Mel Brown

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Mel Brown

Mel Brown (born October 7, 1939 in Jackson , Mississippi , † March 20, 2009 in Kitchener , Ontario ) was an American blues guitarist, bassist and pianist.

Live and act

Brown grew up in Jackson, Mississippi ; early idols were the blues guitarists BB King and T-Bone Walker . He then moved to Los Angeles , where he had been working mainly as a session musician since the late 1950s. a. on recordings of Bobby Darin , Bill Cosby , but also participated in T-Bone Walker's album Funky Town . At the end of 1960 he went on tour with the formation The Olympics ; then he played for two years in the backing band of the singer Etta James ; later he also played in the band of Oliver Nelson ( Live from Los Angeles , 1967), Jimmy McGriff ( The Starting Five , 1986) or with the West Coast bassist Leroy Vinnegar ( Walking the Basses , 1992). He also played in various local blues bands.

In the summer of 1967, Impulse was created on the jazz label . Records a first blues-funk album under his own name ( Chicken Fat ), on which Gerald Wiggins , Herb Ellis , Arthur Wright , Ronald Brown and Paul Humphrey participated. It followed impulses! Albums like The Wizard , I'd Rather Suck My Thumb and Big Foot Country Gal .

In 1971 Brown became a member of the band of singer Bobby "Blue" Bland , worked on his California album (1973) with. In 1979 Brown performed at the San Francisco Blues Festival . Brown also worked with blues legends like John Lee Hooker and Lightnin 'Hopkins during this time ; he stayed with Bland until 1982.

Brown worked in a blues band in Austin , Texas in 1983 in the house band at Club Antone's ; later he accompanied musicians like Buddy Guy , Stevie Ray Vaughan and Clifton Chenier . In 1986 he became a member of Albert Collins ' band the Icebreakers and worked on the album Cold Snap with; then he continued to work at Club Antone's in Austin.

In early 1990, Brown moved to Kitchener , Ontario , Canada , where he formed his own band, The Homewreckers . The album Neck Bones & Caviar (1999) was created. The following year he was awarded the Prix ​​Big Bill Broonzy and the WC Handy Award . In 2001 and 2002 he received the Juno Award . In 2006 Brown recorded his last album ( Blues: A Beautiful Thing ). In 2007 he received the Living Blues Award for best guitarist. In April 2008 he was on stage one last time; he performed with Buddy Guy in Kitchener Ontario . Brown died of emphysema complications in March 2009 .

Brown combined elements of soul, funk and jazz in his style to create a contemporary blues style of playing.

Discographic notes

As a leader

  • 1967: Chicken Fat ( Impulse! Records )
  • 1968: The Wizard (Impulse!)
  • 1969: Blues For We (Impulse!)
  • 1969: I'd Rather Suck My Thumb (Impulse!)
  • 1971: Fifth (Impulse!)
  • 1998: Can't Stop Blowin ' (E-fi 3359) Snooky Pryor / Mel Brown
  • 1999: Neck Bones & Caviar (E-fi 3363) Mel Brown
  • 2000: Double Shot! (E-fi 3367) Snooky Pryor and Mel Brown
  • 2001: Homewreckin 'Done Live (E-fi 3370) Mel Brown and The Homewreckers
  • 2006: Blues - A Beautiful Thing (E-fi 3394) Mel Brown and The Homewreckers
  • 2006: Mel Brown - The DVD (E-fi 3395) Living Blues Award 2007 Best Blues DVD

As a sideman

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Obituary (English)
personal data
SURNAME Brown, Mel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brown, Melvin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American blues and jazz guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH October 7, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Jackson , Mississippi
DATE OF DEATH March 20, 2009
Place of death Kitchener , Ontario