THE MICHAEL BRECKER
QUINDECTET
Continuing and expanding Michael Brecker’s groundbreaking chamber-jazz orchestral vision, under the artistic and musical direction of Meg Okura, with the support of Susan Brecker and Darryl Pitt.
The idea of string quartet and woodwinds was different… It gave me a wide palette with which to play over. It was not big band sounding.
— Michael Brecker, interview with Ted Panken (2003)
MICHAEL BRECKER QUINDECTET
THE MICHAEL BRECKER QUINDECTET
featuring DONNY McCASLIN
Artistic & Musical Director: Meg Okura
OCTOBER 6, 2026
7:00 pm & 9:30 pm
BIRDLAND Jazz Club
Donny McCaslin — tenor saxophone
Charles Pillow — flutes, soprano saxophone
Dan Willis — oboe, English horn
David Smith — trumpet, flugelhorn
Jacob Garchik — trombone
Justin Mullens — French horn
Pete McCann — guitar
Meg Okura — violin I, arranger, musical director,
Tomoko Akaboshi — violin II
Benjamin von Gutzeit — viola
Dave Eggar — cello
Boris Kozlov — bass
E.J. Strickland — drums
Daniel Sadownick — percussion
Erica Seguine - associate artistic director & conductor
PROGRAM:
*Original arrangements from 2004 by Gil Goldstein, newly adapted for the 2026 Michael Brecker Quindectet
Broadband*
Arc of the Pendulum*
Delta City Blues*
Syzygy*
Plus the world premieres of two new arrangements by Meg Okura:
African Skies
Itsbynne Reel
New performance editions and music preparation: Meg Okura & Ryuta Yoshimura
Additional repertoire will be announced at the concert.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Susan Brecker, Gil Goldstein, Darryl Pitt, David Demsey and the Living Jazz Archives at William Paterson University, Dan Willis, and Louis Gerrits for their support, guidance, archival research, and stewardship of materials that helped make this concert possible.
Additional thanks to Erica Seguine for artistic and musical guidance, and to Ryuta Yoshimura for his extensive work on music preparation and the new performance editions.
The Elephant in the room, "THE TENOR CHAIR"
Michael Brecker is widely regarded as one of the most influential tenor saxophonists in modern jazz. While no one can replace him, generations of players have studied his work deeply.
In this project, the tenor chair is approached with care for each performance, inviting leading saxophonists to engage with the music while honoring Brecker’s voice. Each artist brings their own perspective while remaining connected to the spirit of the original ensemble.
The ensemble will feature musicians from the original Wide Angles Quindectet touring ensemble, joined by additional artists as needed.
BLUE NOTE TOKYO
February 12, 2004 (2nd Set)
Rhythm Section:
Gil Goldstein (Acc. & Cond.)
Adam Rogers (Gtr.)
Boris Kozlov (Bs.)
Antonio Sánchez (Dms.)
Daniel Sadownick (Perc.)
Brass:
Alex Sipiagin (Tpt.)
Peter Gordon (Hn.)
Robin Eubanks (Tbn.)
Winds:
Bob Sheppard (Fl.)
Dan Willis (Ob.)
Roger Rosenberg (Bs. Cl.)
Strings:
Joyce Hamman (Vn.)
Meg Okura (Vn.)
Lois Martin (Vla.)
Dave Eggar (Vc.)
Archival Research
This project has been made possible in part through the support, preservation, and continued stewardship of materials connected to the Michael Brecker Quindectet.
SUSAN BRECKER
Special thanks to Susan Brecker for her support of the project, including permission to continue presenting the Quindectet repertoire and for facilitating the preservation and sharing of archival materials connected to Michael Brecker’s legacy.
GIL GOLDSTEIN
Deep gratitude to Gil Goldstein for his support of the project and for allowing these landmark Quindectet orchestrations to continue being performed for contemporary audiences.
DARRYL PITT
Additional thanks to Darryl Pitt for his guidance, advocacy, and historical insight throughout the development of the project.
DR. DAVID DEMPSEY
Particular thanks to the Living Jazz Archives at the Cheng Library of William Paterson University, and to David Demsey, curator of the archives, for preserving and maintaining historically important recordings, scores, photographs, videos, and related materials connected to Michael Brecker’s work and legacy. The archive has played an important role in the research and historical development of this project.
DAN WILLIS
Original Quindectet touring member Dan Willis has also contributed significantly to the project’s development through archival research, historical documentation, artist reconnection, and ongoing advocacy for preserving the music and legacy of the Quindectet.
LOUIS GERRITS
Additional thanks to Louis Gerrits and the ‘In Honor of Michael Brecker’ community for their ongoing efforts to preserve and share historical materials related to Michael Brecker’s life and music.
At the center of the Quindectet is Michael Brecker’s music and his vision for a large ensemble that would avoid the conventional big-band sound. To realize that concept, Brecker brought in Gil Goldstein to arrange and orchestrate compositions from Brecker’s existing catalog for the ensemble’s distinctive instrumentation.
The Quindectet repertoire ultimately extended beyond the music recorded on Wide Angles. Goldstein created additional arrangements that became part of the ensemble’s touring repertoire.
For the ensemble’s return in 2026, the repertoire itself has required substantial preparation. Scores and parts that had remained largely untouched for approximately 25 years are being reconstructed, newly engraved, edited, and adapted into new digital performance editions for the current ensemble, a 15-piece large jazz ensemble with integrated strings.
At the same time, the repertoire is moving forward. Beginning in 2026, Meg Okura is creating new arrangements of additional Michael Brecker compositions for the Quindectet, beginning with:
African Skies
Itsbynne Reel
The repertoire will continue to grow through new arrangements by Okura while retaining the original Quindectet works. Future plans also include the possibility of commissioning contemporary composers and arrangers to contribute new music and arrangements for the ensemble.
The goal is to preserve the original repertoire while allowing the Quindectet to continue developing as a living ensemble for 2026 and beyond.
The Original Quindectet
In 2003, Michael Brecker formed the Quindectet, a fifteen-piece ensemble created to record the music for his landmark album Wide Angles. The album was released September 9, 2003 on Verve Records under the name Michael Brecker Quindectet.
Wide Angles received the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.
The group brought together an extraordinary assembly of musicians, including Antonio Sánchez, John Patitucci, Daniel Sadownick, Adam Rogers, Steve Wilson, Charles Pillow, Iain Dixon, Alex Sipiagin, Robin Eubanks, Peter Gordon, Mark Feldman, Joyce Hamman, Lois Martin, and Erik Friedlander, among others.
The Quindectet performed internationally, including a tour of Japan with engagements at Blue Note Tokyo. These performances were documented and later released as Michael Brecker Quindectet – Angel of Repose / Live in Japan (Jazz Door, 2011), conducted by Gil Goldstein, recorded at Blue Note Tokyo.
For the touring performances, several musicians joined the ensemble in place of members from the original recording session. The touring ensemble featured Bob Sheppard, Roger Rosenberg, Dan Willis, Boris Kozlov, Dave Eggar, and Meg Okura.
Hollywood Bowl — August 25, 2004
Meg Okura with Michael Brecker following the performance.
The project honors Michael Brecker’s original conception of the Quindectet while allowing the ensemble to evolve under the artistic and musical direction of Meg Okura. Rather than functioning solely as a historical reconstruction, the Quindectet is being developed as a living musical format capable of continued growth and reinterpretation.
Composer and violinist Meg Okura joined the touring Michael Brecker Quindectet following the release of Wide Angles. She was a featured soloist on Brecker’s composition “Timbuktu,” documented on the ensemble’s live recording from Blue Note Tokyo.
In the years since, Okura has established her own body of work as a composer, arranger, and bandleader working at the intersection of jazz improvisation, chamber music, and expanded ensemble writing.
Her 2026 album ISAIAH (Adhyâropa Records) with the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble includes her arrangement of Michael Brecker’s “African Skies,” featuring Randy Brecker. Her recent work has received recognition including the ISJAC Fundamental Freedoms Commissioning Prize and the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra George Duke Commission Prize.
Having experienced the original Quindectet from within the ensemble—and subsequently developed her own work across jazz and chamber-orchestral forms—Okura now leads the Quindectet into its next chapter, preserving its history while expanding its repertoire and possibilities for the future.
Artistic Direction
Why Now?
With the 20th anniversary of Michael Brecker’s passing approaching in 2027, this is a meaningful moment to revisit the music of the Wide Angles Quindectet and bring it back to the stage.
A core group of musicians from the original touring ensemble have already expressed their commitment to participate, creating a rare opportunity to present this remarkable body of work again in a live setting.
The project is now inviting collaborations with festivals, concert presenters, and select venues interested in bringing this music back to the stage.
Contact
Meg Okura
General Inquiries
Media / PR Contact
Matt Merewitz
Fully Altered Media
matt@fullyaltered.com