Audiopile Review: Recorded in 1974 to raise funds to combat an ongoing drought in the Sahel region of Africa, The Sahel Concert At Town Hall resides in the absolute uppermost chamber of the spiritual jazz pyramid. Coming to prominence as an in-demand sideman in the 60s and 70s within the twin powerhouses of Blue Note and Prestige, Sahel Concert marks a rare bandleader recording by Roy Brooks, who is joined by a stacked cast of some of the best players of the 70’s Free Jazz roster, including Reggie Workman, Sonny Fortune, John Stubberfield, and Cecil & Dee Dee Bridgewater. Recurrent themes of racial unity, trauma, ecological disaster, and global evolution are carried along by consistent vocalization, giving the recording a theatrical quality, propelled by tribal and swirling percussion. After brief stints on legendary jazz labels Tribe and M’Boom, (on which allegedly all members were percussionists) The Sahel Sessions was originally released on the short-lived but highly collectible Im-Hotep records out of Harlem, now reissued by P-Vine Records from Tokyo.

“An American jazz drummer Roy Brooks started his career in the 1950s, and he had joined the Horace Silver Combo the early 1960s. Subsequently, he became a part of the bands led by notable artists like Stanley Turrentine, Yusef Lateef, and Charles Mingus. He was also a significant influence on the legendary TRIBE label, which was based in his hometown of Detroit, and he spent his career at the forefront of the American jazz scene until his passing in 2005.

As a bandleader with Roy Brooks And The Artistic Truth, he pursued spiritual jazz guided by a refined sense of spirituality. Among his discography, the live recording “The Sahel Concert” from 1974 stands out as one of the most expressive showcases of his artistry, much like his previous work, “Ethnic Expressions.”