Harold Floyd "Tina" Brooks (June 7, 1932 – August 13, 1974) was an American… Read Full Bio ↴Harold Floyd "Tina" Brooks (June 7, 1932 – August 13, 1974) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and composer.
Harold Floyd Brooks was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The nickname "Tina", pronounced Teena, was a variation of "Teeny", a childhood moniker. He was the brother of Bubba Brooks. He studied harmony and theory with Herbert Bourne. Initially, he studied the C-melody saxophone, which he began playing shortly after he moved to New York with his family in 1944. Brooks' first professional work came in 1951 with rhythm and blues pianist Sonny Thompson, and, in 1955, Brooks played with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. Brooks also received less formal guidance from trumpeter and composer "Little" Benny Harris, who led the saxophonist to his first recording as a leader. Harris, in fact, was the one who recommended him to Blue Note Records producer Alfred Lion in 1958.
Brooks is best known for his work for Blue Note Records between 1958 and 1961, recording primarily as a sideman with Kenny Burrell, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Freddie Redd, and Jimmy Smith. Around the same period, Brooks was McLean's understudy in The Connection, a play by Jack Gelber with music by Redd, and performed on an album of music from the play on the Felsted Label.
Brooks recorded five sessions of his own for Blue Note (including one jointly with McLean). The first session was recorded on 16 March 1958 at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, and featured promising young trumpeter Lee Morgan alongside seasoned professionals such as Sonny Clark, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey. Despite the calibre of the players and the quality of the output, Minor Move was not released for more than two decades, long after Brooks had died. This started an unfortunate trend, as three of his four other sessions (Street Singer, Back to the Tracks and The Waiting Game) did not appear during his lifetime. The exception was True Blue, a session recorded on 25 June 1960 with Freddie Hubbard, Duke Jordan, Sam Jones and Art Taylor. The release of True Blue coincided with the release of Hubbard's Blue Note debut album, Open Sesame (also featuring Brooks), and was not actively promoted.
Brooks did not record after 1961. Plagued by heroin dependency, and gradually deteriorating health, he died of liver failure aged just 42.
Michael Cuscuna in 1985, through Mosaic Records, released a boxset of Brooks' recordings as leader; the limited edition quickly sold out. The interest in Brooks' music has also led to releases of the unissued sessions through Blue Note Japan and on CD in Blue Note's Connosieur series.
In the liner notes for the CD release of Back to the Tracks, Cuscuna wrote: "Far lesser talents have been far more celebrated" and that Brooks "was a unique, sensitive improviser who could weave beautiful and complex tapestries through his horn. His lyricism, unity of ideas and inner logic were astounding."
David Rosenthal in his work Hard Bop: Jazz and Black Music 1955-1965 dedicated a number of pages to Brooks. Of his composition "Street Singer", Rosenthal wrote that it is "an authentic hard-bop classic" where "pathos, irony and rage come together in a performance at once anguished and sinister."
The official Blue Note website says of Brooks, "With a strong, smooth tone and an amazing flow of fresh ideas every time he soloed, tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks should have been a major jazz artist, but his legacy is confined to a series of dates that he did for Blue Note as a sideman and leader" and that he "was one of the most brilliant, if underrated, tenor saxophonists in modern jazz".
Harold Floyd Brooks was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The nickname "Tina", pronounced Teena, was a variation of "Teeny", a childhood moniker. He was the brother of Bubba Brooks. He studied harmony and theory with Herbert Bourne. Initially, he studied the C-melody saxophone, which he began playing shortly after he moved to New York with his family in 1944. Brooks' first professional work came in 1951 with rhythm and blues pianist Sonny Thompson, and, in 1955, Brooks played with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. Brooks also received less formal guidance from trumpeter and composer "Little" Benny Harris, who led the saxophonist to his first recording as a leader. Harris, in fact, was the one who recommended him to Blue Note Records producer Alfred Lion in 1958.
Brooks is best known for his work for Blue Note Records between 1958 and 1961, recording primarily as a sideman with Kenny Burrell, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Freddie Redd, and Jimmy Smith. Around the same period, Brooks was McLean's understudy in The Connection, a play by Jack Gelber with music by Redd, and performed on an album of music from the play on the Felsted Label.
Brooks recorded five sessions of his own for Blue Note (including one jointly with McLean). The first session was recorded on 16 March 1958 at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, and featured promising young trumpeter Lee Morgan alongside seasoned professionals such as Sonny Clark, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey. Despite the calibre of the players and the quality of the output, Minor Move was not released for more than two decades, long after Brooks had died. This started an unfortunate trend, as three of his four other sessions (Street Singer, Back to the Tracks and The Waiting Game) did not appear during his lifetime. The exception was True Blue, a session recorded on 25 June 1960 with Freddie Hubbard, Duke Jordan, Sam Jones and Art Taylor. The release of True Blue coincided with the release of Hubbard's Blue Note debut album, Open Sesame (also featuring Brooks), and was not actively promoted.
Brooks did not record after 1961. Plagued by heroin dependency, and gradually deteriorating health, he died of liver failure aged just 42.
Michael Cuscuna in 1985, through Mosaic Records, released a boxset of Brooks' recordings as leader; the limited edition quickly sold out. The interest in Brooks' music has also led to releases of the unissued sessions through Blue Note Japan and on CD in Blue Note's Connosieur series.
In the liner notes for the CD release of Back to the Tracks, Cuscuna wrote: "Far lesser talents have been far more celebrated" and that Brooks "was a unique, sensitive improviser who could weave beautiful and complex tapestries through his horn. His lyricism, unity of ideas and inner logic were astounding."
David Rosenthal in his work Hard Bop: Jazz and Black Music 1955-1965 dedicated a number of pages to Brooks. Of his composition "Street Singer", Rosenthal wrote that it is "an authentic hard-bop classic" where "pathos, irony and rage come together in a performance at once anguished and sinister."
The official Blue Note website says of Brooks, "With a strong, smooth tone and an amazing flow of fresh ideas every time he soloed, tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks should have been a major jazz artist, but his legacy is confined to a series of dates that he did for Blue Note as a sideman and leader" and that he "was one of the most brilliant, if underrated, tenor saxophonists in modern jazz".
Stranger in Paradise
Tina Brooks Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Stranger in Paradise' by these artists:
101 Strings Orchestra Strangers in the night, exchanging glances Wondering in the …
101 Strings Orchestra & Singers Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Adya & Manuel Palomo Take my hand, I′m a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Al Alberts Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Al Hirt Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Alexander Eric Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Alfred Drake & Doretta Morrow Oh, why do the leaves on the Mulberry tree Whisper different…
Ann Blyth Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Arthur Lyman Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Bennett Tony Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Caterina Valente Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Caterina Valente & Werner Müller And His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Countdown Singers Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Cyril Stapleton & His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Diana Ross Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Diana Ross and the Supremes Strangers in the night (strangers in the night) Exchanging g…
Doretta Morrow Oh, why do the leaves on the Mulberry tree Whisper different…
Doretta Morrow & Richard Kiley Take my hand, I′m a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
doretta morrow & richard oneto Oh, why do the leaves on the Mulberry tree Whisper different…
Eddie Barclay and His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Elizabeth Marvelly Elizabeth: Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lo…
Elvis Presley I'd been standing on a corner Since a quarter after seven I…
Engelbert Humperdinck Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Ernesto vs.Bastian I′ve seen the birds of new days Saw the life around…
Four Aces Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Four Aces Featuring Al Alberts Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Frank DeVol Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Gé Korsten Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
George Forrest & Robert Wright Take my hand, I′m a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
george shearing Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
George Shearing & Montgomery Brothers Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
George Shearing and Montgomery Brothers Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
George Shearing And The Montgomery Brothers Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Giovanni Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Gordon Langford & His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Gordon Langford his Piano and Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Gordon MacRae Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
graham blvd She calls out to the man on the street 'Sir, can…
Harry Secombe Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Isaac Hayes Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Jack Jones Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Jack Starr's Burning Starr You don't know what it's like All alone in the night Walking…
Jay-Jay Johanson Run, running away Smokescreen words starting to fail again W…
Jim Nabors Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Johnny Mathis Oh why do the leaves of the mulberry Tree whisper differentl…
Johnny Mathis; Orchestra under the direction of Glenn Osser Oh why do the leaves of the mulberry tree whisper…
Keely Smith [feat. Billy May] Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Laura & Anton Take my hand, You're a stranger in Paradise I'm lost in a…
Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Lisa Hilton Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
LIVING ROOM - The Supremes Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Mantovani Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Mantovani & His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Manuel & his Music of the Mountains Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Mario Frangoulis STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT Strangers in the night exchanging g…
Martin Denny Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Mathis Johnny Oh why do the leaves of the mulberry Tree whisper differentl…
Matt Monro Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Mose Allison Take My Hand I′m A Stranger In Paradise All Lost In A…
Neil Young It's rainin' in paradise It's rainin' in paradise It's raini…
Percy Faith Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Petula Clark Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
R. WRIGHT Strangler in paradise A killer in the crowd Strangler in par…
Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Ray Charles Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Ray Charles Singers/Tony Bennett Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Ray Conniff Take my hand, I'm a stranger in paradise, All lost in a…
Ray Conniff & His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Ray Conniff His Orchestra and Chorus Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Rey Valera Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Richard Kiley Oh, why do the leaves on the Mulberry tree Whisper different…
Richard Kiley and Doretta Morrow Oh why do the leaves on the mulberry tree whisper…
Rob Mancini Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Robert Bentley and His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Robert Mazurek With Eric Alexander Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Roger Williams Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Romantic Duets From M-G-M Classics Rest assured I've been pacing Up and down A certain level Ti…
Ronnie Aldrich Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Ronnie Aldrich & His Two Pianos Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
Saco Come on show me the way now Come on show me…
Saint Etienne Take my hand, / I'm a stranger in paradise. / All…
Sammy Davis Jr Just arrived on the seven-ten; Thought I'd see the old gang…
Sarah Brightman Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Sarah Brightman [莎拉布莱曼] Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Stanley Black & His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
The Four Ace's Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
The Four Aces Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
The Four Aces (Vocals) Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
The Four Aces Feat. Al Alberts Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
The Ink Spots Great Songs Of Our Times Sung By The Ink Spots…
The Starlite Orchestra & Singers Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
The Supremes Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
The Wright's Help me I need some open eyes Just to notice That it gets…
Tindrum Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise All lost in a…
Tony Bennett Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Tony Bennett & Andrea Bocelli Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Tony Bennett & Josh Groban Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Tony Bennett and Andrea Bocelli Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Tony Bennett Andrea Bocelli Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Tony Bennett With Percy Faith And His Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Tony Bennett/Andrea Bocelli Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Tony Bennett; Arranged and conducted by Percy Faith Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Tony Bennett;Ralph Sharon & his Orchestra Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in…
Tony Martin Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
Tony Paglia Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
v.a. VENUS IN THE PARADISE she's waitin' for you come & dance ダン…
Vic Damone Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise All lost in a…
X - Pone Feat. Queen Regina Didn't really know I was ready for this again But when…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Tina Brooks:
Everything Happens to Me Black cats creep across my path Until I'm almost mad I must…
Star Eyes Star eyes, That to me is what your eyes are, Soft as…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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