John Brown Entertainment Group - Jazz Band - Chapel Hill, NC - Hero Main
John Brown Entertainment Group - Jazz Band - Chapel Hill, NC - Hero Gallery 1
John Brown Entertainment Group - Jazz Band - Chapel Hill, NC - Hero Gallery 2
John Brown Entertainment Group - Jazz Band - Chapel Hill, NC - Hero Gallery 3
John Brown Entertainment Group - Jazz Band - Chapel Hill, NC - Hero Gallery 4

John Brown Entertainment Group Jazz Band from Chapel Hill, NC

Will travel up to 3000 miles

  • Avg 5.0 | 8 Reviews
  • 19 Verified Bookings
  • Member Since 2005
  • 3 Awards & Badges
  • Virtual Services Offered
  • Starting at $1,500 per event

About Vendor 

Learn more about this vendor for your event.

John Brown is a well established, GRAMMY and EMMY nominated bassist and is the Director of the Jazz Program at Duke University. He has performed all over the world with artists like Elvin Jones, each member of the Marsalis family, Nnenna Freelon, Rosemary Clooney, Nicholas Payton, Mark Whitfield and has performed regularly with the North Carolina Symphony since 1992. He recently performed in Hawaii for President & Mrs. Obama, and each of his recordings has reached the Top 40 on the national JazzWeek chart. The film "One Night in Kernersville" featuring John and his big band recording session has been screened at several festivals across the US, won awards, and is now airing on the Documentary Channel. Now, John leads his own group of highly gifted professional musicians (some of them are GRAMMY nominated) and they are available in MANY different configurations to suit your event. Any one of the musicians is available individually or in other group combinations. For example, the John Brown Quintet is an award winning concert performing jazz group made up of friends who have known each other for years and simply share a deep love for music. The debut recording of that group reached Number 8 on the national JazzWeek Chart!! You might wish to hire the the John Brown Big Band, which is a 16-22 piece Jazz Orchestra (including a male and/or a female vocalist) comprised of the cream of the crop musicians of our area. This group also breaks down into the John Brown "little" Big Band, which is an 11 or 12-piece jazz group that is most desirable for that big band sound for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, and private and corporate engagements. And YES - all of the groups DO travel! The group you choose will happily travel to perform for your event, and often like to do so when they can cultivate opportunities to go perform in schools and share jazz with students; as Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at Duke University, John is very interested in jazz performance and education. When John's musicians get together, they form an exciting mix of talent and brotherhood encompassing the past, present and future of jazz. The combination of the diverse backgrounds of each band member, and the fire they bring to the music, makes this group the perfect setting for dynamic and creative ideas to flourish. They play with the right balance of high energy, intense swing, relaxed grooves and pensive and contemplative ballads - a balance they know well. The group performs a wide range of jazz styles including the timeless classics of the Great American Songbook, original versions and new arrangements of traditional jazz standards, modern jazz pieces and original compositions of each band member. Collectively, the band members share decades of experience performing for all types of events all over the world. The members of the group have performed at some of the world's best known venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Jazz a Vienne (France) and other festivals in Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Belgium and Japan. When at home, the group loves to perform, and likes to contribute to the festive nature of celebrations like parties, wedding receptions and mitzvahs. The fresh and innovative approach to performance coupled with a foundation in the tradition put the spirited ensembles of the John Brown Entertainment Group on the cutting edge of jazz - don't miss them!

Reviews 

Check out these verified reviews from bookings on The Bash.

Avg 5.0 | 8 Reviews

See all 8 Reviews

Sort:

Review by Adina L.

Wedding Reception•Reviewed on May 11, 2023•From Stokesdale, NC

It's been a long time, but I got married at Bella Collina Mansion 7/23/2016. This band did a wonderful job for my Harlem Renaissance wedding and I am grateful they were able to accommodate me and show up given my last minute booking. They were a really great addition to the evening and occasion. As I logged on to show my sister-in-law this platform, I thought I did a review back then but I see I did not and this band was definitely review worthy. Therefore, I wanted to take the time to do so :)

Review by Brian T.

Wedding•Reviewed on June 2, 2007•From Fuquay Varina, NC

John Brown and his group were an absolute pleasure to work with. They were very professional and unbelievably talented. As a musician myself, with numerous friends in attendance who were also musicians, we were all very impressed with the quality and caliber of the music and the ability of the group. They were incredible. I cannot stress enough that these guys are without a doubt, THE BEST jazz group I've heard at a wedding, and in general! Great! A++++. I would highly recommend them.

Review by Tammy S.

Corporate Function•Reviewed on December 20, 2005•From Durham, NC

The John Brown Quintet was absolutely fabulous!! We had nearly 300 people at our event and I heard nothing but rave reviews. We will definitely work with John and his band again.

Awards & Badges 

See why this vendor is top rated on The Bash.

Song List 

Get a feel for the songs performed by this vendor. Contact them directly for special requests.

  • All Blues | Miles Davis
  • A Night in Tunisia | Dizzy Gillespie
  • It Had to Be You | Frank Sinatra
  • Someday My Prince Will Come | as played by Miles Davis
  • Take the | Duke Ellington
  • A Sunday Drive | John Brown
  • Quiet Time | John Brown
  • Time Will Tell | Ray Codrington
  • A Whole Lotta Love | Ray Codrington
  • Old Song | Gabe Evens
  • Fly Me to the Moon | as performed by Frank Sinatra
  • Glendora | Russell Lacy
  • Level | Russell Lacy
  • Desmnd Street | Brian Miller
  • Since I Love You | Brian Miller
  • Hallelujah, I Love Her So | Ray Charles
  • Our Love is Here to Stay | Frank Sinatra
  • Moanin' | Bobby Timmons
  • Someone to Watch Over Me | as performed by Ella Fitzgerald
  • Summertime | as performed by Ella Fitzgerald
  • The Preacher | Horace Silver
  • In a Mellow Tone | Duke Ellington
  • Georgia On My Mind | as performed by Ray Charles
  • Mack the Knife | as performed by Ella Fitzgerald
  • Do Nothin 'til You Hear From Me | Billy Strayhorn
  • Autumn Leaves | as played by Miles Davis
  • On the Sunny Side of the Street | as played by Joshua Redman
  • Bye Bye Blackbird | as played by Miles Davis
  • Meditation | Altonio Carlos Jobim
  • St. Thomas | Sonny Rollins
  • In A Sentimantal Mood | Duke Ellington
  • They Can't Take That Away From Me | as performed by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald
  • The Days of Wine and Roses | as played by Ray Brown
  • My Little Suede Shoes | Charlie Parker
  • The Night Has A Thousand Eyes | John Coltrane
  • But Not For Me | as played by Ray Brown
  • It's Only A Paper Moon | as performed by Natalie Cole
  • L-O-V-E | as performed by Natalie Cole
  • Shiny Stockings | Frank Foster
  • As Time Goes By | Frank Sintra
  • Satin Doll | Duke Ellington
  • All of Me | as performed by Tony Bennett
  • Lulu's Back in Town | as performed by Mel Torme
  • . . . and MANY others! A complete list is available upon request. Thanks!

Booked Events 

: The Bash Verified Bookings

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events

Past Events

August 4, 2023 • Birthday Party (Adult)
Fri • 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM • Greensboro, NC
September 9, 2022 • Wedding Reception
Fri • 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM • Cary, NC
February 25, 2022 • Club Event
Fri • 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM • Charleston, SC
October 23, 2021 • Fundraiser
Sat • 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM • Pittsboro, NC
June 27, 2021 • Celebration
Sun • 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM • Raleigh, NC
June 17, 2021 • Corporate Function
Thu • 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM • Elon, NC
July 23, 2016 • Wedding Reception
Sat • 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM • Stokesdale, NC
June 18, 2016 • Wedding Reception
Sat • 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM • Asheville, NC
December 8, 2015 • Christmas Party
Tue • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM • Durham, NC
December 6, 2015 • Wedding
Sun • 3:30 PM - 10:00 PM • Pittsboro, NC
May 19, 2012 • Private Party
Sat • 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM • Danville, VA
September 13, 2008 • Wedding
Sat • 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM • Durham, NC

Share John Brown Entertainment Group

Information displayed on this page is courtesy of John Brown Entertainment Group

Plan, book, celebrate—with confidence

Find Jazz Bands in Chapel Hill, NC to bring your event to life.

Badge with check mark

Trusted Vendors

With verified reviews and thousands of ratings, it's easy to book the perfect Jazz Bands for all types of events in Chapel Hill, NC—no matter how big or small.

credit card protected by a shield

Free Booking Platform

It's free to book and make secure online payments through The Bash. Once the booking for your selected Jazz Band is confirmed, it's covered by our Booking Guarantee.

envelope and phone with 5 stars

Top-Rated Service

Our US based team of Account Specialists are here to help every step of the way. Since 1997, we've connected planners with vendors for over half a million events.