Brooks Brown
Encyclopedia
Brooks Richard Brown is an American saxophonist
, known for his work as a former member of the Eugene, Oregon
band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
, of which he co-founded with Steve Perry
and Dan Schmid
.
in the early 1980s, Brown was active in numerous Eugene bands, most notably as the saxophonist for the soul
group The Soulsations, the ska
band The Hoodlums and lead singer for the funk
-reggae
band The Reason Why. A friend and classmate of Steve Perry, Brown assisted in developing and arranging
several jazz and swing songs Perry was writing for a new band, helping recruit a horn section
- including trumpeter Dana Heitman
- to form the initial line-up of what would become the Cherry Poppin' Daddies in late 1988.
Brown graduated from the University of Oregon in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science
in computer science
. In 1994, as the Daddies were transitioning into full-time touring, Brown left the band to pursue a career. He later received both gold and platinum records
for the Daddies' 1997 compilation Zoot Suit Riot
, which predominantly featured songs he had performed on.
Brown currently resides in Portland, Oregon
, and continues to play saxophone in several Portland jazz bands.
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, known for his work as a former member of the Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are an American band established in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Formed by Steve Perry and Dan Schmid , the band has experienced many membership changes over the years, with only Perry, Schmid and Dana Heitman currently remaining from the original line-up.The Daddies' music...
, of which he co-founded with Steve Perry
Steve Perry (Oregon musician)
Stephen Henry Perry is an American musician, best known for being the lead singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist for the ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, of which he is the founding member.-Early life:...
and Dan Schmid
Dan Schmid
Daniel Joseph Schmid is an American musician, known for his work as the bassist for the ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, of which he is a co-founder, and the piano rock trio The Visible Men.-Career:...
.
Biography
While attending the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in the early 1980s, Brown was active in numerous Eugene bands, most notably as the saxophonist for the soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
group The Soulsations, the ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band The Hoodlums and lead singer for the funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
-reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
band The Reason Why. A friend and classmate of Steve Perry, Brown assisted in developing and arranging
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
several jazz and swing songs Perry was writing for a new band, helping recruit a horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
- including trumpeter Dana Heitman
Dana Heitman
Dana Conrad Heitman is an American musician, known for his work as the trumpeter for the ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, of which he has been a member since the band's inception.-Biography:...
- to form the initial line-up of what would become the Cherry Poppin' Daddies in late 1988.
Brown graduated from the University of Oregon in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. In 1994, as the Daddies were transitioning into full-time touring, Brown left the band to pursue a career. He later received both gold and platinum records
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
for the Daddies' 1997 compilation Zoot Suit Riot
Zoot Suit Riot (album)
Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies is a compilation album by American ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released on March 18, 1997 on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records....
, which predominantly featured songs he had performed on.
Brown currently resides in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and continues to play saxophone in several Portland jazz bands.
Discography
- Cherry Poppin' DaddiesCherry Poppin' DaddiesThe Cherry Poppin' Daddies are an American band established in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Formed by Steve Perry and Dan Schmid , the band has experienced many membership changes over the years, with only Perry, Schmid and Dana Heitman currently remaining from the original line-up.The Daddies' music...
- Ferociously StonedFerociously Stoned- Personnel :Cherry Poppin' Daddies*M.C. Large Drink – vocals*John Fohl – guitar*Dan Schmid – bass*Brian West – drums*Chris Azorr – keyboards*Brooks Brown – alto saxophone*James Phillips – tenor saxophone*Dana Heitman – trumpet...
- alto saxophone - Cherry Poppin' DaddiesCherry Poppin' DaddiesThe Cherry Poppin' Daddies are an American band established in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Formed by Steve Perry and Dan Schmid , the band has experienced many membership changes over the years, with only Perry, Schmid and Dana Heitman currently remaining from the original line-up.The Daddies' music...
- Rapid City Muscle CarRapid City Muscle CarRapid City Muscle Car is the second studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released in 1994 on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records.-Overview:...
- alto saxophone, clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...