Break Out Artists |
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Dee
Brown Question. What do Kenny Burrell, Earl Klugh, and Tim Bowman have in common, besides the fact that they are all phenomenal jazz guitarists? They are all natives of Detroit, Michigan. It appears that a lot of talent comes out of the Motor City and the numbers swell by one with an exciting indie artist, guitarist Dee Brown. Are you thinking what I’m thinking… what’s up, Detroit, with this jazz guitar thing? Conclusion, it’s in the water. It must be in the water. Let that be the reason why. Dee Brown has been exposed to music all of his life. If it wasn’t the sounds of Motown that his mom loved, he was hearing jazz from his father’s favorite artists. This exposure provided Dee with a wide range of musical styles to learn from and to enjoy. “The thing that caught my ear was when I heard the guitar player by the name of Wes Montgomery … and as a child I really liked that sound. As I grew older, I moved away from instrumentation and got into singing. Then, I heard a few of my friends playing stuff that I heard being played on the radio and that brought me back to the guitar.” Dee got his first guitar as a Christmas gift from his grandmother and immediately started taking lessons with the hope of someday being able to play like B.B. King, an early musical influence, along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson.
While still in high school, Brown formed several bands, most notably the group called Foreplay. They played all over Detroit, eventually attracting the attention of producer Quincy Jones who offered them a record deal. Due to artistic differences, Brown opted out of the deal and instead, headed to the higher halls of learning pursuing his interest in science and earning a degree in biology while he continued to take classes in music as a secondary course of study. Dee is a practicing Respiratory Therapist by day and a very cool jazzman by night. After college, Brown formed the R&B group, One Wish, and they released the album, I Feel Like Getting Romantic, on the TRC label. The album gave the group a top 100 single, Tell Me Why, in both the Country and R&B categories. One Wish was also nominated for a Nashville award and won the best single by a local artist, Metro TIMES Detroit Music Award. Then along came Miracle, a TEG Records release and a collaborative effort with saxophonist Gentry Shelby. The album produced a # 1 single, Come Into My Heart, on the DMX smooth Jazz music chart and was written by Brown. In October 2006, Dee released his solo project, No Time To Waste, which showcases his skill as a guitarist, composer, producer and arranger. To help give the album a fresh sound and that “wow” factor, Brown called on his long time friend and producer, Gerald Mitchell of Los Hermanos. “The album was created with the smooth jazz listener in mind and it balances equally between guitar and saxophone leads.” No Time To Waste is a total listening experience, one that you will definitely revisit time after time. Dee Brown has shared the stage with guitarist Tim Bowman, saxophonists Randy Scott and Gentry Shelby, as well as other noted performers throughout the years. He can be seen and heard at venues in and around the Detroit area. No Time To Waste is available at all of his performances and online at www.deebrownmusic.com by download or full CD.
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Stepping
Into The Spotlight
