Bobby Broom

Bobby Broom
Background information
Birth name	Robert Broom, Jr.
Born	January 18, 1961 (1961-01-18)
Origin	New York City, United States
Genres	Hard bop Post-bop Progressive jazz Soul-jazz Jazz-funk
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Guitar
Labels	Delmark Records Arista Records Criss Cross Jazz Fantasy Records Origin Records Doxy Records
Associated acts	Deep Blue Organ Trio Sonny Rollins Dr. John Charles Earland Kenny Burrell Kenny Garrett

Bobby Broom (born January 18, 1961), birthname Robert Broom, Jr., is an American jazz guitarist, composer and educator born and raised in New York City. Broom performs and records with jazz saxophone legend Sonny Rollins as well as his Bobby Broom Trio and the Deep Blue Organ Trio. While versed in the bebop idiom, Broom, like many current artists, draws from a variety of American music forms such as funk, soul, R&B and the blues to create his style.

Early years

Broom began studying the guitar at age 12, taking lessons in the American Folk music style. A year later, he began studies with jazz guitarist Jimmy Carter in Harlem, where he took weekly lessons for the next two years. His interest in jazz began in earnest at age 15 and as a result he began his research, study and practice of the jazz art.

Broom attended the High School of Music and Art (now known as Laguardia High School of Performing Arts), where he played in the jazz ensemble and received an award for Outstanding Jazz Improvisation during his senior year.

Broom began his career while still in high school, performing at New York clubs with Charlie Parker pianists, Al Haig and Walter Bishop Junior. In 1977 he played at Carnegie Hall in a concert with Sonny Rollins and special guest Donald Byrd.

He went to the Berklee School of Music from 1978–79, then returned to New York in order to pursue his career while attending Long Island University. At this time he began working in New York as guitarist for Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Dave Grusin, Hugh Masekela and Tom Browne, eventually landing his own recording contract with GRP Records.

Career

Bobby Broom is becoming increasingly noted for his personal approach to the jazz legacy that influenced him, which includes the groundwork laid by his childhood jazz-guitar heroes, Wes Montgomery, early George Benson and Pat Martino and others such as Kenny Burrell and Grant Green. Broom's career has included work with Max Roach, Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Garrett, Miles Davis, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Charles Earland, Dr. John, Kenny Burrell, Eric Alexander, Ron Carter and Ramsey Lewis, among others.

In the mid 1980s Broom relocated to Chicago where he went on to tour and record with many of the aforementioned musicians. In Chicago, he also formed the Bobby Broom Trio in 1990 and the Deep Blue Organ Trio in 1999.

Among Bobby Broom's recordings as a leader is his trio's 2001 release, Stand!, a recording of unlikely interpretations of 60s and 70s pop and soul classics which received praise for staying true to the creative demands of authentic modern jazz. Jambands online magazine writes: "Stand!"'s theme works well for Broom — it adds accessibility to the set without getting in the way of documenting a skilled trio in its natural element. Further examples of Broom's foray into the developing American Song Book can be found on his other recent recordings as well as on recordings by The Deep Blue Organ Trio (see discography).

As an educator, Broom began his work in 1982 for Jackie McLean, Director of African American Music at Studies for the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. Over the years Broom has also been a lecturer/instructor at the American Conservatory of Music (1986–1990), Chicago Musical College — Roosevelt University (1990–1994) and The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (1987) and most recently at DePaul University (2002–2008). He currently teaches for the Ravinia Festival Organization — Music In The Schools/Jazz Mentor Community Outreach Program, as well as the Thelonious Monk Institute.

In 2005 Broom joined Sonny Rollins once again as a regular member of his touring band. He performed and recorded with Rollins until the spring of 2010. During this tenure Broom continued to increase his visibility as a leader, producing three recordings under his own name and another with the Deep Blue Organ Trio (their third). His latest trio record and Broom's eighth lead album, released on June 16, 2009, Bobby Broom Plays for Monk explores the music composed and performed by jazz icon, Thelonious Monk. The trio of Broom, bassist Dennis Carroll, and drummer Kobie Watkins "...turns what could have easily been a pedestrian "tribute" record into an inspired, swinging affair", says Jon Regan in Billboard magazine. And Ted Gioia of Jazz.com writes: "Broom shows again that he is one of the most musical guitarists of our times..."

Discography

As leader

• Clean Sweep, 1981 GRP/Arista Records
• 1961, 1993 (Unreleased)
• No Hype Blues, 1995 Criss Cross Jazz
• Waiting and Waiting, 1997 Criss Cross Jazz
• Stand, 2001 Premonition Records
• Modern Man, 2001 Delmark Records
• Song and Dance, 2007 Origin Records
• The Way I Play, 2008 Origin Records
• Bobby Broom Plays for Monk, 2009 Origin Records

As sideman

With Sonny Rollins

• Sonny, Please, 2006 Doxy Records
• Reel Life, 1983 Fantasy Records
• No Problem, 1981 Fantasy Records

With Deep Blue Organ Trio

• Folk Music, 2007 Origin Records
• Goin' To Town — Live at the Green Mill, 2006 Delmark Records CD and DVD
• Deep Blue Bruise, 2004 Delmark Records

With David Murray

• The Tip, 1994 DIW
• Jug-A-Lug, 1994 DIW

With others

• Duke Elegant, 2000 Blue Note Records (with Dr. John)
• Eric Alexander in Europe, 1995 Criss Cross Jazz
• Cubism, 1992 Fresh Sound Records (with Ronnie Cuber)
• Third Degree Burn, 1989 Milestone Records (with Charles Earland)
• Front Burner, 1988 Milestone Records (with Charles Earland)
• Pieces of Blue and The Blues, 1987 Blue Note Records (Kenny Burrell & The Jazz Guitar Band)
• Generation, 1986 Blue Note Records (Kenny Burrell & The Jazz Guitar Band, w/ Rodney Jones)
• Livin' For The Beat, 1984 Arista Records
• Home Again, 1982 Elektra Records (with Stanley Turrentine)
• Pied Piper, 1981 GRP/Arista Records (with Dave Valentine)
• Love Approach, 1981 GRP/Arista Records (with Tom Browne)
• Orange Express, 1981 Sony Japan (with Sadao Watanabe)
• Dave Grusin and the GRP All Stars Live in Japan, 1980 GRP/Arista Records

External links

• Official Bobby Broom web site