Mel Brown, an American jazz drummer was born in 1944. He is one of the most well-known jazz musicians in Portland, Oregon since 1973. Brown worked as a session musician with many Motown Records artists, including Martha and the Vandellas and Stevie Wonder. It wasn’t Motown’s policy at the time to list the names of the backing musicians, so he isn’t credited on many of his albums. Brown was introduced to Motown by Martha Reeves, who hired him to join her band in 1967 at the suggestion of comedian Redd Foxx. Brown was a member of the Vandellas and Reeves bands for a few years before Motown hired him as a studio musician. He also traveled with other Motown artists. Reeves and Brown were reunited when Martha was booked to perform at “Jimmy Mak”‘s, a Portland nightclub. Brown also recorded the drums for the George Harrison song “My Sweet Lord”, which was released on the album All Things Must Pass in 1970. Brown continues to perform live with some the most well-known jazz, funk, and soul musicians in the Pacific Northwest. Brown also organizes and teaches at Western Oregon University’s summer camp for jazz music. From Wikipedia
