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Roy Brooks

Chuck Nessa

By Chuck Nessa
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Chuck Nessa Mentor

Chuck Nessa

Posted
Posted

I copped this piece from RMB:

Legendary Detroit jazz drummer Roy Brooks dies

November 16, 2005

BY MARK STRYKER, DETROIT FREE PRESS MUSIC WRITER

Roy Brooks, one of the greatest jazz musicians to emerge from Detroit and

in his heyday in the 1960s a ubiquitous presence in clubs and on record

with many of the biggest names in jazz, died Tuesday at Detroit Receiving

Hospital. He was 67 and suffered from heart, lung, arthritis and

circulation troubles, said his wife Hermine Brooks.

Brooks' clarified swing, gutsy attack, fiery momentum and distinctive

rhythmic snap made him on eof the keynote hard bop drummers of his

generation. He made his name with pianist Horace Silver's Quintet from

1959-64 and later worked or recorded with Sonny Stitt, Yusef Lateef, Dexter

Gordon, Charles Mingus, James Moody and countless others.

After returning to Detroit in the '70s, Brooks became a godfather on the

local scene, working with groups such as his Aboriginal Percussion Choir,

playing the blues on the musical saw and mentoring future stars like

pianist Geri Allen.

ValerieB Newbie

ValerieB

Posted
Posted

i am sad to hear about roy's passing and although 67 is very young, roy had a tough struggle to survive those many years. i think i remember when he and hermine married in the sixties. this is probably the first time he's been at peace in a long time. god bless his soul. and i send my heartfelt condolences to his widow, family members and friends.

valerie bishop

Robert J Newbie

Robert J

Posted
Posted

:(

I saw him in Detroit and Windsor several times when I was in high school and University in the mid 80s. I guess I was lucky to even have spoken with him. The drummer in my band and I were checking out his drum kit at the break in this small Windsor club. And he explained his setup to us.

He had this device, where he had these flexible tubes running into his toms, and possibly the bass drum. The tubes were attached to a breathing apparatus so he could change the pitch as he played by exerting more or less air into the tubes from his mouth. It made for really interesting solos and I never heard anything like that (or since). He also played the saw quite creatively too.

Search out The Free Slave or Duet in Detroit if you want to hear his power.

Unfortunately in the last few years, Roy had some severe setbacks due to a bi-polar disorder. You can read it here, as it is sad for me to describe.

http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=2746

http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=7070

makpjazz57 Newbie

makpjazz57

Posted
Posted

Shamefully, I'm not as familiar with Brooks' work as I should be. Can anyone recommend some CDs/recordings in which Brooks is heavily featured. Since I'm a Horace Silver fan, would welcome suggestions of Silver recordings featuring Brooks.

Thanks,

Marla

randissimo Newbie

randissimo

Posted
Posted (edited)

I had the pleasure of meeting Roy Brooks in the late 70's when he would occasionally play at the Biermeister, a now defunct jazz club in Grand Rapids, MI with his band the Artistic Truth.

I was sitting at a table when Roy Brooks called me up to the bandstand. He had a tune he was playing on a small mallet percussion instrument and wanted to have a drummer if possible, sit in, and unbeknownst to me, the club owner told Roy about me. After the shock of Roy calling my name, I walked up to the bandstand and nervously introduced myself to Roy. He gave me a warm smile and a firm handshake, and his first remark was, "You're a Cancer aren't you?" .. I tell him "I am a Cancer, how did you know?" and he smiles big and says, "Because you vibrate in the key A flat".. This really tripped me out because I have always written and improvised and almost always in that key whenever I sit at a piano! That night Roy played a beautiful rendition of Horace Silver's ballad "Peace" on the saw as well as a soulful "Body And Soul". Roy played brilliant and amazing solos that night as well as a profoundly deep and firey rhythmic approach to time.

Roy in fact, gave me the idea of using flexible plastic tubes to change the pitches of my toms, which I started experimenting with again. I believe he was one of the first to discover the idea..

Roy Brooks was also quite an entertainer and would sometimes tell off the wall stories and share weird facts with the audience. During one of his performances at the GR jazz club, I remember him coming up to the mic and telling the audience, "NOW HEAR THIS,, NO MATTER HOW FAST A FISH SWIMS HE NEVER SWEATS" ..

Roy Brooks was an amazing musician and percussionist and has inspired countless numbers of musicians as well as aspiring drummers. His contribution to the percussion group M'Boom in the late 70's / early 80's was magical!

We have lost 2 great drummers in the last 2 years. Elvin Jones and now Roy Brooks. The two of them in fact grew up in and near Detroit. were innovative masters, and long time friends. I'm sure Roy & Elvin are having a warm re-union!

God Bless you Roy Brooks, may you now rest in peace.

Edited by randissimo
mikeweil Mentor

mikeweil

Posted
Posted (edited)

..... Roy gave me the idea of using flexible plastic tubes to change the pitches of my toms, which I started experimenting with again.  I believe he was the first to discover the concept.

Thanks for sharing these memories - I sure expect to hear those tubes on the next Organissimo CD .....

IIRC correctly, Max Roach - who founded M'Boom - used one of these made by the Hollywood Meazzi drum company in the early 1960's.

Edited by mikeweil

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