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Phil Brown

Composer, jazz artist, and music educator, Philip Brown, is Professor Emeritus of Double Bass and Jazz Studies at Southern Illinois University. His performance career has included occasional dates with first-line jazz artists, as well as full-time seasons with professional symphony orchestras. Based in southern Illinois, Brown is the bassist with the New Arts Jazztet (NAJ), and continues to be active as a free-lance musician. His writing efforts have produced nearly 50 original tunes for the NAJ, and he has released four recordings as leader featuring many of those compositions. In 2003, the Illinois Arts Council honored Brown for his work and commitment within the arts with an Artist Fellowship Award in music composition. He completed his undergraduate studies in composition at Northwestern University, and his graduate work in music education at North Texas State University. Brown’s bass teachers have included Lawrence Hurst, Ringwalt Warner, Evan Tonsing, Warren Benfield, and Edward Rainbow. He studied composition with M. William Karlins, and with Luciano Berio. Brown is a native of Amarillo, Texas.

Phil Brown: Rule Of Three

Read "Rule Of Three" reviewed by Thierry De Clemensat

by Thierry De Clemensat
April 12, 2025

Though he resides in Illinois, it is likely double bassist, composer and teacher Phil Brown's Texan roots that inspired this album with its Latino flavors. Both entertaining and highly academic in concept, the album is enriched by the presence of Fareed Haque, an excellent guitarist who is himself deeply rooted in academic rigor. He reminds us that this style of music has, for decades, been thoroughly modernized by towering figures like Juan Carmona. Expect no surprises here--only an impeccably-crafted album. ...

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Recording

Bassist Phil Brown Releases Third Album: "Bright Side"

Source: Michael Ricci
November 27, 2009

Phil Brown's Bright Side once again features Brown with the New Arts Jazztet performing a program of ten originals--six by Brown with contributions by each of four other NAJ members. The results are a kaleidoscope of fresh jazz sounds and friendly styles. It's all here--straightahead, Latin, mainstream, free, groove, funk... expressing a spectrum of different moods--intriguing, sultry, exuberant, evocative, insistent, meditative, witty, brooding. Recorded July 2006; released November 2009

The New Arts Jazztet is Tyler Kuebler, reeds; Bob Allison, trumpet/flugelhorn; ...
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