Dean Brown
Guitarist, composer, arranger and producer Dean Brown (born Aug.19, 1955) is best known for his soulful, creative and dynamic live performances and recordings. Since 1982, Dean Brown has been an integral part of the global fusion and contemporary jazz scene, recording and touring worldwide with jazz greats such as: Billy Cobham, Marcus Miller, The Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Bob James, George Duke, Roberta Flack, Lenny White, Vital Information, and his own groups among others.
The son of a military man from the Bronx and a jazz singer from North Carolina, Dean Brown grew up in a number of locales during his formative years. Born in France, his family moved to the States when he was two then returned to France when he turned 10. Two years later, his family returned to the States once again. Dean would later spend three years in Korea, where he began working professionally at the age of 15 as a singer/guitarist fronting a horn band, garnering a huge following in the process. After attending George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Brown entered the Berklee College of Music and graduated as a composition major in 1977. One of Deans first gigs in Boston was in trumpeter Tiger Okoshis band. He replaced Mike Stern in that band in 1979 when Mike left to play with Billy Cobham. Brown was asked to join Cobhams Glass Menagerie band in 1981 and that year recorded Observations + (Elektra/Musician) with the great fusion drummer, marking his first time in the recording studio. In 1982, he played with Glass Menagerie at the Montreux International Jazz Festival. A document of that live gig later appeared the following year as Smokin (Elektra/Musician). Brown also performed on Cobhams 1985 debut for GRP Records," Warning! ". He was also one of the original members of Vital Information, the ground breaking group led by the drummer icon, Steve Smith and recorded their first three albums with them. Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, Brown alternated constant touring and recording with sax star David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Bob James, Kirk Whalum, and the re-united Brecker Brothers among others. "At one point in the early 90s, it was an amazing juggling act between working with Mike and Randy, Dave and also Marcus," he recalls. "It was like non-stop airports. Of course, it was great to be so busy, but it also created this incredible log jam of events." He was regular from 1992-2004 with Marcus Miller's band. In more recent years, Brown has toured and recorded with saxophonist Bill Evans, singer Roberta Flack, keyboardist George Duke, bassist Victor Bailey, and his old mentor Billy Cobham on his reunited Spectrum tour. Brown's guitar work can be heard on over 100 albums and four Grammy Award winners. Records such as The Brecker Brothers' " Return of the Brecker Brothers" and "Out Of The Loop", Marcus Millers "The Sun Don't Lie", Billy Cobhams "Warning", and Joe Zawinuls "Faces and Places" are just a few out of the long list. His performances include live DVDs with Marcus Miller, Billy Cobham, Gil Evans, David Sanborn and Friends, Louie Belson, Bob James, and Steve Smith's Vital Information. Dean has produced two solo CD's titled "Here"(2001) and "Groove Warrior"(2004) and an instructional/live DVD "Modern Techniques for the Electric Guitarist"(2008) for publishing giant Hal Leonard.
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