Guitarist Norman Brown splashed into the soul-jazz
scene in 1992 as a recording artist for MoJazz and quickly went
on to win substantial acclaim, beginning with his award-winning
second album, After the Storm. Both Gavin and Soul Train named
it Jazz Album of the Year, and After the Storm remained on the
charts for over two years. Suddenly critics drew comparisons to
other astonishing jazz guitarists from the past such as George
Benson and Wes Montgomery, and Brown became the toast of the soul-jazz
crowd. Following the remarkable success of After the Storm, Brown
continued to wow jazz listeners. His highly awaited follow-up,
Better Days Ahead, didn't quite measure up to the brilliance of
After the Storm, but it nonetheless won the 1997 American Jazz
Award for contemporary guitar and the album's title track became
the most-added single in NAC history until that point. Following
his flurry of successes at MoJazz, Brown moved to Warner Bros.
in 1999, where he began focusing on the evolution of his still-evolving
career.
Born in Kansas City, Brown first became interested in the guitar
at age eight, when he grew fond of his brother's acoustic six-string.
He initially took much influence from such guitar-based acts
as Jimi Hendrix and the Isley Brothers, but once he discovered
one of his father's favorite guitarists, Wes Montgomery, everything
changed. Rather than play, for instance, material by Earth,
Wind & Fire in local bands, Brown began playing contemporary
jazz tunes and standards. His increasing interest in jazz guitar
led him to Los Angeles in the mid-'80s, where he studied formally
at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood. Following his graduation,
he taught briefly and signed to Motown's MoJazz label, where
he recorded his first three albums, including the much-championed
After the Storm album.
|
