Cedric Im Brooks and Roots

Count Ossie was instrumental in working towards a fuller integration of Rasta ethics and music into the broader spectrum of reggae music. Without that gentleman, the entire genre would be drastically different. So, it’d be safe to assume that whoever made up his band – dubbed the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari – were a group of talented folks. It’s true. And one of the higher profile performers to come out of the ensemble was Cedric Im Brooks.

Beginning as so many other JA musicians, Brooks studied at the Alpha Boys School where he learned clarinet, although he would switch to saxophone a bit later. After working in some instrumental groups in the sixties and then with Count Ossie during the beginning of the ‘70s, the sax player was nabbed by Coxsonne Dodd for session work at Studio One.

Brooks recorded a spate of classics as a back up musician while simultaneously recording his own music that included influences from the States and Africa. His work could be seen as an extension of Ossie’s in that Brooks worked to include any music made by black folks into a single work. A few releases were more successful than others, but it would be roundly agreed that The Light of Saba is an unexpurgated classic.

The disc includes over an hours worth of music which could be funk, soul, RnB, afro-beat or reggae at any given time. It was Brooks’ first fully realized release and could be seen as something akin to a musical thesis. The sax player would, in the future, seek to revisit the ideas that were strewn around on that Saba release, but it wouldn’t again coalesce in the same way.

Before composing that opus, though, Brooks had recorded a few discs under his own name one of them being the United Africa album released in 1978. The album begins with “Satta Massagana.” It’s one of the most recognizable progressions in JA music, but with the arrangement that Brooks lends the tune, it becomes something different. There’s an enormous band performing it with an impressive horn section. The song’s familiar melody comes tumbling out of speakers whereas previously those notes had only languidly flowed forth.

Elsewhere – on the title track - there’s am afro-beat styled workout. The staccato guitar notes dance around a bit as the rhythm section has its hands full keeping time in at least three different ways. Brooks comes into the song and plays a brief melody before that immense horn section kicks in. It’s not quite Fela Kuti, but it’s funky nonetheless.

Some spirituals get worked out and are reminiscent of Ossie’s albums. “River Jordan” discusses what one might guess, but in a much scaled back musical setting. It comes off well enough, but more importantly points to the ability of Brooks to arrange different kinds of music. There’s not a great deal of chanting on this album, but on this track Brooks has figured out how to make it all fit.

United Africa won’t ever define Brooks’ career, but it won’t weigh it down either.