Randy Brooks
Randolph E. Brooks (March 28, 1917 – March 21, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. Brooks began on trumpet at age six, and by the age of 11 was discovered by Rudy Vallee, and appeared on his Fleischman Hour radio show, and became a permanent member where he played thrilling trumpet solos, but was not allowed to play with the brass section of the band. By the time he was eighteen he was working with Jerry Blane for an entire summer in western New Jersey, followed by Gene Kardos and then Ruby Newman at the Rainbow Room in New York City. He was then hired by Hal Kemp with whom he cut his first records for the Victor label in 1939. After Kemp's death late in 1940, he stayed with the band when Art Jarrett took leadership of the group. By June 1942, he had moved on to Claude Thornhill, followed a few months later by Bob Allen, but within a year he was playing with Les Brown, before founding his own band in early 1945. John Benson Brooks (no relation) contributed arrangements to the ensemble, and Stan Getz played in it in 1946. Among his hits for Decca Records were "Tenderly", "Harlem Nocturne", and "The Man With The Horn", but his swing-based style and large ensemble were out of step with the times, and his success eroded toward the end of the decade. He married Ina Ray Hutton and moved to Los Angeles, where he suffered a stroke and was unable to continue as a musician. He died at the age of 49 of smoke inhalation in a fire at his Sanford, Maine, apartment. He is buried in Oakdale Cemetery in Sanford, Maine, beside his parents. |
Birth and Death Data: Born March 15, 1919 (Sanford), Died March 21, 1967
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1947
Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 39 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-021819 | 10-in. | 3/25/1938 | Cry, baby, cry | California Ramblers ; Myron Hanley ; Kay Ray | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-021820 | 10-in. | 3/25/1938 | Little Lady Make Believe | California Ramblers ; Myron Hanley ; Rhythm Quads | Jazz/dance band, with vocal quartet | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-021821 | 10-in. | 3/25/1938 | Two shadows | California Ramblers ; Myron Hanley ; Kay Ray | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-021822 | 10-in. | 3/25/1938 | College humor | California Ramblers ; Myron Hanley ; Rhythm Quads | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-021823 | 10-in. | 3/25/1938 | (I'm glad) I waited for you | California Ramblers ; Myron Hanley | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-021824 | 10-in. | 3/25/1938 | Stolen heaven | California Ramblers ; Myron Hanley | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-046077 | 10-in. | 1/5/1940 | Thank your stars | Bob Allen ; Hal Kemp Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-046078 | 10-in. | 1/5/1940 | I've got no strings | Janet Blair ; Hal Kemp Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-046079 | 10-in. | 1/5/1940 | Give a little whistle | Hal Kemp Orchestra ; Smoothies | Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal ensemble | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Victor | BS-046080 | 10-in. | 1/5/1940 | Playmates | Hal Kemp Orchestra ; Smoothies | Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal ensemble | instrumentalist, trumpet | |
Decca | 72954 | 10-in. | 6/25/1945 | Land of the loom | Randy Brooks Orchestra | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 72955 | 10-in. | 6/25/1945 | I'd do it all over again | Randy Brooks Orchestra | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 72964 | 10-in. | 7/2/1945 | No more Toujours l'amour | Randy Brooks | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 72965 | 10-in. | 7/2/1945 | I'd do it all over again | Randy Brooks | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 72966 | 10-in. | 7/2/1945 | I'm gonna love that guy | Randy Brooks | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 72995 | 10-in. | 8/3/1945 | I'm gonna love that guy | Randy Brooks ; Marion Hutton | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 72996 | 10-in. | 8/3/1945 | Benny's comin' home on Saturday | Randy Brooks ; Marion Hutton | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 72997 | 10-in. | 8/3/1945 | Holiday forever | Randy Brooks | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 73020 | 10-in. | 8/29/1945 | A kiss goodnight | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 73021 | 10-in. | 8/29/1945 | Benny's coming home on Saturday | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 73171 | 10-in. | 12/3/1945 | Thunder rock | Randy Brooks Orchestra | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 73208 | 10-in. | 12/3/1945 | Harlem nocturne | Randy Brooks Orchestra | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 73209 | 10-in. | 12/3/1945 | I never thought I'd sing the blues | Randy Brooks Orchestra | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 73210 | 10-in. | 12/3/1945 | In a moon mist | Randy Brooks Orchestra | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 73211 | 10-in. | 12/3/1945 | Don't let me dream | Randy Brooks Orchestra | instrumentalist, trumpet |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Brooks, Randy," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/305749.
Brooks, Randy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/305749.
"Brooks, Randy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Brooks, Randy, -1967 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88288260
Wikidata: Randy Brooks - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q210289
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/32182638
MusicBrainz: Randy Brooks - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/126971b3-d623-42ec-b5e6-9e5dbb065eef
ISNI: 0000 0000 7838 2839 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000078382839
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