Ron Brooks

Ron Brooks

Ron Brooks Trio +2

Friday, August 4, 2017 – 6:45 to 8:15
South (MICA) Stage

Ron Brooks has been a major player in, and influence on, the Detroit jazz community for several decades. Ron emerged as a player in the 1960s, performing on bass with piano greats-to-be Bob James and Stanley Cowell. He was a member of the Contemporary Jazz Quintet, led by the late, great Detroit pianist Kenn Cox, which recorded for Blue Note Records in 1968 and 1969. Ron was also a founding member of the 1970’s group Mixed Bag, which included the legendary Eddie Russ on keyboards, Larry Nozero on saxes, Jerry Glassel on guitar, and Danny Spencer on drums.

In 1985, Ron opened the Bird of Paradise jazz club in downtown Ann Arbor, anchoring a vibrant jazz scene for over two decades. Ron founded the Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association (SEMJA) in the spring of 1987. For its 25th anniversary in 2012, SEMJA named an award for Mr. Brooks, honoring individuals who have made important contributions to the Detroit jazz community as performers and educators.

Brooks current band, The Ron Brooks Trio +2, was created for and performed during the 2016 Detroit Jazz Festival. The band pays tribute to Brooks’ past with Kenn Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quartet, and features top-shelf talent from southeastern Michigan including Vincent Bowen on tenor sax, Rayse Biggs on trumpet, Gary Schunk on piano, and special guest Randy Gelispie on drums for this special Lansing JazzFest performance.