Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American
jazz saxophonist and
composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since
John Coltrane", he was awarded 15
Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from
Berklee College of Music in 2004, and was inducted into the
Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 2007.