Michael Brecker

As most of you know legendary saxaphonist Michael Brecker passed away last week at age 57 following a two and a half year battle with MDS and then leukemia. My introduction to his work was his jazz-rock group “Dreams” in 1970 & “The Brecker Bros.” in 1975.

Luckily we have a vast amount of recorded music to remember him by. An amazing musician that we’ll miss deeply. Here’s just a partial credits listing.

1964 Best of Horace Silver, Vol. 2 Horace Silver Sax (Tenor)
1965 This Is Jazz, Vol. 9 George Benson Sax (Tenor)
1969 Good Paul Sylvan Paul Sylvan Sax (Tenor)
1969 Score Randy Brecker Sax (Tenor)
1969 White Elephant Mike Mainieri Sax (Tenor)
1970 Dreams Dreams Flute, Sax (Tenor)
1970 Fabulous Pescara Jam Sessions (1970-1975) The International Commission Sax (Tenor)
1970 In Pursuit of the 27th Man Horace Silver Sax (Tenor)
1971 Prairie Madness Prairie Madness Horn
1971 Wild Bird Hal Galper Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
1972 Get on the Good Foot James Brown Sax (Tenor)
1972 Imagine My Surprise Dreams Horn
1972 Odyssey Odyssey Sax (Tenor)
1972 One Man Dog James Taylor Flute, Saxophone, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
1972 Something/Anything? Todd Rundgren Horn, Sax (Tenor)

Video: Goodbye To Babylon

Here’s a video I made using trial software. A short instrumental jazz/ symphonic/ soundtrack composition & Internet collaboration featuring Alexis Van Eeckhout (Belgium) on tenor sax. With yousendit.com I sent him the backing track, he then sent back his sax track that I mixed & used for this video.

This is the rough mix & demo verison; not final or mastered.

More of an imagery/ art piece than a music video. Use this link if you cannot see the player: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bno-BWvybgs

Music / video ©2006 Carl Eichman (ASCAP)

Carver Bob Ironside

  Bob’s an artistic wood carver & has made some totally amazing guitars (among other items.)  You can see some of his work here:  video    

Visit Bob’s Official Website

 

Joe Pass

 

Joe’s been one of my favorite guitarists for years ever since I bought his ‘Joe Pass Guitar Chords’ book back in the 1970′s.

About JOE PASS:
Born into a non-musical family, Joe started to play the guitar when he was 9. He remembers his father Mariano, a steel mill worker, recognizing early that his son had "a little something happening" and pushing him constantly to pick up tunes by ear, play pieces not written specifically for the instrument, practice scales and not to "leave any spaces" – that is, to fill in the sonic space between the notes of the melody. As early as 14, Joe started getting gigs and soon was playing with bands fronted by greats such as Tony Pastor and Charlie Barnet, honing his guitar skills and learning the music business. He began spending significant amount of time away from his home, traveling with small jazz groups and eventually moving from Pennsylvania to New York City. He did not pick up drinking and other bad habits from the musicians directly, but, in his words, "it was part of the whole scene". In a few years Joe fell victim to drug abuse, and spent much of the 1950s in relative obscurity. Pass managed to emerge from it through a two-and-a-half-year stay at a (since discredited) drug rehabilitation program, Synanon. During that time he at first abandoned the instrument completely, and returned to playing very slowly. His first "comeback" record in 1962, titled "The Sounds of Synanon", finds him playing a solid body rock guitar donated to the program.
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Use this link if you cannot see video player: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8C67A0966C6126C7

Welcome

Musician/ writer of contemporary, crossover & fusion based music. A mix of styles & genres including jazz & fusion, rock, blues & symphonic. Originally from the Detroit area formally trained on guitar & French Horn with college studies in music composition, scoring, big band jazz performance & improvisation. Professionally started performing at jazz & rock clubs in the Detroit at age 17. Touring & road experience as guitarist/ arranger in top booked acts around the U.S. & Canada. Currently writing, recording & releasing demos, several featuring internet collaborations via the internet with artists worldwide. In 2006 the self produced CD ‘Hidden Symmetry’ was released & currently available at online music retailers such as iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic & CD Baby. Carl Eichman: composer, arranger, producer, programming. Instruments: acoustic, electric & bass guitars, piano, keyboards