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American pianist, composer, and bandleader From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harvey Oliver Brooks (February 17, 1899 – June 17, 1968) was an American pianist and composer. He is the first black American to have written a complete score for a major motion picture: Mae West's film I'm No Angel (1933).[1]
Harvey Brooks | |
---|---|
Born | February 17, 1899 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | June 17, 1968 (aged 69) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | Jazz |
Instruments | Piano |
Brooks toured and recorded with Mamie Smith in the early-1920s, then settled in California. Beginning in 1923, he and Paul Howard co-led the Quality Four, a quartet with vocalist named after the Quality Cafe at 12th and Central in Los Angeles. Its members included Paul Howard on clarinet and tenor saxophone.[2]
Brooks recorded with the Quality Four and Howard's Quality Serenaders. He remained a member of both until 1930. Brooks was the music director for Les Hite’s orchestra from 1931 to 1935. In this role, he worked for Hollywood film studios, composing soundtrack music. Brooks later worked as a leader of his own band, played in Kid Ory’s band (from 1952), and performed and recorded with Teddy Buckner (1955–1956) and Joe Darensbourg (1957–1960). Beginning 1961, he became a member of the Young Men of New Orleans (dixieland jazz group), which he led in the last year of his life.[3][4][5][6]
In season three of the Netflix TV series Big Mouth, Brooks is shown mentoring a young Duke Ellington.[7]
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