Earl Brooks, Sr.

EARL BROOKS Sr. Pan Player, Arranger, Composer

Earl Brooks started playing the steelpan at the age of 7 with the band Chetnicks which was then based at Martin Trace, San Juan. By age ten he shifted to Melotones whose band was located at Laventille Road, Febeau Village. Here he spent five years.

From Melotones he went to Glamour Girl All Stars where he learnt from Martin Albino the art of playing a "sweet tune". In this band he also met Bill Bonaparte and here is where he developed his arranging skills.

He spent many years in Glamour Girl All Stars until he went to East Side, later to become Potential Symphony. It is to be noted, that while playing and arranging for East Side, he also played the Rocket Pan and Tenor in Desperadoes.

He assisted in the 1977s selection of Tourist Leggo in which Potential Symphony placed 2nd in the Panorama Competition.

But his first major achievement was when CUA Our Boys won the Tobago Panorama with Earl as the arranger.

He worked along with Robert Greenidge for several years, and when he left Potential Symphony he joined Phase II.

In 1980 he arranged for several bands and played at the Rolls Royce International Express in New York.

In 1988 he had a dreadful vehicular accident which almost cost him his life, but he pressed on and stayed with Hatters enough to see an increase in membership.

Earl has arranged in the past for bands such as Birdsong, Klondykes, Deltones, Superstars and Mahaica Antigua and did his first recording with the calypsonian Black Wizard from Grenada.

Earl in 1991 he composed Panatic, a tune which he arranged for Lincoln Enterprise which earned the band 2nd place in the Pan Ramajay Competition.

Earl Brooks, truly a pannist of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

© 1997 Gideon Maxime: Pg 191; PAN THROUGH THE YEARS (1952 - 1996)  seetobago.org/trinidad/pan/panpeep/pp04.htm