Trumpet sensation Maurice “Mobetta” Brown orbits simultaneously through three worlds: contemporary jazz, blues-rock and cutting-edge hip hop. He’s a mastermind as a trumpeter, composer, arranger, and producer. When Maurice picks up his horn, his soulful melodies soar into a rarefied space that uniquely marries be-bop to hip-hop and rock, producing his own distinctive sound.
The Chicago area native won the national Miles Davis Trumpet Competition as a teenager, followed by a move to Louisiana to study under legendary clarinetist Alvin Batiste. His critically acclaimed debut, “HIP TO BOP”, recorded in New Orleans, foreshadowed Brown’s unique talent for creating fresh bop-inflected jazz with an urban pulse. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina’s devastation forced Maurice to relocate, taking his horn to New York where he established himself by recording with Aretha Franklin, Wyclef Jean, De La Soul, Macy Gray, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lettuce and The Roots.
His second album, THE CYCLE OF LOVE was named by NPR and the Huffington Post as one of the best records of the year. Brown embraced his be-bop roots with hip-hop hooks and laid raw his dogged insistence on charting his own musical course after a life uprooted post-Katrina. Maurice was then invited to join the newly formed Tedeschi-Trucks Band where he won a Grammy for his horn arrangements on the band’s debut album, “Revelator”. His trumpet was a wailing counterpoint to Derek Truck’s searing guitar wizardry and became a staple of the TTB sound.
Brown’s immersion into hip hop as musician/producer/lyricist culminated in the 2014 release of “MAURICE vs. MOBETTA”. This groundbreaking alter-ego album remixed The Cycle of Love with fresh and innovative hip hop beats. Brown’s jazz roots were enhanced through the lens of a hip-hop perspective. Talib Kweli, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Consequence and Jean Grae’s spitting rhymes are met by Mobetta’s own, while his trumpet circles effortlessly throughout every track.
He left TTB to reignite his solo career as a musician/producer, setting up a second home in Los Angeles while performing internationally and producing album tracks for Talib, Omar, and Prodigy. Maurice’s third album “THE MOOD” mixed his instinctive jazz roots, soulful melodies and vocals, including the politically charged Stand Up, with guest artist Kweli and Maurice trading vocals powered by his potent trumpet. In 2018, Maurice joined Grammy award-winning superstar Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals on their worldwide tours. He also performed on Ramsey Lewis and Kenny Garrett’s recent albums, while making his Broadway debut with Dave Chappelle along with Paak and bassist extraordinaire Thundercat. Maurice partnered with jazz megastar Kamasi Washington for his run of sold-out shows at Hollywood Bowl, Barclay’s Center and the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Most recently, Maurice composed the horn arrangements on Grammy winning rapper Logic’s latest album. He has also appeared on the Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel, The Daily Show and the Colbert show.
Maurice ended 2019 with a sold-out run at San Francisco’s Black Cat and begins 2020 with a six-show residency at New York’s famed Blue Note. The Maurice “Mobetta” Brown sound has become mainstream as he charts his own musical course with constant evolution, crossover fluidity, coupled with an intuitive vision that lights a fire under traditional jazz, adds sonic brass to rock n’ roll and creatively pushes the production envelope in hip-hop.
WITH SPECIAL GUEST E’Lon JD:
E’Lon JD is an American progressive soul artist, bass player, songwriter, and educator. He has found inspiration from artist such as, Jimi Hendrix, Andre 3000, and John Legend to name a few. His sound combines elements of soul, funk, jazz, and rock and could be described best as melodic driven, feel good music. He has recorded with acts such as, Phony Ppl, and The Gregory Bros., and has shared the stage with Belá Fleck, Members of Snarky Puppy, Victor Wooten, and Weedie Braimah. He is currently the bass player in the internationally touring band Jonathan Scales Fourchestra.
