Harvey Oliver Brooks

Harvey Oliver Brooks (17 February 1899, in Philadelphia – 17 June 1968, in Los Angeles) 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).

Career

Brooks toured and recorded with Mamie Smith in the early 1920s, then settled in California. Beginning 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 were

Henry "Tin Can" Allen (drums)

Harvey O. Brooks (piano)

Jessie Derrick (vocals)

Leon H. Herriford (1894–1937) (clarinet, alto saxophone)

Paul Howard (clarinet, tenor sax)

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.

Selected discography

• Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders, recorded in Culver City, California April 29, 1929

50877-1 – Stuff (stomp), Lionel Hampton (vocal), music by Brooks, Victor (V–38122–B)

George Orendorff (trumpet), Lawrence Brown (trombone, arranger), Charlie Lawrence (clarinet, alto sax, arranger), Paul Howard (tenor sax, director), Harvey Brooks (piano), Thomas Valentine (banjo, guitar), James Jackson (tuba), Lionel Hampton (drums, vocal)

• Joe Darensbourg and his Dixie Flyers, recorded live at The Lark, Los Angeles, October 1957

Live, American Music Records (1957) (re-released 1997) OCLC 48525562

Musicians: Mike Delay (trumpet), Warren Smith (trombone), Joe Darensbourg (clarinet, soprano sax, vocal), Harvey O. Brooks (piano), Al Morgan (bass), George Vann (drums, vocal), Richard Kenner (vocal)

Other selected compositions

In Popular Culture

In season three of the Netflix TV series Big Mouth, Brooks is shown mentoring a young Duke Ellington.