My Take
Michael Brecker is, without question, one of the most influential tenor saxophonists to ever pick up the horn — and I say that knowing full well how crowded that field is. From his Philly roots through decades of session work that put him on over 900 albums, the man was everywhere: Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Chick Corea, you name it. But it wasn't just quantity — his tone had this incredible warmth and muscle that nobody else could quite replicate, and when he soloed, every note felt deliberate and alive. He won eleven Grammys, which tells you the industry knew exactly what they had. Losing him to myelodysplastic syndrome in January 2007 at just 57 felt genuinely cruel — the jazz world wasn't done with him yet, and honestly, neither was I.
Overview
Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Over a four‑decade career, he recorded widely in jazz and popular music and appeared on more than 900 albums as a leader and sideman.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Michael Brecker
- Name (Japanese)
- マイケル・ブレッカー
- Reading
- まいける・ぶれっかー
- Born
- March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Ox
- Origin
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- saxophonist / composer / jazz musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Cheltenham High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.