Donny McCaslin

THE MICHAEL BRECKER QUINDECTET featuring DONNY McCASLIN

Artistic & Musical Director: Meg Okura

Nearly two decades after the passing of Michael Brecker, his groundbreaking Quindectet returns to the stage in a new chapter celebrating and extending one of his most distinctive musical visions. On October 6, the Michael Brecker Quindectet launches at Birdland Jazz Club, featuring acclaimed tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin and led by composer, violinist, and original Quindectet touring member Meg Okura as artistic and musical director.

Brecker created the fifteen-piece Quindectet for his landmark 2003 album Wide Angles, bringing together jazz rhythm section, brass and woodwinds with string quartet to create an orchestral palette unlike the conventional big-band sound. Wide Angles received the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

The Birdland performance presents Gil Goldstein's landmark arrangements in newly created 2026 performance editions, adapted to restore Brecker's original 15-piece Quindectet instrumentation and newly engraved and edited for today's ensemble. The program also features world premieres of two new Okura arrangements of Brecker compositions, African Skies and Itsbynne Reel.

The project has been developed with support from Susan Brecker and Darryl Pitt and through archival research at the Living Jazz Archives at William Paterson University. The concert will also feature a special display of Michael Brecker archival materials presented by Archives curator Dr. David Demsey.

Bringing together musicians from the original touring Quindectet with leading contemporary artists, the project honors Brecker's extraordinary legacy while carrying his adventurous musical vision forward.

Personnel

• Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone)
• Charles Pillow (flutes, soprano saxophone)
• Dan Willis (oboe, English horn)
• Roger Rosenberg (bass clarinet, baritone sax)
• 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
• 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.

Please be aware of the following age-related restrictions for this event: Ages 10+.