Biography
Otis Brown III stands out as a Grammy-nominated jazz drummer, composer, and recording artist frequently sought after for both studio sessions and live tours. His most prominent association remains the time spent alongside Joe Lovano inside the Us Five ensemble, yet he has contributed to dozens of recordings and proved equally adept supporting vocalists and instrumental soloists alike.
Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Brown III grew up with a mother who taught vocal music and directed choirs and a father who instructed school bands while establishing himself as a percussionist who performed with Al Green and James Brown.
He first took up the alto saxophone at seven, guided by his father, and quickly demonstrated talent both inside school ensembles and church settings. After the family relocated to Newark, he continued playing alto saxophone in the jazz orchestra and snare drum in the marching band during high school, groups led by his father.
At Delaware State University he came under the direct guidance of jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd, whose mentorship left a lasting mark. Byrd urged him to relocate to New York once his studies concluded so he could immerse himself in the city’s jazz community. Brown III subsequently secured a scholarship to the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where fellow students included pianist Robert Glasper, saxophonist John Ellis, vocalist Bilal Oliver, and trumpeter Kenyon Harrold. While based in New York he also received instruction from Larry Goldings, Lewis Nash, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Carl Allen, and additional teachers.
Lovano first encountered Brown III during a Thelonious Monk Institute engagement in Colorado and began calling on him to substitute for regular drummers Idris Muhammad and Nash when their session schedules conflicted. Brown III eventually secured a permanent chair and helped form the saxophonist’s Us Five alongside Esperanza Spalding; the group’s album Bird Songs received a Grammy nomination in 2012.
Brown III issued his debut album, The Thought of You, in September 2014 through Blue Note in association with Revive. The recording included several New School classmates plus bassist Ben Williams and vocalists Spalding, Gretchen Parlato, and Nikki Ross, with guest appearances by organist Shedrick Mitchell and guitarist Nir Felder. Its opening single, “The Thought Of You-Part I,” showcased Oliver’s vocals.
Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Brown III grew up with a mother who taught vocal music and directed choirs and a father who instructed school bands while establishing himself as a percussionist who performed with Al Green and James Brown.
He first took up the alto saxophone at seven, guided by his father, and quickly demonstrated talent both inside school ensembles and church settings. After the family relocated to Newark, he continued playing alto saxophone in the jazz orchestra and snare drum in the marching band during high school, groups led by his father.
At Delaware State University he came under the direct guidance of jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd, whose mentorship left a lasting mark. Byrd urged him to relocate to New York once his studies concluded so he could immerse himself in the city’s jazz community. Brown III subsequently secured a scholarship to the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where fellow students included pianist Robert Glasper, saxophonist John Ellis, vocalist Bilal Oliver, and trumpeter Kenyon Harrold. While based in New York he also received instruction from Larry Goldings, Lewis Nash, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Carl Allen, and additional teachers.
Lovano first encountered Brown III during a Thelonious Monk Institute engagement in Colorado and began calling on him to substitute for regular drummers Idris Muhammad and Nash when their session schedules conflicted. Brown III eventually secured a permanent chair and helped form the saxophonist’s Us Five alongside Esperanza Spalding; the group’s album Bird Songs received a Grammy nomination in 2012.
Brown III issued his debut album, The Thought of You, in September 2014 through Blue Note in association with Revive. The recording included several New School classmates plus bassist Ben Williams and vocalists Spalding, Gretchen Parlato, and Nikki Ross, with guest appearances by organist Shedrick Mitchell and guitarist Nir Felder. Its opening single, “The Thought Of You-Part I,” showcased Oliver’s vocals.
Albums
