Cecil Brooks III

Anthony E. Nelson Jr.: Swinging Sunset

by Pierre Giroux
June 11, 2023

The fascination with Hammond B3 organ trios, which were so prevalent in the '50s and '60s, remains undiminished. And rightly so as there were some stellar organists who were plying their trade in that period, including Jimmy Smith, Milt Buckner and Wild Bill Davis. However, the mystique around the clubs in which these performers played may be more idealized than the reality. In large part, the clubs were dingy with little or no decor, had poor sound systems and, possibly, ...

Anthony E. Nelson Jr.: Swinging Sunset

by Chris May
May 30, 2023

Swinging Sunset, New Jersey-based tenor saxophonist Anthony E. Nelson Jr.'s fifth album on his Musicstand label, is an unpretentious, undemanding and utterly enjoyable celebration of the organ trios of the 1950s and 1960s. From the first bars of the opener, Eddie Heywood's “Canadian Sunset," it feels like we are in for a good time and, over the next hour and a bit, that expectation is a hundred percent delivered. Nelson is accompanied by Hammond B3 organist Kyle ...

Cecil Brooks III: Hot Dog

by Glenn Astarita
October 22, 2009

Cecil Brooks III frequently performs with this unit at his Cecil's Jazz Club & Restaurant in West Orange, New Jersey. The trio abides by a free-spirited, good-timey jazz gait, and is not concerned with reinventing the proverbial wheel. It's a good bet that the patrons got their monies' worth via these perky and tightly-woven spins on jazz and pop standards. The musicians also dish out a sprightly jazz-waltz rendering of “Theme from, Mannix," from the popular 1960s and '70s TV ...

Cecil Brooks III Trio at The Turning Point Cafe in Piermont, NY

by David A. Orthmann
December 14, 2008

Cecil Brooks III Trio The Turning Point Cafe Piermont, New York November 10, 2008

Whopping bass drum hits resonate in your central nervous system. Cymbal taps sound as gentle and ethereal as wind chimes. Intemperate blows to every part of the drum set somehow manage to swing. These are a few of the many voices of Cecil Brooks III. A headstrong, mercurial, and calculating performer, Brooks often tosses the band about like a boat ...

CBIII Band at Cecil's Jazz Club

by David A. Orthmann
September 8, 2007

CBIII Band Cecil's Jazz Club West Orange, NJ August 17, 2007

Two drum kits were set up at the front of the stage prior to the CB III Band's first set at Cecil's Jazz Club. Though the configuration was in keeping with an evening billed as “The Father, Son, and Holy Groove, featuring two generations of the Brooks family of jazz drummers, the figure of Max Roach cast a long shadow on the proceedings. ...

Cecil Brooks III: Double Exposure

by David A. Orthmann
January 11, 2007

A second generation drummer and bandleader, Cecil Brooks III has produced over 40 recordings on the Muse, High Note, and Savant labels for artists ranging from John Hicks to Arthur Blythe to Don Braden. Several years ago Brooks was at the helm of a session in Pittsburgh, PA that featured guitarist Jimmy Ponder. The recording was completed quicker than anticipated, and there were a few hours of studio time left over. The ever-enterprising Brooks turned to Hammond B-3 organist Gene ...

Cecil Brooks III: Double Exposure

by Stephen Latessa
March 9, 2006

The liner notes for Double Exposure recount that the disc was recorded in a few spare hours that drummer Cecil Brooks III and organist Gene Ludwig found themselves with while they were recording another album. That feeling of spontaneity and casual inspiration is very present on this rare organ and drum duo effort.

Ludwig is a veteran who has been performing since the early '60s. His style is very much in the same vein as the other more ...

Award Winning Musician Cecil Brooks III to Appear April 10th at Bloomfield College

Source: All About Jazz
April 8, 2006

Award winning musician Cecil Brooks III will appear at Bloomfield College on Monday evening, April 10th, at 8:00 PM in the Van Fossan Theatre, as part of the Westminster Arts Center's JazzTalks series; an array of intimate evenings of conversation and performance with artists on their life and music. This series is designed to both inform and entertain, giving the audience greater insight into the humanity of the artist, and a greater appreciation for the jazz art form.

Cecil Brooks ...
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Legendary Entertainer Bill Cosby to Perform During Grand Opening Week at Cecil Brooks III

Source: All About Jazz
October 21, 2003

Legendary entertainer and avid jazz fan Bill Cosby is scheduled to perform two standup comedy shows at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on November 5th to celebrate the official grand opening week of world-renowned jazz drummer, producer, composer and bandleader Cecil Brooks, III's, new jazz club in West Orange, NJ, that bears his name, “Cecil's." This is Cosby's first club appearance since the early 1970's.

During Cosby's reign on the CBS Television Network, Brooks served as the drummer in the ...
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