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Artist
George Brooks
12+ albums
Fusionsaxophonefusion jazz
about
Born in New York City, George Brooks began his early musical studies with saxophonist and arranger, Frank Foster. His musical education continued at the New England Conservatory of Music where he received his Bachelor of Music in 1979, specializing in Saxophone/Jazz Studies. His teachers included renowned saxophone guru, Joe Allard, and composer/theorist George Russell. While living in Boston, Brooks performed regularly with Jaki Byard’s Apollo Stompers. He was also featured in ensembles led by Gunther Schuller, Jimmy Guiffre, and Slide Hampton. In 1979, Brooks moved to California where he met composer Terry Riley and sitarist Krishna Bhatt. Improvising with these musicians ignited an interest in Indian music. Brooks’ fascination with this music took him on two extended trips to India where he met and studied with master vocalist, Pandit Pran Nath. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, Brooks regularly toured and concertized with Terry Riley. Together they performed in the U.S., Europe and Japan, often with sitarist Krishna Bhatt. Brooks was a founding member of the unique Khayal ensemble, Riley’s polyrhythmic improvisational chamber group. He premiered and recorded Riley’s “June Buddhas” with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and premiered Riley’s “New Islands” at P/N Hall in Tokyo. In 1996, Zakir Hussain and Moment Records released LASTING IMPRESSION, Brooks’ CD debut as a leader. This highly acclaimed recording sparked a relationship between Brooks and Hussain that has led to conce
