Now You See It...(Now You Don't)

For Now You See It, Michael Brecker's third recording as a leader, the tenor great uses different personnel on most of the selections but plays consistently well. Jim Beard's synthesizers are utilized for atmosphere to set up a funky groove or to provide a backdrop for the leader. Some of the music sounds like updated John Coltrane (Joey Calderazzo's McCoy Tyner-influenced piano helps) while other pieces could almost pass for Weather Report, if Wayne Shorter rather than Joe Zawinul had been the lead voice. Most of the originals (either by Brecker, Jim Beard or producer Don Grolnick) project moods rather than feature strong melodies, but Michael Brecker's often-raging tenor makes the most of each opportunity.

—Scott Yanow