BERKELEY, CA. (Melusine Records) - Melusine Records released Brook's second solo CD, 'Love Like A Stream'. The album was recorded live at venues in the San Francisco Bay Area in the Fall of 2004. The performances are mostly intimate vocal and guitar performances with themes of loves transformed, universal connection, divine mysteries, and peace. The CD is available at CDbaby.com.
In the 10 tracks, "Love Like a Stream" contains lyric tales and exploratory guitar improvisations, along with more traditional vocal pop song forms. Three of the performances include extended guitar improvisations. Greg
Humphrey of "The CD Workshop" compares this guitar work to that of Michael Hedges. Brook explores using drone strings and the sympathetic resonances that are the distinct province of the acoustic guitar. But, as is typical of Brook's performances, listeners will enjoy the acoustic blues slide on "The Great Blues Sea" and the laid-back bossa inspired jazz playing on "Gin 'n Honey".
Among the new songs on this release, "When Love Calls" speaks to the delights and dangers of falling in love. The verse is over a dense chord vamp which opens into the rhythmic groove. "Gin 'N Honey", a hook filled tale of relationship transformation is set to complex jazz harmonies over a bossa feel. "Peace is a Shining Jewel" declares the need to both cherish and to stand up for peace, while "Everything Calls Me to Act" speaks to Brook's sense of connectedness to the universe and how this connection is his basis to take action. "Everything is precious,
Everything calls me to act." And, there is Brook's love song to the acoustic guitar, "Piece of Wood".
The one cover tune on the album is "My Soul Says So", authored by Bhakti vocalist Suzanne Sterling and rhythm master Jeffery Alphonsus Mooney. Brook has set the song to an R&B feel as the closing track. At concerts audiences love to sing along with the anthemic hook line, "If my soul says so, I do as my soul says."
On the three accompanied tracks are Mark Patrella of "Dangerous Martini", acoustic bass,
Dennis Fortin from "Lincoln Street Jazz Band", bass, and Pat Wynne and Bernie Gilbert, backup vocal.
The album was recorded at The
Nomad Caf?, Oakland,
Simple Pleasures Caf?, San Francisco, Redwood Gardens and a house concert both in Berkeley. The performances were recorded using direct to digital using technology by iRiver and Behringer and digitally mastered by Winter at El Bueno Mundo Studios in San Francisco.
Brook has worked with Bo Diddley and his BoKay Production Company, Chuck Berry, 'The Reverend' Steve Weist, and appeared with Bruce Langhorn, among others. Brook's folk and rock work includes
Linda Hershorn, Mokai, Anne Hill, T. Thorn Coyle, Pat Wynne, The Cheats, and The Freedom Song Network. He has also accompanied many jazz performers like Bill Watrous, Bobbie Shew, and Al Shachman. He co-led the African Jazz Ensemble with Motown percussionist Renaldo Jackson. He took Mimi Fox's vacated seat in the Joyce Baker Group, accompanying jazz singer Opie Bellas for 3 years. In addition, he has worked and recorded with many local groups, including blues, rock, folk, American roots, fusion, big band, and progressive jazz, making appearances at the
Berkeley Jazz Festival, in clubs, on radio, and on television.
