Primary Instrument: Sax, tenor
Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Illinois Jacquet were just a few of the musicians that were in Hugh's dreams as a boy. Little did he know that he would be playing with Jacquet in the 1980's. Yet, even before he could afford his 3 dollar lessons, Hugh Brodie would fantasize about becoming one of the great jazz musicians.
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 listed 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.
Brodie's next challenge was to raise enough money to take music lessons. To collect the money he needed for his 3 dollar lessons, Hugh would walk around his neighborhood and collect bottles which he would only receive one penny for every two bottles. At the time Hugh was taking the 3 dollar lessons he attended school at Arts High in Newark, NJ It is here that he studied with Mr. Eddie Babe, who was taught by Shillinger, and learned how to play two notes at once.
After high school Brodie played jazz whenever possible. He would keep very late hours at clubs in Atlantic City and Manhattan playing jazz. Brodie and friends would even jump on busses and play for the passengers just for fun. However, it wasn't all fun and games. To pay the bills, Hugh would have to play rock and roll with a group called Billy Ford and the Thunderbirds. He had to wear shirts with starched collars sharp enough to cut his neck, and a bright green jacket.
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. Even though Brodie was raved about by critics he was not making enough money to pay the bills. He began a short career in the movie business and became a member of the Screen Actor's Guild. Brodie was featured in “Cotton Comes to Harlem” and “The Wiz.”
These two careers forced Hugh to keep very draining hours. He soon found that he could not work two jobs and raise his family at the same time. Brodie decided to retire from acting and he moved his family 3 hours north to Sullivan County N. Y. He now had to commute to his gigs in the city on a regular basis.
In the 80's Brodie landed a gig with one of his hero's, Illinois Jacquet. But, after only a few years with Jacquet, Brodie decided that he needed to play his own music. He was just worn out from commuting back and forth from the city to his home in Sullivan County. He is now has his own band and is creating his own music.
Brodie 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 that are still around today. He has developed his own peaceful beliefs threw his music that revolve around “no hate” and the fact that the three most important things that you can say to a person are, “thank you, please, and sorry.”
