Quiet Giant

Tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker is one of those reluctant giants in music, half-hiding in plain sight. His name may not register with the general public, but, in musical circles, Brecker has long been established as one of the preeminent and influential saxophonists of his generation, blessed with fearsome technical finesse as well as melodic charms.

And yet, by the time he officially started his career as a leader, with a debut solo album a dozen years ago, he was already a ripe old 36, and had behind him a history of studio work in the ‘70s and such groups as the seminal fusion band Dreams, the brainy-funk-jazz band the Brecker Brothers (with trumpeter sibling Randy) and Steps Ahead. Finally, Michael Brecker put his own name on the marquee, a bit sheepishly. He’s not one easily drawn into the spotlight, unlike some other lesser horn players who will go unnamed.

Now, at 49, Brecker continues to pursue the path of greatest personal reward, not necessarily the greatest commercial good. Take, for example, his bold new album, “Two Blocks from the Edge” (Impulse!), the title of which pays tribute to his longtime collaborator, keyboardist Don Grolnick, who died two years ago. A smart, hard-driving acoustic jazz album, his latest is a bit less accessible--going more for the jazz jugular--than his previous project, “Tales from the Hudson,” winner of two Grammys to add to the handful on the mantel.

Brecker, who will be in Santa Barbara as the guest soloist with the Santa Barbara City College Lunch Break Big Band at a festival in Chase Palm Park on Saturday, has shown up several times in Santa Barbara over the years, in different settings. At the County Bowl in the late ‘70s, Brecker played with Joni Mitchell, in a band that included such legends as guitarist Pat Metheny and bassist Jaco Pastorius, later documented on the live album “Shadows and Light.” Sunday’s show will be a very different kind of outdoor blowing session.

In June, Brecker will bring his own band on the new album out West, settling at Catalina’s in Hollywood for a week. He spoke on the phone from his home on the Hudson, in a riverfront Westchester town. Not surprisingly, he’s not one to blather on, and considers his words before speaking. With horn in mouth, though, he has plenty to say, and, no doubt, plenty more to come.

*

You’re an unusually eclectic personality, in that you can go in many directions. Can that be a problem, in terms of imposing option anxiety?

It hasn’t been a problem in the past few years, but I do remember going through different versions of option anxiety, just in choosing what direction I want to go in. In the last few years, it has been more obvious. I haven’t had to sit back and figure out what I’m going to do next. Somehow, the directions are presented to me and it’s fairly clear. I think the trick is to stay really open and watch for the signs.

*

You’re playing with a big band in Santa Barbara. Has that tradition been a part of your life going way back?

Not really. I’ve enjoyed the great big bands in the past. Occasionally, if I’m teaching a clinic or going to a school, they’ll provide a big band. Big bands are a staple at most universities. They’ll come up with charts, and I’ll play with a big band or occasionally a small group. This will be a clinic, as well. Then we’re going to play in the park. I enjoy playing in big bands.

*

Is it something you did much in school?

No. I didn’t do it much. I did a little in college and when I first moved to New York, I played in rehearsal big bands, but I was always more interested in playing in small groups. It felt more open and with more room to blow. That’s where my musical sensibilities were and probably still are. But I do enjoy big bands. I did a short stint in Bob Mintzer’s big band and enjoyed that very much.

*

John Coltrane was a big role model for you. Can you name a few other saxists who left an imprint?

Most definitely Joe Henderson. I was always a big Joe Henderson fan, and always will be. I love the quickness of Joe Henderson’s mind. He’s such an intelligent, swinging player, and he has his own personality, his own style. Some of my other main influences have been Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Stanley Turrentine, Stan Getz--although you may not hear it much in my playing--Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker, and on and on.

*

You played on numerous pop albums and did other studio work in the ‘70s and beyond. Was there a point when you decided to veer away from that world?

Around 1982 or ‘83, I felt that I had less tolerance for being in musical situations where I didn’t have any degree of control. My tolerance factor was much lower, and it just wasn’t acceptable to me anymore. Also, coincidentally, somewhere in the mid-’80s, the studio scene diminished in New York anyway. By 1986, I was solely interested in doing my own projects and leading my own groups--or at least working in the jazz world, whether it was with my own group or with Herbie Hancock or McCoy Tyner.

*

You and Pat Metheny have worked together periodically over the years, dating back to his album “80/81” and including your recent album “Tales from the Hudson.” Do you feel that you two are kindred spirits, in that you can cross easily between different musical worlds?

We play well together. We think very similarly, although I think Pat is a much more decisive thinker than me. He’s really a theoretician. He can make musical decisions quickly and be able to back them up. I mull over things a little longer. We have a real good sonority together, soundwise and harmonically. We enjoy playing and hanging and talking. Yes, we can go in a lot of different directions, but I think we’re able to do it while keeping our personalities intact.

*

Metheny sometimes gets flak for the same thing you do, for veering outside of “jazz.” How do you view that response?

I just accept it. The flak doesn’t bother me. . . . I’ve been interested in many kinds of music, and it affects the way I play. It always seemed quite natural that I would veer. And I never really felt totally complete, playing either acoustically or electrically. I’ve always liked music on its own merits, regardless of what kind of music it was, whether it was so-called fusion or straight-ahead jazz. To me, good music is good music.

BE THERE

Michael Brecker, guest soloist with Santa Barbara City College Lunch Break Big Band, 2 p.m. Saturday at Chase Palm Park, 236 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara. Workshop from 10 a.m.-noon. Both free.