecker jokes that the five he has won in the latter part of his career are "a combination lifetime achievement award." But he's quick to add, "I've been doing this for so long, it's always nice to be recognized by your peers."

Growing up in Philadelphia, Brecker was exposed to all kinds of music at a young age and started sitting in with local bands at the age of 15, after taking an interest in R&B by listening to his father's record collection. "Philadelphia was a wonderful music town considering it was a smaller city," he said. "But there were diverse styles and genres. It was very influential on me... Whatever you wanted to hear was at your fingertips."

He went on to Indiana University where he played in the school's Big Band, as well as various jazz and soul groups on campus, including the fledgling Booker T. and the MGs, as Booker T. Jones was pursuing a degree at IU at the same time. With the IU Big Band, Brecker toured the world - Europe, the Middle East and Asia - for several months. He stayed on in Europe for a few months afterwards, stumbling upon the first - and only - International Jazz Competition in Vienna, which he won.

After his short stint in Europe, Brecker moved to New York City, where he became a session musician and also joined several bands. He wound up playing with jazz-rock outfit Blood Sweat & Tears on its debut album, 1968's Child Is Father to the Man. But he soon left BS&T to join The Horace Silver Quintet, in which his brother played saxophone. "BS&T was a very structured situation... I needed to stretch out and play," he said.

By 1975, he and his brother went on to form the critically acclaimed band, The Brecker Brothers. Between 1975 and 1981, the duo was nominated for seven Grammys for the six albums they released. They would win their first Grammys in 1994 for Out of the Loop.

Throughout his career, Brecker has split his time releasing solo albums, albums with The Brecker Brothers, performing in various other bands and recording and touring with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Charles Mingus and Frank Zappa. Currently, he spends most of his time writing, recording and touring with his own band, which includes his wife, Italian saxophonist Ada Rovatti.

Brecker bought a home in East Hampton in 1989, and splits his time between his New York City home (he even named one of his Grammy-winning albums, 2003's 34th and Lex, after his Manhattan address) and the East End. "I love it out here," he said. "I love doing some writing out here. But sometimes I like to just put the horn under the bed. But it's quiet and a great place to get some creative work done."

Taking the time to enjoy his life - he and his wife recently had a baby girl - Brecker plans on spending more time at home this coming year, rather than on the road. But don't think he's putting down his horn just yet, as he constantly feels creatively invigorated by music. "I still feel like I'm 26 and a half," he said. "The older I get, the more I feel like I'm just starting out. There's a bottomless pit of music out there."

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