Born today in Detroit in 1938, Roy Brooks was a jazz drummer/percussionist whose résumé reads like a Who’s Who of jazz greats and whose life was sadly affected by bipolar disorder.

Here’s an excellent, in-depth article and interview with Brooks by Jim Dulzo, published in The Metro Times from 2001. Brooks at the time was serving time at Marquette Branch Prison for felonious assault, again victim of his manic depression.

In his honor and for your listening pleasure, here’s a brief playlist of Brooks’ inspired playing.

• Passin’ The Buck
  • from Beat
• Go-Go
  • with the Chet Baker Quintet, Boppin’ with the Chet Baker Quintet
• Scrapple From The Apple
  • with Blue Mitchell, Blue’s Moods
• The Jumpin’ Blues
  • with Dexter Gordon, The Jumpin’ Blues
• Ishmael
  • with Abdullah Ibrahim, Banyana - Children of Africa
• Billie’s Bounce
  • from Understanding
• Ray’s Idea
  • with Sonny Stitt, Constellation
• Brother
  • with Yusef Lateef, The Complete Yusef Lateef
• The Gringo/Cool Eyes (The Theme)
  • with the Horace Silver Quintet, Doin’ The Thing
• Zulu
  • from Duet in Detroit