Dorothy – Donald Brown

We want to invite you into the musical world of Donald Brown thorough this ballad written for his wife, Dorothy. It's full of magical ingredients: a beautiful melody, evolving out of complex harmonies. Pianist Donald Brown surrounds the melody with his own unique harmonic colors.

Donald Brown first recorded as a pianist with Art Blakey in December of 1981. By the time of this 1987 recording, Donald's first recording as a leader, he had already established a name as a gifted composer. The first recordings of his compositions were made by pianist James Williams in 1984, and in 1985, saxophonist Bill Pierce recorded two more Donald Brown compositions.

Many of Donald Brown's great compositions are available as printed combo arrangements, including New York, Episode From A Village Dance, Affaire D'Amour and Insane Asylum: buy them at MusicDispatch.com.

Donald and his wife Dorothy wrote a vocal bossa, Donald writing the music and both collaborating on the lyric: I Love It When You Dance That Way. It's in our Sing JAZZ! songbook, a collection of stunning, lesser-known vocal selections from the Second Floor Music repertoire (Sing JAZZ! contents).

Transcribed Piano Solo: Donald's piano solo piano is also available so you really have the opportunity to examine the way he gives meaning and purpose to every note he plays. You can hear the way that this improvisation derives from a clear creative vision; many parts of the solo could easily be their own composition.

Click the Piano Corner tab for more.

Piano melody comping: A transcription of Donald's comping on the melody is available for pianists who want to learn more about his voicings.