Can a brushless DC motor be used as a generator ?

[ericnutsch]

I understand that a brush-less DC motor must have a controller which generates AC current to drive the unit. My question is; if i bypass the controller and connect the motor directly to a bridge rectifier, will I generate power at a reasonable efficiency.

If I used a 24v brush-less DC motor, would I approximately produce power of 24v?

Thanks for technical expertise!