Exclusive Interview with 'AARON BROWN'

Guitarist Aaron Brown plays urban jazz. The song, Gordon “G-man” Jones, was written, produced, and orchestrated by Brown in honor of his longtime friend and mentor. On the song, which features a prominent saxophone lead by guest star Pete Belasco and admirably carries the melody with passionate horn play, Brown’s sinewy bass leaps to the fore over drummer Gene Faffley’s beats. Dennis Johnson enhances Brown’s subtle electric guitar playing with keyboard harmonies. Brown, a native of New York City who now calls Westchester County his home, enjoys having easy access to the Big Apple.
Brown majored in music and studied theory, performance, composition, and arranging. He picked up bass playing while attending The City College of New York in Harlem to broaden his skill set. In 2009, Brown released his debut album, “Eclectic Sessions.” He has collaborated on recordings and/or live performances with many well-known jazz and R&B artists, including Charlie Palmieri, Roy Ayers, Marcus Miller, Omar Hakim, Freddie Jackson, Glenn Jones, Carmen Lundy, and the Harlem Boys Choir. Brown fronted his own band, Aaron Brown & Moment’s Notice, and was a member of the Columbia Records group Karavan. He currently runs Bop Brown Productions, a music production company where he composes, records, edits, and arranges music.
Mr. Jones, a fantastic debut album, spent 12 weeks at the top of the SmoothJazz.com Top 100 Chart. He’s released a new song called Hidden Beauty on August 28th, 22 and made available for purchase on 9/1/22. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

AARON BROWN: I’m from NYC, Brooklyn NY. Currently a Westchester resident for 30 years. I started to play guitar at 12 years old in summer camp. Got the bug and here we are 53 years later. My mom played guitar and sang folk song, my father was a Jazz aficionado, he hung out with, Miles, Bird, Trane and a lot of the classic Jazz greats. So I guess it’s kind of genetics.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

AARON BROWN: I started studying music formally in High school {Erasmus Hall}. Then studied at Berklee and CCNY in Harlem. I also studied privately for many years with, Barry Galbraith

American jazz guitarist, Ron Pertrowski, Adolf Sandoley, John Lewis and Derryl Gabel.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘AARON BROWN’?

AARON BROWN: My biggest early influence was Jimmy Hendrix and pop music of the day. Then I discovered a box of jazz LPs in my fathers closet, that opened me up to Jazz influence. There was Charlie Park, Coltrane, Art Blakey, Jimi Smith, Monk, Bobby Timmons, to name a few in my early years. Later years was more contemporary, Chick, John McLaughlin, Weather Report, Pat Martino, Wes, Benson, Frank Gambale and more.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

AARON BROWN: I always think of my music as groove oriented, eclectic and melodic.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as JAZZ?
**AARON BROWN:**
I think the process of developing a style is truly organic. We study as much and as hard as we can, learning from our favorite artist. All the technical stuff, harmony, melody, chord structure Etc. Then we need to some how disconnect our technical brain and let our artistic brain take over. Play from the heart, while listening to our fellow players we are interacting with. Our own style is the result of everything we have studied, listened too and absorbed in our life time.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

AARON BROWN:

I feel that music helps to create a social and spiritual balance in the world. The frequencies that are generated in music exists in nature naturally. There is lots of research to back this up. I don’t make political music, I make music for pure enjoyment and peace of mind.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

AARON BROWN:

For me, when I listen to a song I have created, thats truly my reward. I love to see listeners enjoy my music even more. After all the music that flows through me is from the Lord {Jesus}who guides me in my life.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

AARON BROWN:

I don’t have a set process to write music. It can be either, melody, chords, theme, a dream, a physical place i’m in that motivates me to write a song. I have had many coll-abs over the years. Hope to have many more in the coming years.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

AARON BROWN:

Having a record deal with a major label and not getting the results I was expecting. This is why I now am and Indie record label and plan to stay that way for the future. Also the passing of my mom, Pearl Brown at 101 years young.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

AARON BROWN: I just released two single this year 2022, and both charted on the smooth jazz network Top 100. For me that was confirmation of acceptance in the music community.