9 tracks of 'The Harvey Brown Ensemble' are now available on itunes. Search: harveyjohnbrown.com
Also you'll find us on Yahoo! Audio Search, Rhapsody.com, Napster and emusic.
11 Track CD Album out next year. All proceeds will first go to hiring Musicians and Studio for the next Ensemble adventure. Thankyou
15th April 2007
Ok Here goes, not finished yet but Hello There! I'm Harvey John Brown. Free-lance Violinist/Violist/Arranger/Music Teacher/Occassional Composer. Hoping they'll never get me on the Trade Descriptions Act with that many, but I suppose Musician will do.
All the childhood/study bits are- born Manchester to Bill & Anne, me (!) Dad's a Veteran Double Bass/Bass Guitarist and makes me really proud to be here, Mum too who's got 2 degrees and is a Retired Landscape Architect,ooh clever girl I hear you cry! The Royal Ballet School, Chetham's School of Music in Manchester and The Guildhall School of Music & Drama were at times very exciting places to be educated and I'm grateful to all who helped, taught and guided me there.
Have since Free-lanced with Bands both Classical (St.Quartets/Orchestras esp.), West End Shows ,Jazz, Pop, Rock n' Roll and in fact at one time or another have taken on and will continue to take on stylistically, all-comers. As the Duke said 'There's only 2 types of music...good and bad'. Come on then I say, if ya think yer hardcore enough,haha!
Bands you may know who I've Gigged, Arranged and Recorded with include; Portishead (Dummy),Tindersticks, Pressure Drop, The Crimea, Ladyfuzz etc. Lot's more, some just as good if not as well known!
This Album (finally!) was recorded at Berry St. Studios, London, on August 7th, 2006 & Harrison Studios, Ilford on the 23rd Aug, 2006 with Producers Malcolm Dixon & Kevin Pouree.
The Band had never played all together before but were nearly all musicians I had gigged or recorded with at least once before, but often in very different bands or musics! The main ingredient was a love for those much abused and misinterpreted modern-day words- LIVE and ACOUSTIC Music (listen...No Editing, Clicktrack, Drop-ins or Amps thanks, except, cos' no piano in studio, an E.Piano). Just a couple of run-throughs then 3-5 takes of each track and select the best.
The 11 tracks on this Album are homages or vague covers of music I have long loved. 'Vague' covers and Improvisation created a great feeling of flying on the seat of my pants on a magic carpet of great Music and beautiful, Big-eared Big heart and soul Musicians. Thank You Again(!) Guest Artist John Etheridge, Guys and Hannah of the Harvey Brown Ensemble. I hope you, the listeners, enjoy listening as much as I hope we all had 'Razzin' dem Vibes'.
See you soon and keep Swingin'! Love Harvey
