The tenor saxophone is the ultimate jazz instrument: no other instrument is played by such a large number of innovators. Michael Brecker and Archie Shepp are among them and they embody opposites: Brecker, the super technician, controls his resources at all times; Archie Shepp on the other hand, the frail lyricist, has had an eventful career, full of ups and downs. Together they presented the «State of the Tenor» in the year 2001 and seamlessly added on to the sax series of Brandford Marsalis, Joshua Redman und Jan Garbarek.

Beat Blaser