Cedric ‘Im’ Brooks performing at the Womad festival in Wiltshire in 2009. Photograph: C Brandon/Redferns
We start and continue throughout this episode with a tribute to the influential saxophonist who fused music and spirituality, Cedric Im Brooks, who has died at age 70 in the United States from cardiac arrest at New York Hospital in Queens. He had been in a coma-like state since February 2010 and according to his sister, Paulette Keise, was unable to speak for the last three years. Brooks became a pupil at the renowned Alpha Boys School aged 11, where he learned music theory and clarinet In his late teens he took up tenor saxophone and flute. He recorded at Studio One for Clement “Coxsone” Dodd and went on to team up with Rastafarian drummer Count Ossie in the 70s. He also worked with The Skatalites and took Rolando Alphonso’s place on sax in 1999. May Cedric Brooks rest in peace with the other greats in Heaven.
Seen as its New Zealand Music month during May I thought I’d play a few NZ tunes too. I even managed to get a couple of interviews in with Tisyn of The Midnights and Shelton of Soulovus. Go check the bands websites out and take a listen to their music, I know they’d appreciate it. Both bands are keen to get gigs in and around New Zealand and off-shore if anyone is feeling up to supporting them. Both bands capture qualities of current New Zealand reggae. From the RnB fused soul-roots reggae of Soulovus to the spacey dub-injected reggae of The Midnights, these bands produce quality sounds and rhythms. Enjoy!
Episode 241, 8 May 2013
1. Cedric Im Brooks (with David Madden) – Sea Breeze
2. The Skatalites feat. Cedric Im Brooks – Outback Ska
3. The Skatalites feat. Cedric Im Brooks – Outback Dub
4. The Midnights – Name On The Door [NZ]
Interview with Tisyn Watts of The Midnights
The Midnights
5. Cedric Im Brooks – Give Rasta Glory
6. Cedric Im Brooks and The Sound Dimension – Mun-Dun-Gu
7. The Skatalites feat. Cedric Im Brooks – One Armed Bandit
Interview with Shelton Healey of Soulovus
Soulovus
8. Soulovus – All The Things [NZ]
9. House Of Shem – Just Remember [NZ]
10. Newtown Rocksteady – Jem’s Tune [NZ]
11. The Black Seeds – So Good [NZ]
12. Cedric Im Brooks with the Rhythm Doctors – Mad Dog
13. Cedric Im Brooks and The The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari – Rockford Rock
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:35:35 — 87.5MB)
