Harvey Oliver Brooks (February 17, 1899 – June 17, 1968) 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 Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

's film '' I'm No Angel'' (1933).

Career

Brooks toured and recorded with

Mamie Smith Mamie Smith ( Robinson; May 26, 1891 – August or September 16, 1946) was an American singer. As a vaudeville singer, she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African-American a ...

in the early-1920s, then settled in California. Beginning in 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 included Paul Howard on clarinet and tenor saxophone. 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 Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, Trombone, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of Music of New Orle ...

’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. In season three of the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

TV series '' Big Mouth'', Brooks is shown mentoring a young

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Selected discography

* Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders, recorded in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights, Californi ...

April 29, 1929 :50877-1 – ''Stuff'' (stomp),

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

(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),

(drums, vocal) * Joe Darensbourg and his Dixie Flyers, recorded live at The Lark,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, October 1957 : ''Live'', American Music Records (1957) (re-released 1997) : 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)

Filmography

*'' I'm No Angel'' (1933) * ''I Found A New Way To Go To Town'' (1933) *: music by Harvey O. Brooks *: lyrics by Gladys DuBois and Ben Ellison *: (uncredited) *: sung by Mae West * ''I Want You, I Need You'' (1933) *: music by Harvey O. Brooks *: lyrics by Ben Ellison *: (uncredited) *: played on a piano and sung by Mae West * ''I'm No Angel'' (1933) *: music by Harvey Brooks *: lyrics by Gladys DuBois and Ben Ellison *: (uncredited) *: sung by Mae West at the end and during the closing credits * ''(No One Love Me Like) That Dallas Man'' (1933) *: music by Harvey O. Brooks *: lyrics by Gladys DuBois and Ben Ellison *: (uncredited) *: played on a record on which Mae West sings * ''They Call Me Sister Honky Tonk'' (1933) *: music by Harvey O. Brooks *: lyrics by Gladys DuBois and Ben Ellison *: (uncredited) *: sung by Mae West *'' Dark Manhattan'', with Ben Ellison

Other selected compositions

* ''Blow, Man, Blow!'' *: words & music by Harvey O. Brooks & Ellis Lawrence Walsh * ''Finger Wave'' (1936) *: music by Harvey O. Brooks * ''It's A Mighty Pretty Night For Love'' *: music by Harvey O. Brooks * '' A Little Bird Told Me'' (1947) *: music by Harvey O. Brooks *: see Federal court case over "covering" * ''Love In The First Degree'' (1936) *: music by Harvey O. Brooks * ''Shack In The Back'' (1936) *: music by Harvey O. Brooks * ''That's The One For Me'' *: music by Harvey O. Brooks & Ellis Lawrence Walsh

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Harvey Oliver 1899 births 1968 deaths American male jazz composers American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists American film score composers American male film score composers 20th-century American jazz composers 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians