Rob Brown (born February 27, 1962)
is an American
free jazz
Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...
saxophonist and composer.
Life and career
Brown was born in
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...
, United States.
He started playing saxophone at the age of 12.
His first gigs were with a local Virginia swing band. He eventually studied at
Berklee College
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cour ...
for two years,
and worked privately with both Joe Viola and John LaPorta.
After a year on the west coast, Brown relocated to
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
, where he met pianist
Matthew Shipp
Matthew Shipp (born December 7, 1960) is an American pianist, composer, and bandleader.
Early life and education
Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford B ...
.
He moved to
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
in 1985,
where he enrolled at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
, earned a music degree, and studied with saxophone masters such as
Lee Konitz
Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist.
He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...
, but the teacher who had more influence on Brown conceptually was Philadelphian
Dennis Sandole.
Brown travelled to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
by rail once a week to study with him for a year and a half.
His first issued recording was the duet with Shipp ''
Sonic Explorations'' (1988),
and since then has been actively leading groups or working as a sideman with Shipp,
William Parker,
Whit Dickey
Whit Dickey (born May 28, 1954) is an American drummer. He has recorded albums with David S. Ware and Matthew Shipp.
Biography
His first album as a leader was ''Transonic
Transonic (or transsonic) flow is air flowing around an object at ...
,
Joe Morris and
Steve Swell
Steve Swell (born in Newark, New Jersey, December 6, 1954) is an American free jazz trombonist, composer, and educator.
Music career
Swell studied at Jersey City State Teachers College before moving to New York City in 1975 where he began his m ...
.
He is a 2001 CalArts/Alpert/Ucross Residency Prize winner and has received many Meet The Composer Fund grants. In 2006, Brown was awarded a Chamber Music America New Works grant.
Discography
As leader/co-leader
As sideman
References
External links
Official siteRob Brown: No More "Mr. Avant Garde" by John Sharpe
at All About Jazz
''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Rob
American jazz saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Avant-garde jazz musicians
1962 births
Living people
Musicians from Hampton, Virginia
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development alumni
Berklee College of Music alumni
21st-century American saxophonists
Jazz musicians from Virginia
21st-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
Clean Feed Records artists
AUM Fidelity artists
RogueArt artists