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Hugh Brodie
(1937-2017)
“Brodie’s genius lies in his ability to take…opposing elements and weave them into a synthesis of moving logic.” – George Chevalier/Woodstock Times
The Cosmic Ensemble Features:
Jon Esposito / Piano
Robert Kopec / Bass
Dean Sharp / Drums
Brodie is a sax player who gets right down to the true nitty gritty. An artist who coaxes every ounce of emotion from his instrument as only a true jazz player can. He is spiritual beyond words in his approach to his craft and even in brief conversation. Brodie emerges as a courteous and affable gentleman – “cool,” in the context of an old-school jazzman who knows his stuff like an artisan of another time.
Hugh’s first exposure to the blues came when he was very young in the fields of North Carolina. He worked on his cousin’s farm and listened to the workers as they sang the blues in the blazing sun tending to the watermelon and sugar cane. Later, in his early teens, Hugh was amazed by the way the members of the Sanctified Church in Newark N.J. used music in their worship. Hugh was astonished when he witnessed fellow worshipers being overcome by “the great creator” from their toes to their head. These experiences planted the seeds for Brodie’s future music. They created the life experiences and burning hunger that Hugh needed to create music about the spiritual world. Hugh wanted to play music so badly
that he begged his father to buy him a sax. There was no going back.
Hugh’s adolescence hinged around his music. He’d play his sax on the city bus, and even did gigs with a local rock band (but just to ‘pay the bills.’) But by the time Brodie was in his 30’s he decided to become serious about jazz. He moved himself and his family to Brooklyn N.Y. where he would be close to clubs that would feature big jazz stars. He studied hard at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and recorded an album with Cal Massey.
In the 80’s Brodie landed a gig with one of his heroes, Illinois Jacquet. But, after only a few years with Jacquet, Brodie decided that he needed to play his own music. He has since created two CD’s, “Unforgettable Sax” and “Songs For Anu.” He has studied astral projection and applied it to music. This combination of astrology and music has made “Unforgettable Sax” very popular in Europe. Hugh’s second CD, “Song’s For Anu,” is about going back to the beginning of time. It explores ancient earth travelers and their religions, some of which are still around today. He has developed his own peaceful beliefs that have become integral to his music, centered around a “no hate” policy and the fact that the three most important things that you can say to a person are
“thank you, please, and sorry.”
Hugh Abdullah Rashid Brodie, made his final trip to the astral plane on Wednesday, April 05, 2017, passing peacefully with his wife Penny at his side, in Monticello NY.
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