What makes Wide Angles by Michael Brecker notable?

Wide Angles received critical acclaim, including a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, highlighting Brecker's innovative approach to jazz fusion. The album is noted for its complex compositions and has influenced many modern jazz artists seeking to blend various musical styles. When Michael Brecker released Wide Angles in 2003, he was already an acclaimed saxophonist known for his work in both jazz and contemporary music. This album followed his Grammy-winning projects and marked a significant collaboration with renowned musicians like Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock, showcasing his evolution as a composer and bandleader.

How many songs are on Wide Angles?

Wide Angles has 10 tracks, running approximately 70 minutes.

Wide Angles

Michael Brecker · 2003

70 min · 10 tracks · jazz

A rich tapestry of jazz fusion, blending intricate saxophone lines with lush instrumental arrangements and vibrant rhythmic textures.

Spotify Apple Music

YouTube Music YouTube Deezer Bandcamp SoundCloud

Own it: Amazon eBay

Top tracks — play these first

→
Cool Day in Hell — This track features Brecker's signature soaring saxophone melodies intertwined with dynamic rhythms, capturing the album's overall essence of exploration and creativity.
→
Evening Faces — The interplay between Brecker’s saxophone and the ensemble creates a haunting atmosphere, demonstrating the album's emotional depth and musical sophistication.
→
Scylla — With its complex time signatures and rich harmonic structure, this composition exemplifies Brecker's innovative style and mastery of jazz fusion elements.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental

67 /100

Alpine

Higher than 91% of albums we've rated

Wide Angles blends intricate compositions with rich instrumental textures, showcasing Brecker's skill in jazz fusion.

What we noticed

The album features extended compositions, with several tracks exceeding six minutes, allowing for intricate improvisation and development.
The first half of the album maintains a more upbeat tempo, while the latter half transitions to slower, more contemplative pieces.

Composition 25% of the score: 8/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 7/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 6/10

Influence 3/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

1 Broadband 6:46
2 Cool Day in Hell 7:51
3 Angle of Repose 6:42
4 Timbuktu 8:00
5 Night Jessamine 5:21
6 Scylla 10:40
7 Brexterity 6:40
8 Evening Faces 7:14
9 Modus Operandy 5:27
10 Never Alone 5:39

What to play next

Listen next

Jazz Academy (Pure Essentials For Jazzaholics)

2006

Go back to

Nearness of You: The Ballad Book

2001

Full Michael Brecker discography Artists like Michael Brecker

jazz fusion post-bop

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata