George Brooks’ Summit
L-R: Zakir Hussain, GB, Kai Eckhardt, Fareed Haque, Steve Smith - El Lunario, Teatro Nacional, Mexico City
George’s premiere large ensemble, Summit has performed world wide to critical and popular acclaim. The core of this group features Steve Smith on traps, Fareed Haque on guitar and Kai Ekhardt on bass. Summit has featured as guest artists such prominent international stars as, Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ronu Majumdar, Houmayoun Sakihi, Niladri Kumar. Kala Ramnath, A. Sivamani and many others.
“The DRUM! staff was fortunate enough to catch a Summit performance and we are still trying to reattach our jaws.” –Drum Magazine
“What makes Summit so captivating is Brooks’ huge, wonderfully dense but pliable sound. Summit’s percussion section is a dream team featuring powerhouse jazz drummer Steve Smith and tabla master Zakir Hussain, the son of legendary tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha. A founding member of the seminal 1970s Indian/jazz fusion band Shakti with John McLaughlin, Hussain has been a major force in world music for a quarter century.. “Sometimes you get the ideal mix, the best dish, the perfect mix of spices – I felt that way about Shakti and I feel that way about Summit,” Hussain said.” –Andrew Gilbert, San Diego Union Tribute
If you’re a jazz fan or a fusion fan, you need to have this in your collection. There are at least 3 tracks on this album that are as good as music ever gets, the best recorded by any musicians anywhere at anytime. We’re talking Mahavishnu/Oregon/Weather Report level musicianship here taking flight on some brilliant compositions and managing to reach a positively transcendent state. Brooks is the least known of the musicians here but he is the leader. The people playing on this album with him are no less than maestros Fareed Haque (Garaj Mahal), Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin Trio, Garaj Mahal), Zakir Hussain & Steve Smith (Jean-Luc Ponty, Journey, Vital Information, Vital-Tech Tones, etc.) but this is anything but a blowing session, it’s a subtle and well-thought-out effort that plays to each player’s strengths in order to navigate some very hallowed ground. Judging by the sales ranks, no one even knows that this album even exists but rest assured that as long as it stays in print, word of mouth will spread as it always does on all things timeless that are of real quality. Since you’re one of the lucky few who got the word sooner, whip out your plastic and buy it, either here or at the guy’s website, you’ll thank me later. –Customer review from Amazon.com
A New CD Release from George Brooks' Summit
Enter the complete sensory and aesthetic experience of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's new Rooftop Garden, with commentary by artists and music by George Brooks: 