
Here's Brooks' take on playing with the great free jazz thinking/player Cecil Taylor:
"I was kind of intimidated with playing with Cecil's Unit, because the music is so high, so technically demanding in a certain kind of way, at least the rehearsals were, but when we got on the gig, it was [makes a "takeoff" sound and motion with his hand] pew! Cecil's sets last for an hour, two hours, and I said, 'I don't know if I have the chops for this.' And it would be this whole universe of sound open up, and you'd be there watching yourself play and the horn is playing itself, and Cecil's just in front of you, behind you, on your side, above you [makes more sound effects, like Cecil is zipping around him while he's playing], just urging you on…. And we'd finish and you'd think, wow, you've been playing maybe 10, 15 minutes - maybe 30 - [but it was] two hours. And you finish and you can't say anything because you're so high. It's amazing. And every single time I've played with Cecil, it's been that way. … And that's what I aim for. That's what I want, is to reach that state where the music is just revealing itself. To me, at its best, that's what you do: You become the instrument. You put yourself in position where you become the instrument."
suggestions
Albums: Tumbélé! - Biguine‚ Afro & Latin Sounds From the French Caribbean 1963-74
Features: Staff Picks: Top Photos of 2012
Features: Brian Haas of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Blog: Video: The Bottle Rockets w/Jeff Tweedy "Walk On"
Shows: Nickel Creek
More on: Cecil Taylor, Arthur Brooks
Albums: Tumbélé! - Biguine‚ Afro & Latin Sounds From the French Caribbean 1963-74
Features: Staff Picks: Top Photos of 2012
Features: Brian Haas of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Blog: Video: The Bottle Rockets w/Jeff Tweedy "Walk On"
Shows: Nickel Creek
More on: Cecil Taylor, Arthur Brooks
new to state of mind
Shows: moe.
Shows: Yonder Mountain String Band
Shows: Grand Point North 2014
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: moe.down 15
Shows: Gov't Mule
Shows: Umphrey's McGee
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Shows: Widespread Panic
Albums: Phish - Fuego
Shows: moe.
Shows: Yonder Mountain String Band
Shows: Grand Point North 2014
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: moe.down 15
Shows: Gov't Mule
Shows: Umphrey's McGee
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Shows: Widespread Panic
Albums: Phish - Fuego
random awesomeness
Albums: Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do
Blog: 2009 Langerado Cancelled
Blog: Listen: Dead Cat Bounce - "Living the Dream" and "Food Blogger"
Features: Conversation with Peter Lewis
Albums: Béla Fleck & the Flecktones - Jingle all the Way
Shows: Rupa and the April Fishes
Shows: Burning Man 2012
Shows: Wilco
Shows: Emancipator w/Blockhead
Shows: Jimmy Herring Band & Victor Wooten Band
Albums: Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do
Blog: 2009 Langerado Cancelled
Blog: Listen: Dead Cat Bounce - "Living the Dream" and "Food Blogger"
Features: Conversation with Peter Lewis
Albums: Béla Fleck & the Flecktones - Jingle all the Way
Shows: Rupa and the April Fishes
Shows: Burning Man 2012
Shows: Wilco
Shows: Emancipator w/Blockhead
Shows: Jimmy Herring Band & Victor Wooten Band