Gypsy Blue – Harold "Tina" Brooks
An extended minor blues with an appealing Latin groove.
- Recording: Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame
- Recorded on: June 19, 1960
- Label: Blue Note (BLP 4040)
- Concert Key: B-flat minor
- Style: Latin (Bolero)
- Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard
- Tenor Sax - Tina Brooks
- Piano - McCoy Tyner
- Bass - Sam Jones
- Drums - Clifford Jarvis
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Our audio excerpt starts as the recording starts, with a four-measure introduction. When you first hear it, not knowing that it's an intro, you could easily think it's the start of the melody. This nicely camouflages the form of the melody, which turns out to be an extended minor blues. Separate first and second parts, plus concert condensed score also available. The solo section is also in each lead sheet.
Through Tina's association with Blue Note, he met another great and underrated tenorman, Ike Quebec, who introduced him to Freddie Hubbard. Freddie said: "Ike Quebec introduced me to Tina at the 845 Club. Ike also introduced me to Alfred Lion. I loved Tina. He had a nice feeling. I got into him before I got into Hank (Mobley). He would write shit out on the spot and it would be beautiful. He wrote Gypsy Blue for me on the first record and I loved it. I just loved it. Tina made my first record date wonderful. He wrote and played beautifully. What a soulful, inspiring cat. I loved him." (from Michael Cuscuna)
Harold "Tina" Brooks
June 7, 1932 – August 15, 1973
Harold Floyd "Tina" Brooks and his twin brother Harry were born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, becoming the youngest of eight children. The family moved to NYC in 1944. By then, Harold was already being called Tina (pronounced Teena), a grade school nickname that came from his tiny or teensy size. Around this time, he started playing the C Melody saxophone, studying with his 10 year older brother David "Bubba" Brooks, Jr. Bubba had become an established R&B tenor saxophonist, and in late 1950, Tina subbed for Bubba for a few months in pianist Sonny Thompson's R&B band. Tina made his first recording with this band. Read more...