Ari Brown & Kirk Brown
Multi-reedist and pianist Ari Brown is a dynamic and important member of the Chicago avant-garde jazz scene and his technique and traditional jazz chops are highly expressive across his instruments. Kirk Brown, keyboards/music production/sound designer, has been involved in the music industry for over 25 years.
Watch the Duo’s Performance
Ari Brown
Multi-reedist and pianist Ari Brown is a dynamic and important member of the Chicago avant-garde jazz scene and his technique and traditional jazz chops are highly expressive across his instruments.
Brown began his professional career around 1965, performing with soul, rock and blues bands throughout Chicago, Wisconsin, and Michigan, where he performed with such vocalists and vocal groups as Gene Chandler, the Chi-Lites, B.B. King, Lou Rawls, Four Tops, and the Emotions.
Since 1979, Mr. Brown has been able to pursue his passion (musically) by performing almost exclusively in the Jazz idiom. His performances throughout the USA, Africa, Asia, Brazil, Canada, the Caribbean, and Europe have been with his own working band-- the Ari Brown Quintet-- and include The AACM Experimental Orchestra, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, the Ritual Trio, Hamiett Bluitt, Lester Bowie, Anthony Braxton, Donald Byrd, Ken Chaney, Kahil El Zabar, Jon Faddis, Malachi Favors, Von Freeman, Elvin Jones, Roscoe Mitchell, Famoudou Don Moye, David Murray, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Stop-Time Orchestra, McCoy Tyner, Val Gray Ward, Edward Wilkerson, and Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra with Orbert Davis.
Ari Brown has been recognized for his musical achievements by receiving numerous awards throughout his career, including four National Endowment of the Arts Awards, NIAA Certified Gold Record, for the album Flowers, recorded by the Emotions, Columbia Records, ©1974, Inner City Grant, Chicago Council on Fine Arts, 2002 recipient of the Alyo Award, Muntu Dance Company, the National Arts Initiative Chicago Legends of Jazz Award in 2008 for his outstanding contributions to the Great Legacy of Jazz in Chicago, and, most recently, the 28th Annual Chicago Music Awards Best Jazz Entertainer, 2009. Additionally, he was commissioned to write music for Foday Musa Suso and the Kronos String Quartet. His professional associations include Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), and Phi Mu Alpha Symphonia.
Kirk Brown
Kirk Brown, keyboards/music production/sound designer, has been involved in the music industry for over 25 years. He has worked with a variety of great musicians, graphic artists, dancers, poets/spoken-word and more.. He's studied at the Chicago School of Music as a child, playing recitals, solo & duo piano. He studied and performed at Malcolm X CC and Governor State U. As a member of the jazz combos at both colleges, those groups won many national jazz competitions. Professionally, he began working with Malachi Thompson in the early 1970s and still works with him today as a member of his Freebop Band. He has worked with many recognized artists over the years, including great saxophonist Eddie Harris, master saxophonist Gary Bartz, avante-gard saxophonist Kidd Jordan, John Coltrane's driving drummer Elvin Jones, trumpet/historian Wynton Marsalis, many members of the AACM (Don Moye, Henry Threadgill, Muhal Richard Abrams big band & more), guitarist Phil Upchurch, and the Muntu Dance Theatre to name a few.