This confident blues and soul singer songwriter is putting a new twist on the melodic and soul fuelled music that she loves. with a highly competent backing band , Al Brown has voice and an attitude that is rarely found in much of today’s music’ (SUBTV)
With sunglasses and a torrent of black hair, Miss Al Brown looks like a glamorous new take on the blues. In her band, she has a fresh-faced, energised group with a passion for taking the music somewhere new.
"It’s a new blues," she smiles, looking relaxed and charming in the heat. "It’s a light, uplifting blues. We love the era of Ella Fitzgerald, as well as Stevie Wonder, but we don’t want to sound like the old stuff. It just wouldn’t work if we did that." The band still respect their blues roots, and they started off playing their own interpretations of standards like "Take Me to the River" while they found their feet. The sound can be heard in their own songs. "There’s a bit of a Bill Withers influence sneaking in," remarks Dan, Al’s guitarist. "All the guys are bringing their own influences," agrees Al, "Like Chris, our bass player, is very motown."
Miss Al Brown and band made a strong impression as finalists in the 2006 Student Music Awards with their video for "Looks Like You Love Someone". Audiences at the awards also got a taste of the band’s vibrant live shows. Along with heartfelt performances and great songs, a Miss Al Brown’s gigs draw on the blues tradition of spontaneity.
The band met at Brighton Institute of Modern Music, which is getting a reputation as breeding ground for young talent. The band attracted audiences with their positive new take on the blues. "We need positive music," says Al. "It’s blues, but it’s a good vibe. We’re not afraid to be pop. Blues has been this underground thing for years. We want to change it so it can fit in on radio. We wanna be chilled out."
The band’s summertime blues breathes new life into the traditional blues sound. "We don’t want to do pub blues. We’ve taken on the content of the blues, " Dan smiles, "So that we don’t have to remember too many chords."
Bio written by Jonny Scaramanga
