If you’re one of those people who is bristling at the idea of Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry continuing to call themselves the Who, just know that jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker was not exactly 100 percent behind billing a recent string of shows as a “Brecker Brothers Band Reunion”. He softened to the idea when he realized just how many of the musicians involved in the gigs and this recording were actually part of the band he held with his younger brother Michael.
Mike Stern is back on guitar, Will Lee supplies that unmistakable Philadelphia funky bass, as does keyboardist George Whitty and Dave Weckl works his fusion magic on the kit. Stepping in for the late Michael is Brecker’s wife Ada Rovatti. The Brecker Brothers Band Reunion is a rock-solid album of funk-jazz with only one misstep (the cringe-worthy lyrics of “Merry Go Town” — was urban decay always this desperately poetic?), and a killer DVD of the band’s live set. There is some overlap between the two, giving some contrast between a studio recording and its live counterpart. And this way you get a live recording of “Some Skunk Funk”.