Cecil's Jazz Club to Close

in West Orange will shutter at the end of the month.

The smoky tunes and sultry sounds of the club nestled on Valley Road will wind down Feb. 26, club owner and jazz legend Cecil Brooks III announced Friday.

After nine years, Brooks said it's time for him to return to the music. In an email blast, Brooks explained his decision,

"It been a great ride, lots of work and, of course, a lot of fun. But after nine years of 6 or 7 days a week, 12 hours a day as a club owner, my heart tells me it's time to get back to the music, as a player and record producer. That's where I have to go, and that's what I have to do now, and I hope all our loyal customers, fans and friends will understand.... In the meantime, for the next three weeks we're gonna play like mad, blow the doors off the joint and wind it waaay [sic] up before we wind it down, so keep on coming in and digging it, right up through the last "Cecil's Swingin' night!"

A former Cosby Show drummer and a Pittsburgh, Pa. native, Brooks has lived around the world and played in some of the top spots in New York and Los Angeles.

His club is known to rake in great talent including Bill Cosby, T.S. Monk, Herbie Hancock (who signed Brooks' piano) and numerous other musicians, to West Orange.

In a 2010 interview with Patch, Brooks explained why he choose to bring Cecil's to West Orange.

"When we think of Cecil's now we don't think of any particular kind of place … we think of jazz and jazz being that multicultural environment and West Orange really lent itself because of its accessibility to that kind of environment."

The venue promises to bring big talent in the next few weeks as a proper send off.

This Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. the club will blare the sounds of Cecil III trio featuring Curtis Lundy on bass and Matt Chertkoff on guitar.