Roy Brooks

Roy Brooks (March 9, 1938 – November 15, 2005) was an American jazz drummer.

Biography Early life Brooks was born in Detroit and drummed since childhood, his earliest experiences of music coming through his mother, who sang in church. He was an outstanding varsity basketball player as a teenager and was offered a scholarship to the Detroit Institute of Technology; he attended the school for three semesters and then dropped out to tour with Yusef Lateef.

Career After time with Lateef and Barry Harris, he played with Beans Bowles and with the Four Tops in Las Vegas. He played with Horace Silver from 1959 to 1964, including on the album Song for My Father; in 1963 he released his first album as a leader. Following this he freelanced in New York City through the 1960s and early 1970s, playing with Lateef again (1967–70), Sonny Stitt, Lee Morgan, Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker, Junior Cook, Blue Mitchell, Charles McPherson, Pharoah Sanders (1970), Wes Montgomery, Dollar Brand, Jackie McLean, James Moody (1970–72), Charles Mingus (1972–73), and Milt Jackson. He married Hermine Brooks in 1967. His 1970 album The Free Slave featured Cecil McBee and Woody Shaw. Later in 1970 he joined Max Roach's ensemble M'Boom, and in 1972 put together the ensemble The Artistic Truth.

Brooks's performances often included unusual instruments such as the musical saw and drums with vacuum tubes set up so as to regulate the pitch.

Discography As leader Beat (Workshop Jazz, 1963) The Free Slave (Muse, 1970) Understanding (Reel To Real, 1970 )- with Carlos Garnett, Woody Shaw, Harold Mabern, and Cecil McBee Ethnic Expressions (Im-Hotep, 1973) Black Survival: The Sahel Concert at Town Hall (Im-Hotep, 1974) Live at Town Hall (Baystate, 1978) The Smart Set (Baystate, 1979) Duet in Detroit (Enja, 1993) - with Woody Shaw, Don Pullen, Geri Allen and Randy Weston Roy Brooks & the Improvisational Sphere (Sagittarius A-Star, 2011) - with Amina Claudine Myers, Ray Mantilla, Jerry LeDuff and Rodney Rich

As sideman With Chet Baker Smokin' with the Chet Baker Quintet (Prestige, 1965) Groovin' with the Chet Baker Quintet (Prestige, 1965) Comin' On with the Chet Baker Quintet (Prestige, 1965) Cool Burnin' with the Chet Baker Quintet (Prestige, 1965) Boppin' with the Chet Baker Quintet (Prestige, 1965) With Junior Cook Junior's Cookin' (Jazzland, 1961) With Red Garland Auf Wiedersehen (MPS, 1971 ) With Dexter Gordon The Jumpin' Blues (Prestige, 1970) With Abdullah Ibrahim Banyana - Children of Africa (1976) The Children of Africa (Enja, 1976) Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand (Chiaroscuro Records, 1977) with Buddy Tate The Journey (Chiaroscuro Records, 1977) With Yusef Lateef A Flat, G Flat and C (1966, Impulse!) The Golden Flute (Impulse!, 1966) The Complete Yusef Lateef (Atlantic, 1967) The Blue Yusef Lateef (Atlantic, 1968) Yusef Lateef's Detroit (Atlantic, 1969) The Diverse Yusef Lateef (1970) With M'Boom / with Max Roach Re: Percussion (Strata-East, 1973) M'Boom (Columbia, 1979) Collage (Soul Note, 1984) To the Max! (Enja, 1990–91) With Charles McPherson McPherson's Mood (Prestige, 1969) With Blue Mitchell Blue's Moods (Riverside, 1960) The Cup Bearers (Riverside, 1962) Step Lightly (Blue Note, 1963) With David Newman Newmanism (Atlantic, 1974) With Sonny Red Out of the Blue (Blue Note, 1960) With Red Rodney Bird Lives! (Muse, 1973) Bluebird (Camden, 1973–81) With Hilton Ruiz Excition (SteepleChase, 1977) Steppin' Into Beauty (SteepleChase, 1977 ) With Shirley Scott Happy Talk (Prestige, 1962) Drag 'em Out (Prestige, 1963) With Woody Shaw Bemsha Swing (Blue Note, 1986 ) With Horace Silver Horace-Scope (1960) Doin' the Thing (1961) Silver's Serenade (1963) Song for My Father (1963) With Sonny Stitt Pow! (Prestige, 1965 ) Constellation (Cobblestone, 1972) Keeper of the Flame (Camden, 1971–73) The Champ (1973) With Buddy Tate Groovin' with Buddy Tate (Swingville, 1961) Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand (Chiaroscuro, 1977) with Dollar Brand With John Wright Makin' Out (Prestige, 1961)