Reviews of My Music | Chuck Brown

"Pianist Chuck Brown brings a breezy comfortable feeling to his latest recording, Breathe. Warm, accessible, and low-key (even when the tempo is moderate or fast), the seventeen (!) songs on this album roll forth from the speakers with true good nature. From a compositional standpoint, songs such as the album opener, the cheery, "give us a smile, alicia" the reflective "some things are better left unsaid" and the light-hearted "plays well with others" (don't you love those titles? I do!) straddle the pop, jazz, and adult contemporary genres. In fact, you could say Chuck takes the best parts of all those genres and mixes them together to make music that is easy to listen to either directly or while played in the background. Since the album has seventeen songs on it, you'd be correct if you assumed some of the cuts are short in length. But these are not cookie-cutter tunes. The tone and feeling of the songs vary considerably. "Lights across the water" is a Winston-ish tone poem, while the next song, "the world's biggest fool" could be from a Lanz or Gratz album. However, even noting these similarities (which I mention purely for the sake of comparison), Chuck is an original. His playing talent on the keys is solid and he shows a particularly sharp sense of timing and rhythm. He knows when to let a phrase linger and when to push the tempo forward. Joining Chuck on some cuts are album producer and arranger Michael Alexander Jackson (acoustic guitars, bass, percussion and synths), Phil Maneri (fretless bass) and Dan Clark (cello). However, the latter two only guest on one song each and even Jackson's presence is subdued. This is mostly a solo piano album with just enough added musical textures to spice it up a bit. Breathe is a rock-solid collection of piano instrumentals that makes for a most enjoyable listening experience. After the first two spins, I no longer noticed the brevity of some of the songs, as the album started to play more as a cohesive whole instead (even with the wide variety of tempos and moods).
Piano fans looking for something more accessible than the work of George Winston yet with more depth than many adult contemporary performers will find a lot to enjoy on this CD. The album's friendliness will charm all but the hardest of hearts and put a smile on many faces, too, I'll bet."
Bill Binkelman
Wind & Wire

"It's a wonderful album."
David Shear
WSIA - Staten Island, NY

"Friendly piano man Brown hits a nice laid back adult groove on his new, mostly solo, piano set. Nice in the background or foreground, this is sweet takes on sketches and themes that say it precisely and move on, no noodling. A nice find for adult listeners on the prowl."
Chris Spector - Midwest Record Recap

"Counting over 125 life-time compositions as keepers, the one's he'll admit to writing, 17 of them appear on his 2000 mostly solo piano release, Breathe.
Chuck Brown's piano compositions are sweet. Along with a clear pop sensibility the arrangements are open and uncluttered. Each seems to be filled with enough air so as to allow your soul room to get up and walk around--gazing here and there at will with gratified knowing smiles. Breathe intersperses pure solo piano with lovely ensemble pieces, including acoustic guitar, electric piano, fretless bass, cello and subtle percussion.
While writing music and working as a voice talent for radio and TV in Columbus, Ohio Brown also endeavors on a weekly basis with elementary school age kids in a teaching and mentoring capacity. Due out soon is Brown's first release for kids with his band The Chuckleberries, aimed toward grades K-4. We're all looking forward to this release which will showcase Brown's unique energy and musical sensibilities."
Greg Ozimek - Music Reviews & More!

"A relative newcomer to local music, Chuck Brown's most recent disc is a collection of 17 piano pieces, with and without accompaniment. Much of Breathe could pass as less-ethereal fare on public radio's syndicated Echoes show. Unobtrusive additions of percussion, cello, guitar and synthesizers adorn the expressively organic, loosely composed original songs. Brown's biggest accomplishment, though, is integrating different styles and forms into his tunes. He creates a waltz without calling up cheesy cliches on Waltz Flowers, and keeps his new age songs like Remind Me to Breathe grounded in reality with a strong acoustic sounds. Also noticeable in Breathe are hints of jazz and classical. Though quietly unassuming, Breathe has earned Chuck Brown some attention of late, most noticeably by ColumbusMusic.com, which chose to include the album's slightly Mediterranean-flavored Return to Pamplona on its Super Sampler Vol. I."
Adam Garratt
Columbus Alive

CHUCK BROWN: "UNADORNED"

"Just fantastic!"
Lenny Bertrand, Cheez Music
WTUL-FM - New Orleans, LA

"Your playing is flawless...your original songs most pleasant and appealing to listen to... a fine CD. I am so proud of you!"
Nadine Flugge
(Chuck's first piano teacher!)

"...lovely melodic piano..."
MP3.com

"Very melodic...the kind of thing my listeners enjoy."
Louise Higman, New Morning Music
WUOT-FM - Knoxville, TN

"Very nice stuff! "
Eric Cohen, Music Director
WAER-FM - Syracuse, NY

"Chuck Brown plays his melodic piano-driven compositions like a George Winston who is obsessed with the autumn season. The tinkled ivories bring up pictures of multicolored leaves and Thanksgiving dinner."
Nick D. - Listen.com

THE GRACE PROJECT: "THE BIG LOVE!"

"The project manager, Chuck Brown, writes in the liner notes, "It's not supposed to be this good... to bring together 30 people from Central Ohio... and end up with something this wonderful!" That pretty well describes this project. If the promotional material had not said so, you wouldn't know that this barrage of musicians was not working together on a daily basis. This project has continuity for the most part, in a listenable and, more importantly, likeable manner.

A Love Like Yours is a good opener. It's musically solid, with a good melody and good hook. This is squarely in the middle of CCM, with the emphasis on Contemporary, a very "now" CCM sound. You can see Point of Grace doing this one. Beautiful lyrics with complementing instrumentation and a nice melody. Everyone will be grabbing the CD jacket while listening to One Thing. I'll save you the trouble. That unique and incredible voice is Kim Rattan's. Don't fast forward from the originating guitar chord -- this isn't a hard rock song, but almost "alternative praise". Fantastic track.... there simply isn't a better word for it. As often as I listen to this CD, it is to One Thing that I keep returning. Chuck Brown wrote a masterpiece, but it's the production that sets a song like this apart from the original pen and paper beginnings, as there is obvious thought put into the arrangment. This clearly is demonstrated from the extensive musician credits lending their obvious top-notch talents to this proejct. The lyrics come straight from Psalm27:4-6.

One True Love sounds like a hit single. No wonder -- Randy Stonehill wrote it two decades ago. A well written song is timeless! This remix is GREAT and should be getting instant radio play after hitting any DJ's lucky hands. Not necessarily so for the next cut. Rap may make a project appeal to a larger audience, but for this reviewer, Is This the Man?'s song placement completely obliverates the continuity of The Big Love! I would tend to think the variety aspect was more important to the album producers....but the end of the album would have lessened the shock to the system of the listener. It's the only song that seems "out of place" on an otherwise fluid CD.

Bad Fruit is another remake of a Randy Stonehill classic. Its jungle beat (complete with animal sounds ;-) and easy reggae style make this sound better than the original. David Schuiteman has a very rich, smooth, and laid-back vocal here that carries the song. Hosanna will have you singing along from the first verse, and joining Cynthia Hale's sweeping backups at the song's end. What a catchy tune! There's a 70s Calvary Chapel feel on the chorus, gathered together at the beach, worshipping the Lord with outstretched arms and unashamed voices. Lest you think is a gentle song, Michael Alexander Jackson provides some explosive electric guitars. A very emotional song that plays well to any audience.

Praise Him runs the gamut from light rap to big band sound, all wrapped up in one nice little package. It's a reminder of the many different ways we all praise Him, supported of course by many different wonderful musicians in the confines of Ohio. Cynthia Hale lets loose on Light of the World, a bluesy full arangment complete with wah-wah pedal guitar work. The piano, horns and male vocal at song's end are simply superb on another well written song by Chuck and Tom Nichus. If it can be cut down a little shorter than 6:00, No Other Gods has great radio potential across many different genres. It has a Big Love worship feeling, with again top-notch instrumentation behind it, including the great mandolin picking by Richard Reau. Donna Mogavero's lead has a Heart feel to it, one that rings truth, and one that pushes you to consider whether there are, in fact, other "gods" in your life. Andy and Michael Alexander Jackson's guitars here are riviting to say the least! This song has some of the best production work (Neal Havener) I have honestly ever heard. An incredible cut that will be played over and over by every listener.

The Grace Project puts a more contemporary sound with Have You Seen This Child?, one of the better Gaither songs. The CCM feel works well in this soul seeking song. Christian Howes' string arrangements gives this moodful song a wonderfully longing feel. A classical gas acoustic guitar introduces The Big Love which has a Billy Joel at his best vocal/musical arrangment mood to it. Fortunately its lyrics are much better. A definate get-out-of-your-pews-and-dance-in-the-aisles kind of song! You Never Know is the perfect closer. Noelle McClelland gently sings a heartfelt prayer, "You never know where you will be in a minute... Lord, don't let me waste this day." The numerous days recording and mixing The Big Love! were surely not wasted. You can tell one and all had a good time by the hidden tag that follows the last track.

This project is one of those CDs that you keep for years and years and you never grow out of. This goes to show you what can happen when you bring in half a dozen great original songs, toss in a few classics along with a bunch of talented musicians, and mix them up with the right bunch of producers, engineers and editors! The outcome is The Big Love, and time will prove that the moments put into this music were truly anointed by His hand.
Paul Gentry
CMCA Staff

"what a treat!... some seriously good work here... "You Never Know": Very nice lyric. I'm falling in love with the voice of Noelle McClelland..."Is This The Man?": This is truly legit rap. This D. Skite guy is "down with it!"... "Hosanna": One of my favorite Christian songs of all time. I really like the arrangement..."Have You Seen This Child?": just a killer melody..."The Big Love": Fun...Very cool!...a real solid CD. I enjoyed it...Kudos to you!"
Bill DeWees, Station Manager
WONU-FM

"Jazz, soul, Funk and rap combine joyously in groovy songs of worship and contemplative ballads. High point: vocalist instructs band to "Praise Him with the drums / Praise Him with the strings," and each musician gets their own sanctified solo."
Tim Quirk, Associate Editor
Listen.com

"Chuck Brown is an Ohio-based songwriter who also owns the label Grandma Katherine's Music. His release features some local male and female vocalists singing both Chuck's original songs and some well-chosen covers. My favorite is an old Randy Stonehill song called "Bad Fruit," which I belive was on his second album, "The Sky is Falling." It's a corny song in typical Randy fashion, treated here in a reggae style. One of my other favorite Stonehill songs is also included, the later period "One True Love."
Musicanship is top-rate here, with a wide variety of styles from straight CCM ("A Love like Yours"), to reggae, to soul music ("Light of the World"). While I didn't recognize any of the vocalists, they are a talented bunch.
You wouldn't think a project like this would include a hidden track, but if there is any question about the record it's why they would include an extra few minutes of studio gab after a slow, mournful song at the end. It's a mystery to me."
John Brandon
ChristRock

"Inspirational. Stunning lead vocals! Moving piece of Pop music with a message! Great singing and instrumentation!"
MP3.com

"Another truly killer outstanding awesome indie project!! Many styles represented, but all are excellent. Do yourself a favor, pick this puppy up, slap it in your CD player, sit back and be amazed!! We give it 10,000,000 stars, or whatever... We love it!"
Keith Mohr
Broken Records

"Awesome...I totally love it!"
Stephanie Haviland
"Angel 95" (KHCA - Manhattan, KS)

SCORE: 94 out of a possible 100" (highest rating given to that point!)
John Cook
Servant's Heart

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CHUCK BROWN: "BREATHE"

CHUCK BROWN: "UNADORNED"