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Guitarist, Brian Green
We’ve already learned about two of David’s new band members; keyboardist Mark Nilan Jr and percussionist Steven Robinson. Each, with his unique abilities and background brings something special to the mix to complement David’s voice.
Next up is Brian Green, an accomplished guitarist/composer with an impressive resume. I contacted Brian on facebook (he’s not on Twitter) and asked him for updated biographical information for this article. He immediately and good-naturedly responded with a link to his website. His music stretches to many genres including jazz, pop, ambient, Brazilian and groove music.
What is groove music? According to Wikipedia:
“Groove is the sense of propulsive rhythmic “feel” or sense of “swing” created by the interaction of the music played by a band’s rhythm section (drums, electric bass or double bass, guitar, and keyboards). Groove is a consideration in genres such as salsa, funk, rock, fusion, and soul. The word is often used to describe the aspect of certain music that makes one want to move, dance, or “groove”.
Hailing from and residing in Los Angeles, California, Brian first picked up a guitar when he was just eight years old, to impress a girl he liked in grade school. He credits rocker Eddie Van Halen as his earliest influence but later became interested in jazz when he was in high school. In 2000 he was a Spotlight Award finalist, giving him the opportunity to perform at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with renowned pianist Gerald Clayton. In 2001 he was honored as a Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellow and selected to participate in the 2001 Grammy Band.
Brian was accepted to the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in 2002, where he studied jazz and classical music and began a degree in Studio Jazz Guitar. In 2004 he worked with and recorded for producer David Foster as a featured soloist on Michael Buble’s hit single “Home”. Then Warner Brothers approached him to play with Michael Buble on a tour around the world for a year and a half. After the Buble tour, he concentrated on completing his degree at USC and on being a composer and artist. He graduated with honors in 2007, the same year he recorded his debut album of all original jazz music, “Scenic Route”.
“The disc is fantastic for relaxing at home but the music is at its best live, where, in the tradition of jazz, Green and his band create plenty of improvised solos and experimental melodies. His is a modern jazz, often eschewing the piano but making use of other tools such as looping pedals to lay down melodies live and solo over them.” ~from Brian Green’s myspace page
“I always prefer playing live shows. Something can be lost in jazz that is too studied. Sometimes it’s better to create a vibe for the audience, an aesthetic. That’s what I try to do with my music…
I want to make a fun environment for everyone so that they can relate to me, the performer, without needing extensive knowledge of the history of jazz.” ~Brian Green
Brian and Steven accompanied David to the Invisible Children event in Nashvile last month. We were treated to a new acoustic guitar-driven “Crush” that gave the song new depth.
credit JR
Since October 2010, Brian has been singing vocals and playing lead guitar for his own jazz/pop/indie band, Montë Mar. He credits The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Johnny Marr, Milton Nascimento and Radiohead as the band’s major influences. With music that grooves, improvised solos and experimental melodies, Brian’s skills and experience make him perfectly suited for David’s band.
The versatility of David’s new band is exciting and I can’t wait to hear them meld their sounds together and get their “groove” on!
Click on pic above to go to Brian’s Facebook page.
The Voice David Archuleta 