Nearness of You: The Ballad Book

1	Chan's Song (Never Said) / Pat Metheny 5:15
2	Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight 4:44
3	Nascente 6:18
4	Midnight Mood 6:23
5	The Nearness of You 4:37
6	Incandescence 5:22
7	Sometimes I See 5:29
8	My Ship 7:11
9	Always 5:37
10	Seven Days 5:33
11	I Can See Your Dreams 3:49

Barnes & Noble

"Simplicity" and "understatement" are not the first words that pop to mind when considering the tonal personality of tenor saxophone icon Michael Brecker, who is famous for sculpting detailed, logical, crescendoing improvisations from swarms of notes with immaculate execution at any tempo. Yet those words define the ambiance Brecker creates on Nearness of You, a program of 11 ballads. Using John Coltrane's legendary Ballads album as a template, the master holds back, elasticizes his tone, and tells his stories at a leisurely pace. Complementing his every phrase are longtime associates Pat Metheny, guitar and producer; Herbie Hancock, piano; Charlie Haden, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums -- each as state-of-the-art on their instrument as Brecker is on his; the all-stars play at anticipated levels of craft, subtlety and invention, and form a unit, devoting themselves unfailingly to the imperatives of ensemble interplay. The singer James Taylor contributes vocals on a reimagined "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" (Brecker played the signifying tenor solo on its original incarnation 30 years ago) and on the title track. Ted Panken

All Music Guide

The seven-time Grammy award-winning tenor saxophonist, Michael Brecker brings an all-star band together on this first ever ballad project titled Nearness of You: The Ballad Book. Accompanied by Herbie Hancock on piano, Pat Metheny on guitars, Charlie Haden on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and a special guest appearance by James Taylor, singing his sensational hit "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You," the tenor saxophonist creates rich resonant statements on 11 songs collected in two chapters and their epilogue. Brecker has updated these great songs with the addition of Pat Metheny's excellent production prowess on such great ballads as Joe Zawinul's "Midnight Mood" and the Kurt Weill-Ira Gershwin standard "My Ship." "Midnight Mood" is sensual and seductive, complete with a blithe piano solo by Herbie Hancock in the middle section. Hancock fills in the beauty of Brecker's saxophone lines on this arrangement that is partially based on guitarist Wes Montgomery's version. James Taylor sings one of the best renditions of his "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," and it's clearly due to the excellent musicians on this CD. Pat Metheny excels as a serious jazz artist with his well thought out treatment of "Nascente," which was inspired by Gil Evans' classic 1948 arrangement for Miles Davis on Miles Ahead. Michael Brecker has clearly maintained his status as one of the best tenor saxophonists on the jazz scene, and this, his eighth CD as a leader, is well within the musical excellence previously recorded. Paula Edelstein