Paul Brown performs April 27, at Levels Lounge. Photo by Terelle Jerricks
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aul Brown blew the roof off The Levels Lounge on March 20, going blow for blow with DW3 in one of the best smooth jazz shows in recent memory. The evening was hosted by Pat Prescott and 94.7 The Wave. The San Pedro night spot was filled with smiling faces as DW3 kicked off the evening with some funky rhythm and blues flavored jazz. When guitarist – producer Paul Brown took the stage the set was off the hook. Brown elevated an already high standard of performance with his soulful guitar style. The dynamics of the affair kept peaking even as the band took a break. The house DJ smoked the room with some old school hip
hop. The floor was shaking when the second set kicked into high gear. Brown’s artistry lies in his intuitive style of playing. He plays like the giants of jazz guitar, Wes Montgomery and George Benson, playing within the context of a band member underpinning the group with very smooth melodic lines. Brown can also be funky and driven. At the gig with DW3 he made the event sizzle with his burning solo’s counter-parted by DW3’s solid groove and vocals. On April 27, Brown will be back with his band at Levels Lounge with guest saxophonist Darren Rahn in a show named “The Producers.” In a phone interview with the legendary smooth jazz producer and guitarist we asked about the upcoming gig.
“I won’t be just playing my music, Darren Rahn and I will be trading songs back and forth..” Both artists are promoting their new CDs, Brown’s recently released CD The Funky Joint and Rahn’s Speechless. Both CDs represent as artists and producers the best and latest in smooth jazz recordings. We talked about his early start in music playing in bands back in grammar school and we found Paul Brown was a bit of a “Deadhead” in junior high school. “On my first album, I indicated who my influences were. I said, ‘Wes Montgomery and Jerry Garcia.’ People would (ask), ‘How can you put Wes Montgomery in the same category as Jerry Garcia?’” he recounted. “I (replied),
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By B. Noel Barr, Music Writer Dude
Paul Brown to page 16.
April 6 – 19, 2012 April 6 – 19, 2012
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