Potter is pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible on the instrument, but he is more than just a technician, and the band's muscular grooves and hip sensibilities provide a perfect platform for his astonishing melodic invention.

A packed Whelans roared its appreciation. But the night was tinged with sadness too at the news that the previous holder of the tenor saxophone crown, Michael Brecker, had lost his long and very public battle with cancer on Saturday night.

Promoter Gerry Godley called the capacity crowd to order for a moment's silence in honour of perhaps the most influential saxophonist since Wayne Shorter.

Universally respected, and a towering figure in the history of the saxophone, Brecker's death from a rare bone-marrow disorder robs the jazz world of a singular talent, but rather than simply mourn his passing, here's a celebration of his life, with five Brecker records that should be on the shelves of all fans of the tenor saxophone.

The Philadelphia-born saxophonist first came to prominence as one half of the Brecker Brothers, the quintessential '70s jazz-funk outfit. With his brother, trumpeter Randy, Brecker crystallized the style of jazz rock that came to personify New York city, and their debut album, simply called The Brecker Brothers (Arista, 1975) stands as a classic of the genre.

Unusually for such a forceful frontline player, it was as a side man that Brecker was at his best, and he spent most of his career as the number-one call on his instrument for jazz and pop recordings. A much abbreviated list of his several hundred credits must include the Average White Band, James Taylor, Parliament, Frank Zappa, James Brown, Steely Dan, Luther Vandross, Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and even Aerosmith.

At the same time, Brecker maintained a constant presence in the jazz world, chalking up stints with McCoy Tyner, Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, and Dave Brubeck among others.

To really savour his consummate talent as an improviser, check out Pat Metheny's superb double album 80/81 (ECM, 1981). Only a saxophonist as powerful and visceral as Brecker cold have held his own in front of the rhythm section assembled by Metheny, but several of the tracks on the record are defined by Brecker's contribution. For the more thoughtful side of Brecker, John Abercrombie's masterpiece Getting There (ECM, 1987) shows a player at ease with the subtlety and nuance of the guitarist's music.

Curiously, Brecker waited till the age of 38 before releasing his first debut album, simply entitled Michael Brecker (Impulse, 1986) but with the help of Metheny and bassist Charlie Haden, it was a debut worth waiting for, giving the jazz world a new standard in the shape of pianist Don Grolnick's 'Nothing Personal'.

Perhaps Brecker's definitive statement as a musician however came just six years ago with the release of The Nearness of You:

The Ballad Book (Verve, 2001). On it, the saxophonist seemed to grow to full maturity as a musician. Surrounding himself with his friends in music, who just happened to be the absolute cream of American jazz, Brecker produced an album of great beauty and depth. Singer James Taylor's magnificent vocal contribution on two songs, including the title track, is merely the icing on a nearperfect cake.

No doubt there was still plenty of music left in Brecker's Selmer Mark VI, but his recorded legacy is extensive.

In a career spanning some 37 years, he chalked up an impressive 11 Grammy awards, and given the number and range of his recorded solos, there probably isn't a listener in the western world that hasn't heard his sound at some time.