Browse by Artist: BROOKS & THE ARTISTIC TRUTH, ROY

Artist:	BROOKS & THE ARTISTIC TRUTH, ROY
Title:	Ethnic Expressions
Label:	JAZZMAN RECORDS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	JMAN 034CD

Easily one of the most coveted and sought-after of all jazz LPs is the elusive Holy Grail that is Roy Brooks' Ethnic Expressions. It's not just rarity that makes a record of this nature so desirable, nor is it the compelling music within -- sometimes, like a Van Gogh or a Picasso, it's the personality of the artist himself that's inexorably entwined with the record itself that lends a fascinating, mesmeric and mythical quality that simply can't be contrived. The sixth release in Jazzman's Holy Grail series is an attentive reissue of one of Detroit drummer Roy Brooks' two LPs for the tiny Im-Hotep label out of New York. This Jazzman release is in conjunction with P-Vine Records of Tokyo, whose Japanese reissue has already vanished with only a handful having reached these shores late in 2009. Ethnic Expressions was recorded live in NYC in 1973, and exhibits a powerful message of black consciousness and spiritual freedom. This is post-Coltrane progressive jazz of the highest order! With a cry to his African roots, Brooks' music combines modal, rhythmic and Afro-centric jazz with politics, spirituality and positive vibes. The result is deep, esoteric spiritual jazz that any fan into real-deal, vibrant jazz will require as essential listening. The CD also contains a color booklet with extra pictures and liner notes translated from those written by respected Japanese jazz collector Yusuke Ogawa.

Artist:	BROOKS & THE ARTISTIC TRUTH, ROY
Title:	Black Survival
Label:	UNIVERSAL SOUND (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	US 045CD

"Roy Brooks and the Artistic Truth's Black Survival album is a true holy-grail for deep and spritual jazz collectors around the world. Black Survival is reissued here, digitally remastered and cased in bespoke original artwork exact reproduction on hardboard Japanese-style box case CD. This album was originally independently released to raise funds to combat the ongoing drought in the Sahel region of Africa (an area covering parts of Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, Darfur, Sudan and Ethiopia). In his long and distinguished career, the legendary Detroit-born drummer Brooks played with everyone from Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Max Roach, Charles Mingus. From 1959-64 he was in the Horace Silver Quintet performing on classic Blue Note albums such as Song For My Father. During his lifetime Brooks released precious few solo albums. His debut, Beat, was released in 1963 on Motown's then new off-shoot jazz label Jazz Workshop. His connection with his hometown label dated back to his time working with The Four Tops. In 1972, Brooks formed the Artistic Truth. Black Survival, the Sahel Concert at the Town Hall was originally released on the small independent Im-Hotep Records in Harlem in 1974 (which also released Brook's earlier Ethnic Expressions). After many years on the New York jazz scene, Brooks returned to Detroit in 1975, where he continued to perform with the Artistic Truth as well as forming the collective Musicians United to Save Indigenous Culture (MUSIC) along with Strata founder Kenny Cox and members of the Tribe collective, Wendell Harrison and Harold McKinney."

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