John Brown

Bassist, composer, educator and actor John Brown is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and currently resides in Durham, NC. He is a graduate of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a Grammy and Emmy nominee, has performed in the US and abroad with artists like Elvin Jones, Nnenna Freelon, Ellis Marsalis, Cyrus Chestnut, the North Carolina Symphony. John is an active recording musician and producer, appeared as an actor and has recorded for television and film and has served on and chaired the jury for the Pulitzer Prize in Music multiple times.

John currently serves as Vice Provost for the Arts, Director of the Jazz Program and Professor of the Practice of Music at Duke University, and he has served on the faculties of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University and Guilford College (NC). John and his musicians are committed to jazz education – for all people, at all levels, and he makes education a part of his daily life. Evincing his commitment to education, John constantly seeks opportunities to work with students and to study himself. Please explore the site to learn more!