Tina Brooks was an American musician who played hard-bop jazz and blues on the tenor saxophone in collaboration with other jazz stars of the 1950s as well as a few of his own recordings. His career was cut tragically short by his early death at the age of 42 from liver damage caused by heroin addiction.
Born in North Carolina, he was nicknamed Teeny as a child and later became known as Tina. He studied music at college and had early stints with singer-pianist Charles Brown, guitarist Joe Morris, pianist Amos Milburn and bandleader Lionel Hampton. He developed his freestyle jazz playing influenced by bebop trumpeter Little Benny Harris and went on to record with organist Jimmy Smith, guitarist Kenny Burrell and pianist Freddie Redd. He also collaborated with pianist Freddie Drew, saxophonist Dexter Gordon and sax legend John Coltrane on his 1959 release 'Blue Train'. Brooks's other albums as leader include 'Minor Move' (1958) and two that were not released until long after his death, 'Back to Tracks' (1985) and 'The Waiting Game' (1999).
