India Jazz Generations: George Brooks with Vikku Vinayakram and v. Selvaganesh at Stanford Jazz Festival at Dinkelspiel Auditorium

Tenor sax sage George Brooks has it all: The colossal tone, the intuitive creative leaps, the commanding technique. But that’s just table-stakes for Mr. Brooks. Fresh out of New England Conservatory, George pursued his muse down two very divergent paths; he’s been the go-to horn-master for blues giants like Etta James, Albert Collins, Roy Rogers, and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. And, amazingly, he’s helped create the electrifying genre of Indian/jazz fusion with world-class virtuosi like Zakir Hussain and Fareed Haque. This year’s SJW concert is a special moment uniting George with Vikku Vinayakram and V.Selvaganesh, two generations of groundbreaking international musicians. The music will be sourced in Indian ragas and rhythmic patterns and wondrous in its commitment to jazz explosiveness and the joy of constant surprises. It’s a surprisingly accessible blend of the profound and ecstatic....

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Tenor sax sage George Brooks has it all: The colossal tone, the intuitive creative leaps, the commanding technique. But that’s just table-stakes for Mr. Brooks. Fresh out of New England Conservatory, George pursued his muse down two very divergent paths; he’s been the go-to horn-master for blues giants like Etta James, Albert Collins, Roy Rogers, and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. And, amazingly, he’s helped create the electrifying genre of Indian/jazz fusion with world-class virtuosi like Zakir Hussain and Fareed Haque. This year’s SJW concert is a special moment uniting George with Vikku Vinayakram and V.Selvaganesh, two generations of groundbreaking international musicians. The music will be sourced in Indian ragas and rhythmic patterns and wondrous in its commitment to jazz explosiveness and the joy of constant surprises. It’s a surprisingly accessible blend of the profound and ecstatic.

Personnel: George Brooks, saxophone; Vikku Vinayakram, ghatam; V. Selvaganesh, kanjeera and other Indian percussion; Swaminathan, kanjeera; Osam Ezzeldin, piano; Kai Eckhardt, bass

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