A Blog Supreme/NPR Jazz - Top 10 Jazz Albums Of 2010

Maurice Brown, 'The Cycle Of Love'

Trumpeter Maurice Brown came up in jazz in Chicago; he found his way to New Orleans for a while, including through Hurricane Katrina, and he now lives in New York. Judging from his second album, The Cycle Of Love, he seems to have picked up various lessons along the way: earthy intelligence, urbane slickness, how to party. The global aesthetic of hip-hop is also present -- Brown works with plenty of R&B and rap artists -- and his band, especially the tenor saxophonist Derek Douget, has a certain bounce (and a few skittering rimshots) in its step. But there's also a clear compositional savvy in the 10 tunes here; it attests to a jazz pedigree. The result is a jazz record that feels like it's from musicians of the hip-hop generation -- and compromises neither genre.

by PATRICK JARENWATTANANON

Jet Magazine- 4 young, talented instrumentalists who are rocking the music world.

Style: A new version of soul-jazz. My music is combines elements of jazz, hip-hop, R&B and soul. “I think what separates me from other artists in my field is that I'm also a producer. That means I can see the big picture a lot faster than the average artist.”

Mobettabrown's T.B.A. w/ DJ Logic

I'm really excited for T.B.A.'s Manhattan debut!! T.B.A. is my newest project. We are on a mission is to create spontaneous improvisations over deeply soulful grooves. This means that every song we play is created on the spot!

Another cool thing about this group is that we are very unpredictable. T.B.A. weaves in and out of different genres seamlessly, playing rememberable melodies that you will go home singing. Dj Logic will be on the one's & two's adding his special ingredients into the mix. We will be rockin' the Metropolitan Room, Thursday September 16th at 7:00 -8:30pm. See y'all there!

Chicago Tribune -CD Review - The Cycle of Love

Maurice Brown's latest

Former Chicago trumpeter Maurice Brown makes a significant artistic leap forward in his sophomore CD, "The Cycle of Love" (Brown Records). Though Brown's liner notes offer a detailed description of the narrative arc behind the music, these 10 tunes ultimately require no back story. Many of the cuts, such as "Fly By Night" and "Merry Go Round," show Brown's gifts for crafting indelible melodic hooks. But others, such as "Misunderstood" and the title cut, bristle with extended passages of rigorous, sinewy improvisation. Even so, a pervasive lyricism drives most of Brown's work on trumpet, with comparably fervent playing from tenor saxophonist Derek Douget. Essentially, Brown and his quintet have found the place where jazz, soul and pop converge, shortchanging none of these languages but drawing eloquently from each of them.

hreich@tribune.com

JAZZTIMES - CD REVIEW - MAURICE BROWN The Cycle of Love (Brown)

Six years after the release of his promising debut CD, Hip to Bop, 29-year-old trumpeter Maurice Brown returns with a solid sophomore outing. A crossover disc in the best sense of the word, The Cycle of Love contains 10 simply stated, deeply soulful original tunes that touch back to ‘70s R&B while taking the pulse of today’s streets. The catchy pop-songs hooks and hip-hop-inflected beats seem to call out for lyrics, either written or freestyle, but left as instrumentals their subtleties are allowed to shine.

Brown’s quintet has a glorious ensemble sound. Drummer Joe Blaxx is always on the move: His complex, off-center rhythms have layers of cymbals and staccato beat dropping reminiscent of drum machines, while Solomon Dorsey’s casually bent bass tones soften the groove. They merge seamlessly with pianist Chris Rob, whose lush cascades and sparkling jumps provide elegance and dynamism to the rich, compelling atmospheres of the slow-jam title track, the hard-edged “Misunderstood” and the mechanized bounce of “Time Tick Tock”

Up front, Brown makes every note count. He’s not given to pyrotechnics, but his meaty tone packs a wallop once he gets heated up, jabbing repeatedly at a single note or phrase, then hopscotching forward. Saxophonist Derek Douget offers a pleasing contrast to Brown’s muscularity. His breathy, weaving lines trend to recede in the uptempo numbers, but sound oh-so-cool at slower tempos.

A disk that grows mmore dear with repeat listens, The Cycle of Love is one of the better releases in the current”back to soul” movement. Fans of recent releases by Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, or Corey Wilkes will find an easy and rewarding connection to this highly appealing music.

-FORREST DYLAN BRYANT

A Blog Supreme/NPR Jazz

A Modern Jazz Music Video (And It's Not Lame, Either) : A Blog Supreme : NPR

Featuring a mid-winter mime in DUMBO, steampunk mad science, Maurice Brown's mini-me surrogate and potential floorcest rendered in a dream sequence. Oh, and the music -- "Time Tick Tock" from the Maurice Brown Effect -- is pretty hip too.

The tune is "Time Tick Tock," by the Maurice Brown Effect, off The Cycle Of Love. Brown plays trumpet; Derek Douget takes the tenor solo; Chris Rob, Solomon Dorsey, Joe Blaxx are the rhythm section: piano, bass, drums. Unlike this guy, I slept on this record when it came out earlier this year — my loss. It's one of those modern-R&B-influenced jazz discs which doesn't make you wish it just stuck to one genre or the other. They're great live, too...



by PATRICK JARENWATTANANON

Great Shows @ Kennedy Center & Grand Opera House

I'm just getting back from Washington, DC. The Maurice Brown Effect performed two sold out sets at the Kennedy Center. Dr. Billy Taylor & George Cables were in the audience there for both sets. Everyone was really diggin' the music & vibes. Next, we went to Wilmington, Delaware and rocked at the Grand Opera House. We played two sets and had a Q&A. It feels like every show just keeps getting mobetta :) Here's a review about out Kennedy Center performance.

The Independent Ear

Willard Jenkins

Audience Friendly? Check Maurice Brown...

Trumpeter Maurice Brown has been one to watch for more than a minute. Early on, courtesy of his Hip to Bop release it was apparent that here was a young artist intent on filtering his jazz-steeped improvisations through the prism of the music of his life — hip hop, funk, and a healthy sense of "I love the blues, she heard my cry"… an overall quest for the good groove. My curiosity was further piqued when several years ago the Chicagoan relocated to New Orleans, where he was eventually uprooted like so many by Katrina. That move suggested a desire to further immerse himself in the heart of the groove, which is the essence of New Orleans music aesthetic. Less than two years later, spotting him on the list of Thelonious Monk Instrumental Competition finalists I was curious as to how he would fare in that environment. He finished just a bit out of the money, no surprise given the weight Monk Competition judges appear to place on anyone supposedly striving to be "different."

No tunnel vision here, Maurice Brown is not stuck in traffic on the road to "different." Blessed with a fat sound, impressive facility, and a keen sense of the blues in pursuit of the infectious rhythm, Maurice Brown is a bit of a throwback to what used to be referred to as "soul jazz" — 21st century edition. Last night at the Kennedy Center Jazz Club the latest incarnation of Maurice Brown showed impressive evolution and a successful endeavor at balancing creativity with a real desire to connect with his audience.

As opposed to the kind of coolly aloof, hipper-than-thou posture of too many of his peers, Brown was intent on engaging his audience not only through his infectious music but also with a kind of joie de vivre in his between tunes patter and intros that indelibly strenghtens that artist/audience bond. The subject was Brown’s well-crafted new record The Cycle of Love (Brown Records). His crew included tenor man Derek Douget (’bout time his potent sound was displayed outside of New Orleans!), energy source Chris Rob on piano, rambunctious drummer Joe Blaxx, and bedrock bassist Solomon Dorsey. Did he connect with this DC audience? The line to buy CDs and get Brown’s autograph after the gig was prodigious. Don’t sleep on Maurice Brown (www.mauricebrown.net).

The Cycle of Love Is In The Air

It's been a long time coming but The Cycle of love is officially released! I've been waiting for this day like a little kid on Christmas Eve. I'm so excited to share this record with the world! Reviews and interviews have been flooding in. Here's what people are saying about The Cycle of Love:

Howard Reich
"Brown and his quintet have found the place where jazz, soul and pop converge, shortchanging none of these languages but drawing eloquently from each of them."

Sal Nunziato

"With respect to the traditions of New Orleans jazz, the free-form sounds of Chicago, and dirty grit and groove of NYC, Brown's new record "The Cycle Of Love" is a powerhouse, a record that should change the way people listen to jazz, while converting those that don't."

DJ Jake Crates
"Maurice Brown is considered a pioneer with respect to the melodic sounds he has been able to create and currently he is what many regard as the “first call” horn player in New York for Hip-Hop and R&B songs."

Mike at Skope Mag

"Maurice is not an emcee or R&B singer but rather an amazing trumpeter. Maurice has been busy prepping the release of his new album, ‘The Cycle Of Love.’ Maurice was feeling jet lag but he was gracious enough to talk with Skope TV about the album, learning the trumpet, moving to Brooklyn, and so much more!"

Chris at CD Baby
"Maurice Brown has somehow found a way to seamlessly fuse the instrumentation and attitude of a hard-bop combo with R&B romanticism, urban grooves, and hip hop energy."

Java Jazz Festival 2010 Jakarta, Indonesia

My trip to Indonesia was an unforgettable experience! I got back to NY yesterday morning. I'm just now recovering from jet lag. The flight from New York to Jakarta is 20hrs. I performed two shows with my group The Maurice Brown Effect. We played some original songs from the new album "The Cycle of Love" and some fan favorites from my debut Hip to Bop. Jakarta's reaction to us was great! People were dancing to the music. Some of the other names that performed include John Legend, Toni Braxton, Eric Benet, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Alexandra Sherling, Bob Jams, Brian Lynch, Donald Harrison, David Murray and more. I think one of the best things about the Java jazz Festivals were the late night jam sessions. It's not every day you can have so many talented people in one room. At any given night you could spot anyone of the performers hanging in the audience or jamming on stage. We were playing until they shut us down every night! I'm already booked for next year. Looking forward to Java Jazz Festival 2011!

It's Hard Being Your Own Record Label

I've been going non-stop working on the release of my new album. Sometimes your body can't take all the stress. The other day I blacked out for the first time in my life. I went to the hospital and they ran all kinds of tests on me. They took a sample of my blood, gave me a complete physical, CAT scan and chest x-ray. They didn't find anything wrong. The doctor asked me "Have you been under more stress than usual?" I told him that I have been answering emails and calls, interviewing, researching, approving proofs of photos, album and website layouts, meeting with my manager & publicist, choosing a digital & physical distributor, running my social networking sites, blogging, composing, shooting a music video & a documentary, practicing, performing, producing, and recording. It was at that moment when I realized I needed to find time to breathe. I love music but not more than I love myself. If you don't have your health you don't have anything. I've been trying to take it easy but it is hard. There is always so much that needs to be done. No one in their right mind would take on all these tasks unless they had a pure love for what they are doing. The ability to touch people's souls is a gift that I don't take for granted. I truly believe if you work hard and stay focused you can accomplish anything. I'm really looking forward to sharing "The Cycle of Love" with you!

"Fly By Night" EXCLUSIVE ON GIANT STEP RADIO

GIANT STEP™ | Release - Push the Fader Radio 2/1/2010 by *PUSH THE FADER RADIO WITH DJ CENTER

Check out DJ Center's latest edition of Push the Fader Radio on GiantStep.net. New and timeless music from: Ocote Soul Sounds, Damian Jr. Gong Marley & NaS, Sade, Fat Freddy's Drop, Marvin Gaye, Zaki Ibrahim, DJ Center feat Gretchen Parlato, Nu Shooz, yours truly Maurice Brown and more.

iMix Relaxing Day on iTunes

I was browsing itunes and found the chill iMix that included one of my song "It's a New Day" from my first album Hip to Bop.
Check it out:

WELCOME TO MOBETTA MUSIC

Thanks for checking out my blog. I'm going to be sharing some of the things I see and do day to day and taking you on the journey of an independent artist. Over the last few months I've been very busy preparing for the release of my sophomore album "The Cycle of Love" coming March 16. Right now I want to share with you the Music Video Teaser to my first single "Time Tick Tock."