Brian Browne

{{Short description|Canadian jazz pianist and composer}}

{{for|people with a similar name|Brian Brown (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Brian Browne

| image = Brian_browne_trio.jpg

| landscape = yes

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1937|03|16}}

| birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|6|5|1937|3|16}}

| death_place = Kanata, Ontario, Canada

| instrument = Piano

| genre = Jazz

| occupation = Musician, composer

| years_active = 1956–2018

| label = Capitol, RCA Victor, JazzImage, Triplet

| website = [http://brianbrowne.com/ Official website]

}}

Brian Browne (March 16, 1937 – June 5, 2018) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Browne moved to Ottawa as a teenager and was playing professionally by the age of eighteen. Though largely self-taught, Browne attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and later studied with Oscar Peterson at Peterson's Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto.{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/jazzblog/brian-browne-remembers-oscar-peterson|title=Brian Browne remembers Oscar Peterson {{pipe}} Ottawa Citizen|accessdate=2024-08-19|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819202512/https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/jazzblog/brian-browne-remembers-oscar-peterson|archivedate=2024-08-19}}

Browne rose to prominence in the Canadian jazz scene in the early 1960s, performing in popular jazz venues in Ottawa and Toronto, and appearing in national weekly CBC Radio programs Adventures in Rhythm, The Browne Beat, Nightcap, Jazz Canada and others.[http://www.film.queensu.ca/cbc/J.html CBC Television Series, 1952-82] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924012739/http://www.film.queensu.ca/CBC/J.html|date=2015-09-24}}

His group, the Brian Browne Trio, performed as the house band on the CTV musical variety program The River Inn.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829029/|title=River Inn|publisher=|via=www.imdb.com}} In 1969 Browne appeared as one of four featured pianists, including Bill Evans, Erroll Garner and Marian McPartland, on the CBC television special The Jazz Piano.{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/jazzblog/brian-browne-in-action-in-1969-and-2008|title=Brian Browne in action, in 1969 and 2008 {{pipe}} Ottawa Citizen|accessdate=2024-08-19|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819203151/https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/jazzblog/brian-browne-in-action-in-1969-and-2008|archivedate=2024-08-19}}

Browne recorded with Canadian singer Anne Murray on her albums This Way is My Way and Honey, Wheat and Laughter and appeared on her subsequent CBC television special.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19710415&id=OqIyAAAAIBAJ&pg=1361,4741044|title=Ottawa Citizen - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}} He earned a BMI Canada 1970 Certificate of Honor for his original piece "Morning, Noon and Nighttime Too".{{cite magazine|date=1971-05-02 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/BMI-Magazine/70s/BMI-Many-Worlds-1971-Summer.pdf |title=BMI News |magazine=BMI: THE MANY WORLDS OF MUSIC |publisher=Broadcast Music, Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519202040/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/BMI-Magazine/70s/BMI-Many-Worlds-1971-Summer.pdf | archive-date=2024-05-19}} The Brian Browne Trio has included other notable Canadian musicians Skip Beckwith, Donald Vickery, Paul Novotny, Barry Elmes, Michel Donato, and Archie Alleyne.{{cn|date=June 2018}}

Browne has recorded 11 albums with Capitol Records,[http://www.capitol6000.com/protected/6000LPs.htm The 6000 Series Of 33 1/3 RPM (LP) Vinyl Discs (1960 through 1987)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119141242/http://www.capitol6000.com/protected/6000LPs.htm |date=2008-11-19 }} RCA Victor, CBC JazzImage, and Sea Jam Recordings (now Triplet Records). He died of lung and tracheal cancer on June 5, 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/brian-browne-canadian-jazz-original-dies-1.4693924|title=Canadian jazz 'original' Brian Browne dies at 81 - CBC News|publisher=}}