Norman Brown, a guitarist, jumped into the soul-jazz music scene as a recording artist with Mo Jazz in 1992. He quickly gained significant acclaim and his second album, After The Storm, was an award-winning release. It was named Jazz Album of the year by Soul Train and Gavin, and After the Storm remained at the top of the charts for more than two years. Brown quickly became the talk of soul-jazz, as critics began to draw comparisons with other outstanding jazz guitarists such as George Benson or Wes Montgomery. After the storm’s remarkable success, Brown continued to amaze jazz listeners. Although Better Days Ahead was not as successful as After the Storm’s, it won the American Jazz Award for contemporary guitarist in 1997. The album’s title track also became the most-added song in NAC history. After his success at Mo Jazz, Brown moved over to Warner Bros. where he focused on his career. Brown was born in Kansas City and first began to play the guitar when he was eight years old. He grew to love his brother’s six-string acoustic guitar. He was initially influenced by guitar-based artists like Jimi Hendrix or the Isley Brothers. But, when he discovered Wes Montgomery, his father’s favorite guitarist, things changed. Wind prefers to play material by Earth than, for example, guitar-based acts like Jimi Hendrix and the Isley Brothers.
