t h a t w a s t h e n . . .
Roy Brown was born in Sacramento, California and was exposed to jazz music at the age of 5 by his parents who were big jazz fans. He played a number of instruments before settling with the piano. These included viola, clarinet, alto and tenor saxophones, but the piano was his true calling. He studied music throughout Junior High and High School and at a local community college. After some private lessons, he started playing piano and organ for several years in local churches before playing jazz music.
During his formative years in Sacramento, Roy worked with several R&B and fusion groups playing Fender Rhodes and various synthesizers.
Upon forming his own group, Roy made the choice to pursue and perform jazz, staying within the tradition. He led the Roy Brown Quintet for seven years; an ensemble which included a singer and allowed Brown to feature his original compositions as well as established jazz standards. In 1994 he released and independently produced a CD entitled Courage establishing his own label, Roday Records.( Roy produced 2 other albums on this label). This CD featured a legendary drummer, the late George Walker, who was a mainstay in the Wes Montgomery group for years. Brown’s group soon began working at various jazz clubs and he performed for several private functions including all the well-known African American sororities and fraternities as well as society events within the Sacramento area. In addition, he also hosted workshops and clinics at local area high schools.
Roy’s group was featured several times at the California State Fair and Exposition and he performed at the well-known Oak Park Summer Concert Series Headlined by John Handy and Class. This concert was videotaped and to this day it is still being run on a local cable channel in the Sacramento area. Roy was also featured on a local Public Broadcasting station. His group traveled to various cities including Washington D.C., New Orleans and Dallas, Texas. During this time he composed more than 30 original compositions.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Roy felt the need to seek out more instruction in order to develop and grow as an artist and prior to moving to the San Francisco Bay Area he studied Composition and theory with internationally acclaimed Bay Area based pianist Mark Levine.
After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, he soon found himself working with some of the finest musicians in the Bay Area including the great pianist and educator Dee Spencer as well as working briefly with acclaimed drummer Babatunde Lea, guitarist Eric Swinderman, drummer Kamau Seitu, alto saxophonist’s Bishop Norman Williams and Jules Broussard vocalist Frankye Kelly, Vibraphonist Yancie Taylor, Trumpeter Larry Douglas and vocalist Renee Lubin. He had the opportunity to record a jazz demo tape of his own compositions with renowned Bay Area drummer James Levi (who was well known for his work with Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters group).
Roy began working as Pianist for 5 years with Bay Area saxophonist Charles Unger with his group ‘The Charles Unger Experience” at Les Joulins Jazz Bistro( a club that showcased many working Bay Area jazz musicians including legendary saxophonist Bishop Norman Williams). Upon recommendation from bandleader Charles Unger, Roy secured a Monday night spot of his own at Les Joulins for 2 years featuring his own group and showcasing his original compositions.
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Recently, Roy has been working at clubs and festivals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with his own group and a host of different artists locally and abroad.
He has performed at Kelly’s of Alameda and at the Ashkenaz Community Music center with renowned local musicians Carlos Zialcita and Myrna Del Rio, and has been very active as a member of vibraphone legend Yancie Taylor’s lauded Jazztet.
In July of 2005 Roy performed at the Jazz Las Casas festival in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico and in November 2005 headlined the Festival International de Jazz in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico with Bay Area based singer Frankye Kelly.
From February to May of 2006, Roy performed in Shanghai, China with renowned vocalist Frankye Kelly at the prestigious CJW Bund Center and the intimate jazz house CJW Xintiandi.
Roy’s second album was the acclaimed 2005 release Jazz Is The Music I Play, featuring bassist Attila Medveczky and drummer Rob Gibson.
His newest Roday album, Continuation, is an intriguing set of standards and originals and features renowned vibraphone master Yancie Taylor, saxophonist James Bailey, bassists Aaron Germain and Miles Wick, drummer Rusty Aceves and spoken word artist Julian Carroll. The album has racked up impressive sales around the globe and has been featured regularly on KCSM Jazz 91 in the Bay Area.
In 2015 Roy was pianist for the Larry Douglas / Jorge Pineda Latin Jazz Alltet and played on all tracks on the album “Dedicatorias Dos” .
Roy returned to school graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music/Jazz Studies emphasis in 2013 from San Francisco State University .In addition he co- taught The Survey of Jazz Class with bay area radio announcer Clifford Brown Jr. and taught beginning Jazz piano at San Francisco State University and assisted with the Instrumental Jazz Combos . Roy also was accompanist for the San Francisco State Vocal Jazz Ensemble for 3 semesters under the direction of Bay Area vocal legend Renee Lubin .In May of 2017 Roy graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Music Education from San Francisco State University. Roy is currently a member of the faculty at Berkeley City College and teaches part -time . Roy also is performing with various Organ trios around the San Francisco Bay area. Roy owns a vintage 1950’s model Hammond C-2 and Leslie 145 and uses a dual manual Hammond XK-3C with Leslie 3300 for gigging.
Roy Brown lives in Oakland, California.