Tom Browne
@ the PizzaExpresss Live Club
9 September 2017
Click an image to enlarge.
Biography
Browne began to carve a path for his musical future early on, studying
via scholarship under Murray Karpilovsky (principal trumpeter with
the NBC Orchestra directed by Arturo Toscanini.) A student at the
co-joined High School of Music and Art / Performing Arts in New
York (renowned courtesy of the motion picture entitled "Fame,")
Browne became a regular on the New York jazz scene and had the fortune
of learning first hand from masters like Jimmy Nottingham, Richard
Williams, Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard. Browne soon played his
first pro level performances as sideman to jazz greats Weldon Irvine
and Sonny Fortune for which he earned domestic and international
recognition. It was no surprise that Downbeat Magazine would single
out his ‘warm trumpet’ during the review of Fortunes'
1976 “Infinity Is” album.
Then in 1978, Browne led a traditional jazz quintet at the Breezin’
Lounge, an uptown New York nightclub indirectly affiliated with
George Benson. Through contacts made by Jimmy Boyd ( Bensons’
former and Browne’s subsequent manager) and guitar legend
Earl Klugh, Browne was offered several solo recording contracts
and ultimately signed with Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen on the newly
formed GRP Record label. There he recorded six solo projects including
several hits. His debut release “Browne Sugar” (1979)
dominated the jazz charts for many weeks while “Love Approach”
(1980) and “Magic” (1981) each earned gold album status
and spawned hits like “Funkin' For Jamaica,” “Thighs
High” and “Secret Fantasy.”
Browne went on to win prestigious Billboard honours of Best Instrumentalist,
Best Jazz Cross-Over, Best Jazz Artist-Trumpet and Best Jazz Solo
Album.
In 1986, Browne opted for a label change, primarily because his
new found walk as an evangelical Christian redirected much of lyrical
expression found in works on the previous labels. A recording was
produced for Malaco Records that reflected his inner spirit. That
CD was called “No Longer I.”
While still performing, Brownes primary career path shifted towards
another love; commercial aviation. Browne flew for many years as
a charter and airline captain, most recently with a FedEx Feeder
Company on ATR72 and Fokker F-27 aircraft.
Tom Browne re-emerged in a solid recording career in 1994, recording
for the Hip-Bop Record Label. There, He released his first in a
series of recordings for Hip Bop entitled “Mo' Jamaica Funk.”
Subsequent releases for the label include “Another Shade of
Browne” which features him in a ‘straight-ahead jazz’
setting with Ron Carter, Idris Muhammad and Billy Childs (1996)
and “R & Browne” (1999) which received outstanding
‘Jazziz Magazine’ reviews. Tom performs here with label
mates Lenny White and Michael Urbaniak. In 2003, Hip Bop released
“The Tom Browne Collection” which let the listening
audience know that Browne is doing well and playing better than
ever! On August 31, 2010, Pony Canyon Records released his excitement
filled CD entitled “S’ Up” to the Japanese market
only. The recording features Fred Wesley and Groove Collective.
His new recording entitled “Legacy” is due out at the
end of 2015, and captures not only Browne’s fiery and funky
trumpet and horn section work, but also the sizzling vocals of talented
and beautiful Ms. Joyce San Mateo, a Netherlands based Filipino
singer.
Today, Tom Browne can be found on tour regularly as a solo act,
or packaged with artists like Roy Ayers and Boney James.
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