For
Now You See It...,
Michael Brecker's third recording as a leader, the tenor great used different personnel on most of the selections but played consistently well.
Jim Beard's synthesizers were 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,
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