Norman Brown (guitarist)
Norman Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 18, 1970 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Smooth jazz, jazz-rock, soul jazz, fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | www |
Norman Brown (born December 18, 1970) is an American smooth jazz guitarist and singer.
Career
Brown was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1970 and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. When he was eight years old, he was attracted to his brother's acoustic guitar. He was inspired by Jimi Hendrix and the Isley Brothers. When he heard Wes Montgomery, he began to play jazz.[1] He attended the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.[1] After graduating in 1984, he joined the staff and was an instructor until 1998. In 1991 he signed with Mo Jazz, a division of Motown.[2]
In 1992 he released his debut album, Just Between Us. Collaborators included Boyz II Men, Stevie Wonder, and Kenneth H. Williams. The album was produced by Norman Connors, a jazz drummer and producer who discovered Brown. In 1994 Brown released the album After the Storm, which gained critical success and was awarded jazz album of the year by Soul Train Music Awards. It also won a Gavin Radio Award by remaining on the charts for over two years. He followed this album with the 1996 release Better Days Ahead, which earned him a broader audience and the American Jazz Award. In 1999, he returned from a three year hiatus and signed with Warner Bros., releasing Celebration, which was produced by Norman Brown, Paul Brown, and Herman Jackson.
In 2002, he formed BWB with saxophonist Kirk Whalum and trumpeter Rick Braun, and they released the album Groovin' . During the summer of 2007, Brown had a No. 1 smooth jazz radio hit, "Let's Take a Ride", from the album Stay with Me, according to Radio and Records magazine. In 2008, the Verve Music Group re-released Just Between Us as part of its "Verve Originals" series. Brown's music can be heard during The Weather Channel's Local on the 8s segments. His song "Lydian" is included in their 2008 compilation album, The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II. In 2011, Brown collaborated with Gerald Albright to record 24/7 which had a number one single, "In the Moment", and earned him a Grammy Award nomination.
Discography
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B[4] | US Jazz[5] | US Con. Jazz[6] | |||
| 1992 | Just Between Us | — | 51 | — | 4 | Mo Jazz |
| 1994 | After the Storm | 140 | 21 | 2 | 2 | Mo Jazz |
| 1996 | Better Days Ahead | 162 | 31 | 2 | 2 | Mo Jazz |
| 1999 | Celebration | — | 50 | 4 | 3 | Warner Bros. |
| 2002 | Just Chillin' | 198 | 50 | 3 | 2 | Warner Bros. |
| 2004 | West Coast Coolin' | 160 | 24 | 5 | 3 | Warner Bros. |
| 2007 | Stay with Me | 107 | 11 | 1 | 1 | Peak |
| 2010 | Sending My Love | — | — | 3 | 2 | Peak |
| 2012 | 24/7
(with Gerald Albright) |
— | — | 1 | 1 | Concord |
| 2017 | Let It Go | — | — | 1 | 1 | Shanachie |
| 2019 | The Highest Act of Love | — | — | 4 | 1 | Shanachie |
| 2020 | Heart to Heart | — | — | 15 | 4 | Shanachie |
| 2022 | Let's Get Away | — | — | n/a | 8 | Shanachie |
| 2024 | It Hits Different | — | — | n/a | n/a | Shanachie |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | ||||||
as BWB (Braun-Whalum-Brown)
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US[3] | US Jazz[5] | US Con. Jazz[6] | US Heat[7] | |||
| 2002 | Groovin' | — | 9 | 4 | 6 | Warner Bros. |
| 2013 | Human Nature: The Songs of Michael Jackson | 184 | 4 | 2 | 5 | Heads Up |
| 2016 | BWB | — | 13 | 1 | 4 | Artistry Music/Mack Avenue |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | ||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Songs [8] |
Smooth Jazz Airplay [9] |
Adult R&B Airplay [10] | |||
| 1994 | "That's the Way Love Goes" | 93 | — | — | After the Storm |
| 2000 | "You Make Me Feel Brand New" | — | — | 39 | Celebration |
| "Rain" | — | — | 15 | ||
| 2003 | "Feeling the Way" | — | — | 32 | Just Chillin' |
| 2004 | "I Might" | — | — | 15 | West Coast Coolin' |
| 2005 | "Angel" | — | — | 36 | |
| "West Coast Coolin'" | — | 16 | — | ||
| "Up 'n' at Em" | — | 38 | — | ||
| 2007 | "Stay with Me" | 80 | — | 20 | Stay with Me |
| "Let's Take a Ride" | — | 1 | — | ||
| 2008 | "Pop's Cool Groove" | — | 2 | — | |
| 2010 | "Sending My Love" | — | 2 | — | Sending My Love |
| 2011 | "Come Go with Me" | — | 15 | — | |
| "Charlie Brown Christmas" | — | — | — | A MoJazz Christmas, Volume 2 | |
| 2012 | "In the Moment" (Gerald Albright / Norman Brown) |
— | 1 | — | Gerald Albright / Norman Brown – 24/7 |
| 2013 | "Champagne Life" (Gerald Albright / Norman Brown) |
— | 1 | — | |
| "Man in the Mirror" (bwb) |
— | 3 | — | bwb – Human Nature | |
| 2014 | "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (bwb) |
— | 1[11] | — | |
| "Billie Jean" (bwb) |
— | 22 | — | ||
| "Second Chances" (Jessy J featuring Norman Brown) |
— | 19 | — | Jessy J – Second Chances | |
| 2016 | "bwb" (bwb) |
— | 1 | — | bwb – BWB |
| "Triple Dare" (bwb) |
— | 1 | — | ||
| "I Want You Girl" (bwb) |
— | 4 | — | ||
| 2017 | "It Keeps Coming Back" | — | 1 | — | Let It Go |
| 2019 | "The King Is Here" | — | 1 | — | The Highest Act of Love |
| "Peace of Mind" | — | 11 | — | ||
| 2020 | "Mo Jazzin" (Johnny Britt featuring Norman Brown) |
— | 12 | — | Johnny Britt – Mo Jazzin' |
| "Heading Wes" | — | 6 | — | Heart to Heart | |
| 2021 | "Just Groovin'" | — | 1 | — | |
| "Heart to Heart" | — | 15 | — | ||
| 2022 | "Back at Ya" | — | 12 | — | Let's Get Away |
| "Easy Livin'" | — | 25 | — | ||
| 2023 | "Let's Get Away" | — | 7 | — | |
| 2024 | "Anything" | — | 1 | — | It Hits Different |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | |||||
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