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 by Jeff Charney Talking with Norman Brown
JC: You're coming home in July to play the Blues and Jazz Festival. Compared to other cities, do you get some extra satisfaction playing KC, simply because you grew up here? NB: Yes. Definitely. It puts a little bit more on it for me. All the people I went to school with, and grew up with in the neighborhood, and played with in the clubs... All that stuff comes back to life. So, yes, it does put a lot more on it. And that's very cool. JC: Is it also a chance to "show your stuff" to those who thought you weren't going to make it? NB: There weren't too many people like that. When I was growing up in Kansas City, everybody was pretty supportive and saw that there was something special coming through me that the rest of the world was going to get a chance to experience. JC: Your latest recording "Celebration" has been out since last August. How is it doing? NB: Great. I've had two number one singles from it so far, and sales are going well. So, we're all happy, and we're trying to keep it rolling. JC: Did having Paul Brown produce play a role in those number one singles? NB: Definitely. Paul brought a flavor (to the session) that really helped out. He added a lot of bottom end, and made things crystal clear and right in your face. It was a great marriage. JC: Ramsey Lewis once told me that an artist's favorite CD is usually his most recent one. Does that hold true for you? NB: To be honest, I'm still digging all of them. Each one marks a certain period and it's still very cool to go down memory lane. JC: How does touring work? Do you ask your manager to put together a tour, or do you wait for people to ask you to perform. NB: There are promoters across the country, and the world, who just promote concerts. That's all they do. They are in contact with agents -- and I have a very good agent -- and through them I get offers to do concerts. JC: So, you don't say to your manager, "I want to tour between July and August; put something together..." NB: On the jazz side we really don't have that luxury. We don't sell a whole lot of records to the point where that pays the bills. So our work is really performing live and taking the music to the people whenever we can. JC: When your band is on the road, do you guys do any writing? NB: We don't write that much together on the road. The schedule doesn't permit it. When we're traveling, we're pretty much focused on playing the concerts, then moving on to the next city or getting back home. JC: Are all the concerts exactly the same or do you change up the playlist? NB: We try to change it up. Sometimes the time frame is different, or the energy of the crowd is different, so you have to roll with that. JC: You were featured on the track "Cobra" from Norman Connors' new "Eternity" CD. How did that come about? And what was it like working with him on it? NB: It had been a while since Norman and I had worked together. My initial relationship with him was working on music for my own project, "Just Between Us," in 1990. "Cobra" was different. It was a chance to be part of a project involving many people. JC: Norman Connors just called up and asked you to be part of his record? NB: Absolutely. He was actually responsible for MoJazz finding me in 1990. Norman and I met in early 1989, he really liked my music, and thought he could help me out. For about two years he worked to get me get a record deal until I eventually signed with Motown. That happened because of him. He took them a tape, brought the Motown guy out to see one of my local shows, and I got discovered. So, working with Norman was no problem. JC: How many guitars do you own? NB: About ten. JC: Do you take all ten on the road? NB: I take two. Both are Ibanez "George Benson" models. One is smaller... kinda like a big Les Paul; the other is a larger jazz guitar. That one is my favorite. JC: What about the other eight? NB: I have a steel string acoustic that I really like. And a Martin a real close friend in Kansas gave me as a gift when I was a young boy. I have a Fender Stratocaster that also doubles as a guitar synthesizer -- it allows me to do a lot of programming and that kind of thing. I have a 335 which was given to me by another close friend. And Ibanez has given me a few that I'm checking out to see if I can modify them and turn them into something special. JC: How much outboard gear do you use on stage? NB: Not much. A little bit of chorus sometimes, but mostly I use compression, delay, and a little bit of reverb. JC: What have you learned about the music business that has helped you most in your career? NB: Persevere. Keep going. Never give up. Always follow your ideas and your dreams. JC: Are those dreams coming true for you? NB: Absolutely. They are. JC: What's in store for the future? Are you working on any new music? NB: Yes I'm working on some new music right now. I'm trying to get my head into writing and come up with some new ideas, some fresh approaches. I'm also getting ready to put another record together. I don't want it to be such a long time between releases like it's been in the past. JC: Is there a projected release date? NB: If everything goes well, I would like to give the fans a new record sometime in 2001. *** C-Jazz Notes
Since January I've been contributing to a very hip web site called ContemporaryJazz.com. Founded by John Hilderbrand, a former jazz DJ at KBIA in Columbia and now a KC resident, the site is one of the best to serve the contemporary jazz scene. It provides one of the most accurate "New Releases" pages as well as "News," "Forum," "Discussion," "Concert Search," "Charts," "Fred's Corner" (CD reviews), a link to CDNOW.com for CD purchases, and "Charney's Corner," which includes reviews, interviews and other thoughts. Additional features are in the works. Bits & Pieces Michael Franks is recording an entire CD of holiday music. It is scheduled to be released on Windham Hill Jazz later this year. Verve is utilizing the GRP and MCA catalogs to issue Finest Hour "hit" collections by Spyro Gyra and the Crusaders. Both are due out in June. Warner Brothers is working on a live double-CD set from the recent Pat Metheny Trio tour. Look for a fall release. The New York Voices have recorded a big band swing CD. And the next Manhattan Transfer CD will be a tribute to Louis Armstrong in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the legendary trumpeter's birth. The life of trumpeter Arturo Sandoval will be made into a movie, to be aired on HBO in October. Andy Garcia will star and also serve as executive producer. Herbie Hancock is behind the formation of the new Transparent Music label. Transparent's first release is Soul Conversation featuring Mark Whitfield and guitarist JK, who helped produce Return of the Headhunters in '98. Larry Dunn, former keyboardist for Earth, Wind & Fire, has recorded his debut contemporary jazz CD, The Larry Dunn Orchestra. And pianist Jeanne Newhall has moved from Phoenix to L.A. so she can be closer to a project she is currently working on: the soundtrack to an upcoming documentary film about the life of comedian Louie Anderson. R.I.P. Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Jonah Jones passed away on April 30. He was 90. In his lengthy career, Jones performed with Cab Calloway, Jimmie Lunceford and Stuff Smith. He won a Grammy in 1959 for the album I Dig Chicks. * * * Email Jeff Charney at jeffrey@tfs.net, and check out his web site at: www.kprs.com. "The Sunday Jazz Brunch" can be heard every Sunday on KPRS "Hot 103 JAMZ" (103.3 FM) from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. RETURN TO JUNE 2000 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved. |
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