Margherita Fava
Hi, welcome back to On Keys with your host, Margherita Fava. Today, we are airing a conversation with a pianist that means a lot to the city of Knoxville, since that's where he grew up and got his start. The song you just heard 512 Arkansas Street was an original of his from his latest album African Ripples. Find out who I'm talking about in 3…2…1…
Today we are joined by pianist, composer, arranger and associate professor at University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, Keith Brown. In his career, he has performed on most of all the biggest stages in the world, alongside musicians like Kenny Garrett, Stefon Harris, Jazzmeiai Horn, Endea Owens, and his own band with whom he has recorded three albums as of now.
But it all started at home playing music with his siblings and his father, Jazz Messenger Donald Brown, here in Knoxville, Tennessee. Hi Keith. Welcome to On Keys!
Keith Brown
Hey, Margherita. How’re you doing?
Good! So great to talk to you and and I'm really looking forward to see you in a few days, because this Tuesday, March 3, you're coming back to Knoxville to perform at the Bijou theater, a program called The Brown Family Get Down, in celebration of you and your family's contribution to the music world. What can you tell us about the show?
Yeah. I'm looking forward to it. I mean, it should be a good time. I know my brother Kenneth is going to play some drums, I think my pops is going to come out and play some, I'm excited. It's one of my first times to, like, really get to do some of my own music with the big band. So, yeah, I'm excited about hearing some of those arrangements and some of my father's music and Kenny's music, and I think my wife is going to sing a song. So yeah, I mean, it'll be a fun time, kind of like you mentioned, us just kind of playing together in our living room or something in our house. It's kind of a bigger version of that. So I think it'll be pretty fun.
Yeah, that's great! The show starts at eight, and tickets are still available on knoxjazz.org, shout out to the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra for organizing this event and to the Lawson Family Foundation for sponsoring it. I really look forward to it. I wanted to talk to you about something: through your dad, but also just through the area that you were born in, you put yourself in a big legacy of musicians, specifically pianists, from the south of the United States. So I wanted to ask you, what is it about the South and its pianists?
You know, that's a good question, you know. I think one of the biggest things is, in the South and in general, is the connection that it has to the blues. I feel like, you know, all of those pianists that you mentioned, even back to Phineas Newborn or whatever, you know, they all kind of started playing in different blues bands and even R & B bands and stuff back in Memphis. And sometimes I feel like that connection within jazz gets lost, that, you know, no matter, no matter how complex the music gets, that feeling, that soulfulness and the emotions of that blues thing gets lost. And I think they're definitely in the South, just throughout the years and the generations, they managed to hold on to that thing.
And how did you hold on to the thing? Specifically, like, what's your process?
I think a lot of it is just because, like you said, how I how I came up, and even through my father, like, of course I heard a lot of jazz stuff as a kid, but, I mean, he'd be listening to James Brown and the Jackson Five and P-funk, and I don't you know all of those different, you know, great 70s and 80s music Cameo, Stevie Wonder just whatever. So I think that early on, for me, just seeing how he approached just music in general, there wasn't a divide, it's just all one thing, the jazz stuff, the funk, the blues stuff is just all one thing. So, you know, I remember being young, and at the time I didn't really know what it was, but, of course, now I do, but hearing him working on this, like, funk arrangement of Thelonious Monk’s Four And One, that's just like, you know, the sounds of my childhood for me. So I think a lot of it, I mean, I'm saying is that just ended up being my process. Is that when I sit down to write or create, it's like, I'm not necessarily searching for one thing, all of it is on the table at any time, it naturally comes about.
And there was another original by Keith Brown, this time from his second album, The Journey. That was entitled Deception Of the Heart. And actually perfect segue, I was going to ask you about your compositional style when you get in that space, like, how does it start for you? Where do you start from?
Yeah, you know, I've been trying to figure that out for myself! There's only been a few times that I've sat down and been like “I'm gonna write something”. Like, most times it'll come for me, you know, maybe I'll hear a little something and be like “oh, that's cool. Kind of! What's this idea?” And just through the process of messing around with that idea, be it a melodic line or a harmonic or rhythmic thing I heard, that kind of stems into the composing process. And then, you know how it is. Sometimes you just, walking down the street and you hear a melody in your head, and this kind of comes about that way. But, yeah, I don't know if I have a process yet.
I mean, a lot of people will say that that is the process, you know, not having one! But you're right, like, sometimes it might come from the bassline, sometimes might come from the chord progression. Sometimes it comes from the title even! And I talked about it with your dad as well. I think that something that you guys have, I mean, let me not even get started about all the musical aspects of it! But you guys are great at choosing titles, like for all of your songs. Can you talk a little bit about that?
I feel like you know sometimes when you're writing, it's like “man, this feels like this”. You know what I mean? Like, as far as the title goes “this is what this is making me think about”. Occasionally there's those times, I'm going to sit down and write a song that I want to try to get this feeling of this subject matter across. You know, the only thing I do have, like in my notes on my phone, it’s a huge list of titles, you know, and occasionally I play something like “oh! That's what this is!”
That's really cool. And you know what, I asked your dad the same question, and he gave me the same answer. Really, yes! He talked about the long list of titles that he has somewhere. So that's great!
That's funny. I didn't know that
You've shared the stage with so many great artists in so many different situations and locations, and so you know, after years of working as a sideman: what makes a great sideman, in your opinion?
Well, I guess musically- and personally- being flexible. As far as you know, if someone's asking you for a certain thing, just being able to come up with a few different directions to approach it. I mean, sometimes you're working with people who know exactly what they want, and they're kind of clear, telling you what it is. Sometimes people know what they want, but they don't really know how to express what they want. So you have to be, you know “okay, well, let's try it a few different ways”, and have your thing and your style, but being, like, a little flexible with it. Like, to me, like I'm sure is to most people, Herbie Hancock is like the height of heights. But I feel like he clearly has his own style that it's like you hear his stuff, and it's like “this is Herbie”. But I feel like it's such a flexible and versatile style that, you know, it's like, you can tell it's Herbie, but he has so many different ways he can approach something. So I mean, I don't know if I always execute that, but that's like my ideal: to just be able to come from a lot of different ways, and, you know, still be able to be me, but give the person what they're looking for. So yeah, and then, you know, outside of the music, hopefully being somewhat easy to work with, you know, I mean, I feel like sometimes that is an underestimated thing. And, you know, show up all the time, ready to go, know the music, and just kind of for lack of a better phrase or a more technical phrase, just being a cool person to work with, to be around.
Welcome back to On Keys with your host, Margherita Fava. Today, we are talking to pianist Keith Brown while we are waiting for his homecoming show this Tuesday, March 3rd at the Bijou Theater. That was another original composition by him from his debut album Sweet and Lovely. That was entitled Lady in Jazz. I was wondering: in all of your experiences on the bandstand, what has been like a challenging situation that you found yourself in musically, and how did that work out? How did you overcome that challenge?
Since I've been playing with Kenny Garrett, that has been an interesting challenge, just in the sense of, I feel like a lot of the tunes don't necessarily have difficult chord changes, but, I mean, but, you know, it's a certain music that no matter who's playing it, it has a certain sound to the music and and It's definitely been a challenge, like just trying to, to do what you do, but stay inside the sound of that music a little bit. And even, I mean, I guess even to stretch the sound of the music as well when it's needed, because it's like, I mean, obviously the music is what it is. But, you know, it doesn't always need to just be that, right? It needs to grow and expand. And you know how to expand it while keeping the integrity of what's there. So, I mean, I can definitely say that has been a more challenging recent experience. And then just, I mean, just the intensity of the band, like, you know, pace yourself, but still keep that drive that, of course, that Kenny brings, like, night in and night out, you know, no excuses. So, that's definitely been challenging, but he's another one of those people that I feel like, who gives you space to figure it out, right? He tells you some things, and then it's like “play, you know, experiment, listen, whatever it is, but find your path within this music without it being like, what's already happened”. Because it's like, that doesn't necessarily need to happen again. It's like this happened. Where's the music going?
This made me think, do you ever, or maybe in the past…like, have you ever caught yourself comparing yourself to maybe previous members of that band? Because Kenny Garrett, for example, played with some incredible musicians. Especially at the beginning it might be a bit, you know, daunting to, you know, fill Kenny Kirkland shoes, you know, or something like that! Have you ever thought about that?
Only briefly, and then I had to put that out, because you're right. I mean, it's like I said. I mean, man, Kenny Kirkland and Vernell Brown and Benito (Gonzalez), yeah. I mean, it's just like, you know? Within every chair in that band, there’s just a history of incredible musicians. But I feel like, you know, through all of those different musicians, there's a certain life that remains, no matter who's playing. But also, I had to realize, you know, I'm not any of those musicians, so it's like whatever it's going to be, it has to be what is genuine for myself. Otherwise it's not going to be right anyway.
Between your dad's connections and your connections. You've always been, you know, in touch with so many great musicians. So I'm wondering what was the process like of choosing your own band? What does it take to be in Keith Brown's ensemble?
Really, as far as the people that I play with, like, I mean, I don't know. Like, none of those people really are coming from, like my pops, this is really just people that I've encountered throughout the years. You know, somebody who I end up frequently using is Terreon Gully on drums. Kenneth Whalum called me to do some gigs with him in Atlanta. And Terreon was playing drums. And just like, since that moment, it was like, at the time I remember thinking “when I record my next one, I'm going to call him”. And yeah, so he played on on that one, and pretty much anybody who's on my albums are people that I consider some type of friend, because I feel like outside of the music, it's gotta be somebody that, you know, I don't want to bring in, someone who has a name that I don't have a relationship with. You know what I mean? I feel like all that stuff to me is part of the music. But yeah, well, you know, like Clint Mulligan and Jamel Mitchell and Greg Tardy, like all of them have played on it, but I feel like they're not just friends. They're people who I feel like I had a significant musical relationship with. So yeah, I feel like as far as that process goes, it's and it's people that I think can execute the music, but I do believe that just your personal relationship, goes a long way as well.
You just heard an original composition by Keith's brother, drummer Kenneth Brown entitled How Ironic from Kenneth's album Second Chances, featuring Keith on piano, Chris Potter on saxophone and Nicholas Payton on trumpet. Any moments of your upbringing in Knoxville, like, stand out to you? Any memorable gig or rehearsals or just musical moments in Knoxville?
Probably the two biggest things are the band that me and my brother Kenneth started, After Party. We had a lot of really good nights playing at Barley’s. That was like, the thing, man, it used to be packed in there for those shows. But then Kenny moved away, and we ended up having to get another drummer. But through all of that time, like that band was always, is, always…we’re still trying to get some other shows booked, so hopefully that'll be coming about soon. And then on Monday nights, we had a gig at Barley’s with the Blueprint, which was, you know, just kind of a more straight ahead thing. But that was actually really, really good for all of us. I feel like it was like my band, but it was open for all of us to bring in music that we were working on and writing and playing quite a few of my tunes, but it was great for, you know, just the constant playing, and just like I said, just writing, just trying stuff out, or this isn't quite right, and and tweaking tunes. I mean it's probably a few songs that I've just recorded within the last couple years that I was workshopping way back then with that band. So, yeah, those were definitely some, some good times, some of these gigs back at the old 4620 where my pops would be playing keys and I'd just be doing auxiliary keys and my brothers on drums. And yeah. So it's plenty of good times that I remembered from some of those gigs.
I’m sure, everybody is really, really looking forward to this homecoming this Tuesday on March 3rd. And actually, I have a question about that, since you said that some of your family is also going to partake in the concert, your dad, your brother and your wife. From the outside in, seeing a family playing together can always look very wholesome, very harmonious, but coming myself from a family of musicians, I know that might not always be the case 100%! So I'm just wondering, like, how has the process of playing with your family changed through the years? If you can share anything about that.
I think you pretty much covered it! I guess music is just an extension of life. So I guess any household is a household. You know? Fighting with your brothers and your sisters and your parents getting on you about this, that and the other so it goes on to the band stand as well. At times, but you know, sometimes, at least while you're playing, some of those things go away and you're able to just play. Sometimes! But like I said, that's part of the music. I mean, sometimes it goes on the stage with you, and that's just what it is.
What are some projects after Tuesday that you are looking forward to?
The biggest thing that I'm working on right now…I started recording a little while ago, so I'm in the process of finishing that up and hopefully releasing that a little bit later this year. So that's kind of the biggest thing on my agenda in between any gigs, is just to sit down, yeah, and kind of get this recording kind of stuff. And then, you know, still some traveling, some other gigs, man, I just got back from New York, playing with Endea Owens up at Lincoln Center, that was a good time. And some more stuff coming up with Kenny Garrett and some other people. So still some gig stuff, but like I said, I'm really excited to try to finish up this project and then some other things that I'm working on writing as well. So just trying to figure out writing for some strings and stuff, which I haven't really done before, but that's been a fun and frustrating challenge.
And what is the part of your job at the moment that excites you the most?
Really, I can't say that “excites me the most”. I feel like I'm fortunate, like when I'm on the road and I'm playing, I mean that is great and exciting. But then I have some students between, you know, just piano students, and then even in ensembles that I'm coaching and stuff that are doing good. And, you know, it's like, when I come in and someone's been practicing and they actually, like, get their stuff together, that excites me, too. Or, you know, you go to the ensemble and they play this tune and like “oh, they kind of starting to get in there!” So, yeah, I mean, to me, it's all exciting, but I just try to be where I'm at at the time.
That's great. Well, thank you for being with us today, Keith and again, we are super excited to have you back in Knoxville in a few days. Any last shout outs or anything you want to say, in closure?
Shout out to the city of Knoxville, the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, Vance Thompson for inviting me to come and do this and yeah, please, if you don't have your tickets, go ahead and grab them. And, yeah, I think it's gonna be a really fun show.
Well, guys, you heard him. The Brown Family Get Down, featuring the music of Keith and Donald Brown is at the Bijou theater this Tuesday, March third, tickets are available on knoxjazz.org and that's our show for today. At 9pm Randy Fishman with Last Set at Birdland. You've been listening to On Keys here on WUOT 91.9 FM, see you next week. Ciao!
