The Jazz Guitar of
Andy Brown


Press: Interviews

Jazz Guitar Life (9/1/21)
Andy Brown – Jazz Guitar Life Interview

"The best part about being a musician is that my ability to hear what’s going on musically while I’m listening to music continues to get better and better. Ultimately listening to music is one of the most pleasurable experiences of my life and I take great joy in hearing things I’ve been listening to for over twenty years with a fresh ear."
read article →


Chicago Tribune (3/18/20)
With little or no safety net, jazz musicians watch their gigs disappear as coronavirus spreads

"I never quite saw something like this, where in one 48-, 72-hour period all the gigs ended,” said Chicago jazz guitarist Andy Brown. “It’s like somebody dropped an atom bomb on the town, or there was a solar flare, and all the power went out.” Said Chicago jazz singer Petra van Nuis, his wife, “It all seemed to happen in a couple of days. On Thursday, the 12th (of March), all day long, call after call, cancellation after cancellation. … I have basically nothing, because I work at clubs, restaurants and bars."
read article →


Chicago Tribune (7/21/17)
Zen of Mainstream Jazz

"There's so much emphasis on doing something important with a capital 'I' — I'm not diminishing that," says Brown."I'm just trying to have a good time. And if I have pleasure, maybe it brings pleasure to other people.People say to me: You're keeping these songs alive. No, I'm just keeping myself alive. I care about it, but not as any kind of cause. If you're bringing joy into people's lives, that's the job description. And it might be corny, but that's what it is." As for how Brown believes he has evolved since arriving here in 2003, after moving from his native Cincinnati to New York in 2002, he says he hears a lot of Chicago in his playing, though "it's totally subconscious. I'm still into the same things I was into 20 years ago," he says. And still honing his art.
read article →


Just Jazz Guitar (2013)
Interview with Howard Alden and Andy Brown

I felt like we balanced each other pretty well. We're both coming from the same sources - we just have our different takes on it. When you play with someone on your own instrument I think its actually good for you, musically. They are always going to have stuff that you don't do, or you didn't think of. It's inspiring - seeing what the other guy comes up using the same ingredients.
read article →


Just Jazz Guitar (2010)
Interview

I like playing for audiences and interacting with people who like music. I think it's in our job description - making music for people. I think when you see me, or others playing this kind of music, you get authenticity. We, as artists, have found our medium. We've put honesty and authenticity above versatility and I believe our audience benefits from it...
read article →


Chicago Tribune
Duo take jazz, one another, to heart

"We have become specialists in older songs and we gravitate there," Brown says. "We explore music we care about, but we also have to make a living and play what people want to hear." "
read article →


Chicago Tribune
Exuberant, swing-era jazz from guitarists Brown and Alden

"When I lived in Cincinnati, there were a couple of really great - if not genius - guitar players," says Brown, referring to Kenny Poole and Cal Collins."Both of these guys were world class musicians, and I saw that they were doing this in Cincinnati...and it made me realize that great art can happen anywhere."
read article →

Andy Brown

For booking info or to join Andy's monthly mailing list, please contact Andy at: andybrownguitar@yahoo.com or 773-396-1180



Up