Kade Brown

Kade Brown is a young up-and-coming jazz pianist from the far south coast NSW and at 18 he is already a well seasoned performer with two albums recorded over the last couple of years and another one due later this year. He has been selected for the Juilliard Winter Jazz School twice as a student and once as a mentor, and is in his fifth year of studying classical piano with Professor Bill Hawkey, former Director of the ANU School of Music. His latest album 'Sierra' features his current piano trio with Steve Clark on bass and Ken Vatcher on drums, both highly experienced professional musicians who have played and recorded with some of Australia's top artists. 'Sierra' comprises a number of original compositions and also standards ranging from Miles Davis to Lennon and McCartney. This is modern jazz piano in the tradition of Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett, and immersed in the zeitgeist of players such as Brad Melhdau and Robert Glasper. Kade is widely recognised by senior musicians as a highly talented young musician with exceptional ability and a significant future. Ironically, he has developed as a jazz musician on a bush property inland from the remote south coast beaches of NSW far away from the natural habitat of jazz in the clubs and pubs of large cities. However, it's a region noted for a fertile music community producing indie artists such as Lucie Thorne, Heath Cullen, Daniel Champagne, and Kim Churchill; home of the Candelo Village Festival and the art, classical and world music of the Four Winds Festival; two jazz festivals, two folk festivals, and two blues festivals. The extended musical community of the remote region share the values of rural life and space for creativity, and its teachers, recording studios, venues, festivals and audiences have provided a fertile environment to produce a young jazz musician of note. Kade's first album, at 15 years of age, was funded by a youth talent competition at the Cobargo Folk Festival, and his next album will be funded as a prize for winning the young talent competition at this year's Merimbula Jazz Festival. This latest release, 'Sierra' was funded by the trio and produced and recorded locally at Turingal Studios by Pol O'Shea, who has created a finely crafted recording capturing the freshness and range of this emerging pianist with the classy foundation of a top rhythm section, and delivering a tantalising introduction of what is to come.

Candelo, NSW