The Don Brown Collective
Blue Note131 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
The Don Brown Collective takes the late set at Blue Note in Manhattan. Led by drummer and bandleader Don Brown, the Los Angeles ensemble does not work from a fixed personnel roster: it can take the shape of a trio, quartet, quintet, or larger arrangement. No guests, release tie-in, tribute, or additional performers are announced for this date, leaving the focus on Brown’s collective approach to the set.
Brown is from South Central, Los Angeles, and brings together LA jazz musicians to expand, in Blue Note’s words, “the love and definition of jazz.” The Collective has appeared at Dodger Stadium and the Gardena Jazz Festival, and performed at LACMA for a screening of Tony Williams in Africa. Brown has also worked as a sideman with Serpentwithfeet, Keyon Harrold, and Kelly Rowland, and serves as music director for Jenevieve. Musicians associated with the Collective have played with Kelly Rowland, Stevie Wonder, and Kamasi Washington. Promotional copy has called the group’s sound “technically brilliant as it is deeply felt.”
Blue Note Jazz Club is a dedicated listening room in the heart of Manhattan's jazz district, where the music is the focus and the space is designed to let the sound fill the room. The club features a stage with a small audience area, and the atmosphere is one of quiet concentration on the music. Shows typically begin at 8:00 PM with a second set at 10:30 PM, and the audience sits on chairs close to the stage. The club has a bar, and drinks are available. The experience is primarily about listening to live jazz, with occasional gospel and soul performances, and the audience often stays to talk and enjoy the music after the sets.