Andy Brown — artist
Chicagoan Andy Brown has been called a “superior mainstream guitarist” in Downbeat magazine. As a sideman he has performed with internationally known jazz musicians including Scott Hamilton, Howard Alden, Harry Allen, Warren Vaché, Ken Peplowski, Hod O’Brien, and many others. His love of great tunes as well as accompanying skills have made him a favorite with vocalists in the Chicago area. He had the good fortune to accompany Barbra Streisand when she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2009, and he accompanies Michael Feinstein annually at Chicago’s famed Ravinia Festival. Andy has made many festival appearances around the world including performances in Brazil, Europe and Canada. In 2012, his trio was invited by the Chicago Mayor's office to perform for the Nobel Peace Prize dinner in Chicago where invited guests included U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, as well as the Dalai Lama and Mikhail Gorbachev. Since 2009, Andy has co-led a two-guitar quartet with renowned guitarist Howard Alden. In 2013, Delmark Records released a CD of the group entitled "Heavy Artillery" which received four stars in Downbeat Magazine and was featured in their annual Albums Of The Year issue. His latest CD is the critically acclaimed 2023 album featuring his working quartet called “Good Atmosphere.” In 2016 Delmark released Andy’s quartet recording “Direct Call” and in 2015 they put out “Soloist,” Andy’s first solo guitar album. Andy had the good fortune to learn directly from several guitar masters, including Cal Collins, Ted Greene, and Howard Alden. His most important mentor was the late Kenny Poole, who called Andy his protégé.