Donald Brown

• Name — Donald Brown • Birth Name — Donald Ray Brown • Born — 28 March 1954 • Birthplace — Hernando, Mississippi, U.S. • Education — Memphis State University • Instrument — Piano • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Music producer, musician • Years Active — 1972–2020 • Label — Muse, Sunnyside, Evidence, Space Time • Website — Official website

Brown was born in Hernando, Mississippi, and was raised in Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned to play trumpet and drums in his youth. From 1972 to 1975, he was a student at Memphis State University, by which time he had made piano his primary instrument. He was with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers from 1981 to 1982, then took teaching positions at Berklee College of Music from 1983 to 1985 and the University of Tennessee from 1988. Brown has recorded for Evidence, Muse, and Sunnyside.

• Recording date — Title — Label — Year released — Personnel/Notes • 1987–06 — Early Bird — Sunnyside — 1988 — Sextet, with Bill Mobley (trumpet, flugelhorn), Donald Harrison (flute), Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Bob Hurst (bass), Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums) • 1988–06 — The Sweetest Sounds — Jazz City — 1989 — Quartet, with Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Charnett Moffett (bass), Alan Dawson (drums) • 1989–08 — Sources of Inspiration — Muse — 1990 — Quintet, with Eddie Henderson (trumpet, flugelhorn), Gary Bartz (soprano sax, alto sax), Buster Williams (bass), Carl Allen (drums) • 1990–03 — People Music — Muse — 1991 — With Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Vincent Herring (flute, soprano sax, alto sax), Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Robert Hurst (bass), Samurai Celestial (drums, vocals), Daniel G. Sadownick (percussion); Lenora Helm (vocals) added on one track • 1991–04 — Cause and Effect — Muse — 1992 — With Joe Henderson (tenor sax), James Spaulding (flute), Steve Nelson (vibraphone, marimba), Ron Carter (bass), Carl Allen, Kenny Washington (drums), Rudy Bird, Donald Eaton (percussion), Marlon Saunders and Lenora Helm (vocals) • 1992–06 — Send One Your Love — Muse — 1994 — With Steve Wilson (flute, soprano sax, alto sax), Tom Williams (flugelhorn), Charnett Moffett (bass), Eric Walker and Louis Hayes (drums; separately), Rudy Bird (percussion) • 1993–09 — Cartunes — Muse — 1995 — With Don Braden (flute, tenor sax), Steve Wilson (soprano sax, alto sax), Bill Mobley (trumpet, flugelhorn), Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Carl Allen (drums, tambourine), Rudy Bird (percussion), Harold Mabern (vocals) • 1995–02 — Piano Short Stories — Space Time — 1996 — Live solo piano • 1995–03 — Wurd on the Street — Space Time — 1998 — With Bill Mobley (trumpet, flugelhorn), Manny Boyd (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute), Sam Newsome (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone), Essiet Essiet (bass), Billy Drummond (drums), Daniel Sadownick (percussion) • 1997–07 — The Classic Introvert — Space Time — 2004 — Solo piano • 1998–01 — Enchanté! — Space Time — 1998 — With Stephane Belmondo (trumpet, flugelhorn), Bill Easley (alto sax, flute, clarinet), Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Essiet Essiet (bass), Billy Higgins (drums), Daniel Sadownick (percussion) • 1999–03 — French Kiss — Space Time — 2002 — Quintet, with Jérôme Barde (guitar), Essiet Essiet (bass), Billy Kilson (drums), Angá Diaz (percussion) • 2000–05 — Autumn in New York — Space Time — 2002 — Trio, with Essiet Essiet (bass), Billy Kilson (drums) • 2000–05 — At This Point in My Life — Space Time — 2001 — Septet, with Bill Mobley (trumpet, flugelhorn), Jean Toussaint (soprano sax, tenor sax), Jérôme Barde (guitar), Essiet Essiet (bass), Billy Kilson (drums), Angá Diaz (percussion) • 2008? — Fast Forward to the Past — Space Time — 2008 — With Bill Mobley (trumpet, flugelhorn), Steve Nelson (vibes), Danny Walsh (flute, alto sax, tenor sax), Jean Toussaint (soprano sax, tenor sax), Lionel Loueke and Mark Boling (guitar), Robert Hurst and Essiet Essiet (bass), Eric Harland and Kenny Brown (drums) • 2013? — Born to Be Blue — Space Time — 2013 — With Kenny Garrett (alto sax, soprano sax), Wallace Roney (trumpet), Ravi Coltrane (tenor sax, soprano sax), Emily Mathis (flute), Vance Thompson (flugelhorn), Mark Boling (guitar), Robert Hurst (bass), Marcus Gilmore and Kenneth Brown (drums; separately), Rudy Bird (percussion) Omnibus • With Harold Mabern and Charles Thomas trios, A Season of Ballads (Space Time, 1997)

Continuum (With Bill Mobley, Billy Kilson, Essiet Essiet, Gary Bartz and Jean Toussaint) • Act One (Space Time, 2004)

With Art Blakey • Killer Joe with George Kawaguchi (Union Jazz, 1981) • Keystone 3 (Concord Jazz, 1982) • Feeling Good (Delos, 1986) With Donald Byrd • Getting Down to Business (Landmark, 1989) • A City Called Heaven (Landmark, 1991) With others • Ricky Ford, Tenor Madness Too! (Muse, 1992) • Wallace Roney, Obsession (Muse, 1990)

With Kenny Garrett • African Exchange Student (Atlantic, 1990) • Black Hope (Warner Bros., 1992) • Triology (Warner Bros. 1995) • Songbook (Warner Bros., 1997) • Seeds from the Underground (Mack Avenue, 2012) • Pushing the World Away (Mack Avenue, 2013) • Do Your Dance! (Mack Avenue, 2016) • Sounds from the Ancestors (Mack Avenue, 2021) With others • Scott Tixier, Cosmic Adventure (Sunnyside, 2016)

Brown, Donald D. Donald Brown is recorded as pianist, university teacher, composer and musician.