George Brooks

George Brooks is a prolific and diverse saxophonist and composer, acclaimed for successfully bridging the worlds of jazz and Indian classical music. He is the founder of several important Indian fusion groups including "Summit" with Zakir Hussain, Steve Smith, Kai Eckhardt and Fareed Haque; "Bombay Jazz" with Larry Coryell and Ronu Majumdar; "Raga Bop Trio" with Steve Smith and Carnatic guitarist Prasanna and most recently "Elements" with Indian violinist Kala Ramnath and Dutch harpist Gwyneth Wentink.

Of particular interest are his collaborations with American minimalist pioneer Terry Riley. In 2010 Brooks and Riley toured Europe and the UK with tabla innovator Talvin Singh, presenting "California Kirana- the west coast legacy of Pran Nath"

While forging his own distinctive musical path, Brooks has collaborated with many innovative artists including John McLaughlin, Henry Kaiser, Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Braxton and Jaki Byard as well as blues greats Etta James, Albert Collins and Doors organist Ray Manzarek.