Comedy
Harvey Brooks is one of the most respected and emulated bassists and producers in the history of rock and jazz music. After being the lucky recipient of a B.B. King record at a synagogue dance contest as a kid, he was inspired to pursue playing the blues and R&B. After playing live gigs tirelessly for years, his old friend, keyboardist and guitarist Al Kooper, invited Harvey to a Bob Dylan recording session to play bass, the tracks of which became the seminal “Highway 61 Revisited” album. Harvey went on to appear on a mind-blowing string of classic albums, as a founding member of The Electric Flag and on such stand-outs as The Doors’ “Soft Parade,” Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew,” and Al Kooper’s “Super Session.” He also produced such masterpieces as Quicksilver Messenger Service’s debut album and Karen Dalton’s “My Own Time.”In this interview, Harvey talks about keeping himself alive and sane amidst the drug culture of the late ‘60s. He discusses how me met the challenge of Dylan’s mid-‘60s audience turning on him for changing to electric music, including a live concert at Forest Hills, New Jersey where the audience rushed the stage and were tackled by security, while Harvey played alongside Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm of The Band. Harvey also talks about 3 a.m. jam sessions with Paul Butterfield, and serving as Mama Cass Elliot’s musical director at Caesar’s Palace.Earlier this year, Harvey released an autobiography entitled, “View from the Bottom: 50 Years of Bass Playing with Bob Dylan, The Doors, Miles Davis and Everybody Else.”The book is published by tangiblepress.net and can also be acquired on many online bookstores. Autographed copies and bookplates can only be procured at tangiblepress.net. The book was co-authored by Frank Beacham, a notable music historian and Bonnie Brooks, author of the children's book "Gramps Has A Ponytail,” also published by tangiblepress.net.