Kathy Brown

Herausragende Jazz-Pianistin aus Jamaika, die auch Musik arrangiert und komponiert.

hi wolfgang
info about me may be seen at www.myspace.com/kathymbrown  and allaboutjazz.com-do musicians search for kathy brown. my cd is just coming out and i just had a cd and performance debut in toronto, canada on august 5 2007. so i will let you know when i can send my cd and of course i would love a copy of yours. and sure you may go ahead and present me at doctorstalents.com. i refer to myself as a part time doctor and a full time musician!

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Biography
Dr. Kathy Brown – pianist, composor, bandleader, recording artist

Jamaican jazz pianist, medical doctor, Kathy Brown, habitually captivates audiences with pleasing jazz arrangements and delightful piano riffs

The Aries born musician always plays with verve or, as the French says, joie de vivre, with energy and love of life, performances that are highly thought of by the Jamaican press.

American Christopher Porter writing in the Jazz Times described the pianist’s 20-minutes performance at Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival 2005 thus, “ The multitalented Dr. Kathy Brown, a jazz and reggae pianist, played a really fun but too-short set, mostly consisting of standards such as Caravan” and “Afro Blue”.

On the same international show, but two years later, on a night headlined by American contemporary jazz star Roy Ayers, Gleaner newspaper writer Adrian Frater noted, “Although not attracting top billing, it was the charismatic and musically charged Dr. Kathy Brown who stole the spotlight as the 2007 Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival ended its two-night stopover at the Half Moon Shopping Centre in Montego Bay.

En route to Jamaica’s biggest festivals, including the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, Brown has stopped at smaller shows and venues such as the Jamaica Pegasus’ Jazz in the Gardens series, Jazz on the Green series, Red Bones Blues Café, Christopher’s Jazz Cafe and many more twice.

The journey continues through record studios and post production blues that finally ended in the arduously labour-intensive debut CD, Mission: A Musical Journey. The 9-track album contents a deft arrangement of Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up”, her own composition “Mission” and “Latin Groove”.

From the outset Kathy Brown set sight on doing live performances well beyond her island shores. “I am more about performing [and] for this reason I want to take my music outside of Jamaica to places like New York, Canada, Europe, Japan and Africa”.

Kathy Brown who formed her jazz band, Kathy Brown & Friends, in March 2002, considers her style of music World [Beat] music that people anywhere can appreciate.

“ It is not just jazz, reggae or pure anything, it is true crossover and it reaches out to different music style, and people around the world will most certainly appreciate it”.

At age 5, little Katherine Brown, the daughter of two University lecturers, was relentlessly deluged with classical and folk music at home in mid-island Jamaica. Then, she was already singing and whistling before those tiny fingers pattered on the unignorable family piano.

“I grew up in a home where the sound of music was ever-present, on tapes, on LPs and you hear your father playing [piano] downstairs, and older sisters who were also playing”. Almost naturally, she sidled to the piano and, at such tender age, began to play by ear before being signed up for lessons in classical piano.

An insatiable drive to master the instrument led Brown to pursue music as elective in High School (Jamaica) Ivy League College (USA) and during her tenure as a medical student at University of the West Indies.

A family doctor by day and a jazz player some nights, the accomplished pianist has definitively defined her music and sound.

“ My music is definitively a crossover between jazz and indigenous forms of music whether it be reggae, Latin and afro-Brazilian styles”.

Yet, it is as a consummate jazz pianist with or without her band that she shines brightest, evidence by the response of the Jamaican audiences and the rave reviews by the press.

Kathy Brown, who has played with Jamaica’s great guitarist Ernest Ranglin, famed trumpeter Mickey Hanson and Japanese multi-reedist Hiroaki Honshuku, is an excellent performer, a consummate jazz pianist, composer, arranger who is ready for stages outside of homeland Jamaica.

Education

Initially self-taught in reading and playing ‚by ear‘, Kathy studied classical piano up to grade 6 (Royal School of Music, England). Later taking intermittent classes in jazz piano after completing her medical degree.

Press Quotes
Good songs in the Garden by Michael ‚Jazzofonik‘ Edwards Sunday, May 06, 2007 Save for a characteristically energetic opening stint by Kathy Brown and an all-star band (including Desi Jones and Seretse Small, more on him later), the first half of last Sunday’s Jazz in the Garden was all about the singers and the ‚big man‘ Michael Harris shone brightest with a polished yet relaxed set that did a lot in a limited period of time. Dr Kathy Brown, pianist keyboardist extraordinnaire, thrilled Christopher’s Café last Tuesday. Dr Kathy Brown, a fixture on the jazz scene, did not disappoint either, showing poise and ease in her delivery, stirring the audience with the sounds of Summertime, Marley’s Get Up Stand Up, Mission and Afro Blue and leaving them fully satisfied.- Jamaica Observer

(Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival 2007 But this night surely belonged to backing band Kathy Brown and friends (Brown on keyboards, Seretse Small on guitar, Desi Jones on drums, Denver Smith on percussion and Aeon Hoilett on bass) for keeping a lively tempo throughout. Interestingly, their exquisite backing of the Barbadian (Rosemary)Phillips belied the fact that the artiste arrived the same day and rehearsal time must have been extremely limited.- Jamaica Pegasus‘ Jazz in the garden Jazz fest gets medical treatment published: Friday | January 26, 2007 Adrian Frater, News Editor GLEANER WESTERN BUREAU: Although not attracting top billing, it was the charismatic and musically charged Dr. Kathy Brown who stole the spotlight on Wednesday night as the 2007 Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival ended its two-night stopover in the scenic theatre at the Half Moon Shopping Centre, Montego Bay. With brilliant support coming from famed drummer Desi Jones, top-flight bassist Ian Hoilett and master percussionist Denver Smith, who also played congo drums; Dr. Brown was almost therapeutic in her delivery as she drew prolonged applause from the small but appreciative audience. It was like delivering a much-needed prescription to an ailing patient in need of his medicine as Dr. Brown commanded maximum attention, caressing the keyboard with her dancing fingers as she unleashed classic instrumental selections such as Summertime, Flintstones, a rollicking cover of the Bob Marley & the Wailers‘ Get Up Stand Up, Take It Easy and Mission in a blazing opening salvo. The ‚Doctors‘ delight UWI VALENTINE’S SHOW Michael A Edwards, Observer writer Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Two doctors, one honorary the other medical, along with their respective combos, provided much of the highlights in a thoroughly delightful evening of entertainment at the Old Still House (part of the Visitor’s Lodge compound) at the UWI campus on Valentine’s night. With repertoires encompassing jazz standards to contemporary pop, guitarist Dr Ernest Ranglin and keyboardist Dr Kathy Brown proved enjoyable to couples and singles alike.
Jamaica

Born
April 18, 1970

Kathy Brown began playing the piano before the age of 5 years. Initially self taught in reading and playing ‚by ear‘ -“ I somehow just heard music and started playing it“-, she eventually did classical piano up to grade 6(Royal School of Music,England). She then had intermittent classes in jazz piano after completing her university studies in medicine (U.W.I.,Jamaica). Today, the medical doctor is an accomplished pianist/keyboard player in a wide variety of musical styles. Kathy Brown and Friends band (formed in 2002) performs refreshingly creative arrangements of songs while exploring many different musical rhythms including latin, jazz, funk/pop, reggae, mento and other indigenous/alternative forms. The band usually presents instumental music (originals and covers) with optional vocals. Kathy Brown is also the toast of a number of special event occasions including banquets, weddings, and corporate functions where she often performs solo. ‚Kathy Brown and Friends‘ has performed on a wide variety of stages in Jamaica including: -the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival(Jan.2004-2007) -the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival(2005,2007) -the Pegasus Jazz in the Gardens series(2003,2004,2006,2007) -the Jazz on the Green series(2004-2007) -the Barbados Jazz Festival Launch(2003) -Emancipation Park Concert series(2003-2006) -the Red Bones Blues Cafe(2002-2004), the Rib Kage Restaurant(2002-2004), and Christopher’s Jazz Cafe(the Quad)(2005-present). Kathy has performed with internationally renowned jazz guitarist Dr. Ernest Ranglin, pop/reggae music recording star Ritchie Stephens, and has composed/arranged music for many choral groups with whom she has performed/toured. The band is in the process of completing it’s debut album-date tba.