The Urban Music Scene Announces Jewel Brown’s New Album “Thanks For Good Ole’ Music and Memories” to be Released Jan. 13th 2023
Did You Hear About Jewel?
With Thanks for Good Oleâ Music and Memories âŚ
Reintroducing the one and only, the legendary Jewel Brown!
The music industry is full of stories. Some good. Some not so good. But it must be said, itâs not every day that a magical storyline like Jewel Brownâs comes around.
Her journey started back before her teen years. Like most musical talents at the time, Jewel began singing in the church. But it didnât take her long to start a commercial singing career. In fact, she played her first show when she was just 12, and she was cutting records by the time she was a teenager. Brown recorded a handful of hit songs with Clyde Otis in the mid-â50s for Liberty Records and by the early â60s she was playing jazz clubs nationally, many of which happened to be owned by Jack Ruby. Yep, that Jack Ruby.
But Jewel Brown was and still is, best known for her work with Louis Armstrong and His All-Star Band. She sang with Satchmo from 1961 until 1968, until Armstrong fell ill. She continued singing for a while after her stint with Armstrong, headlining shows, mainly in Vegas. She stepped out of the limelight in the early â70s, not because there wasnât a demand for her talent, but because it was time for her to care for her aging parents.
But her success didnât end with show biz. Jewel started up numerous businesses and enjoyed a successful career as, of all things, an insurance agent, a career she nurtured until retiring from the business in 2000. Jewel still receives calls from people looking to buy insurance from someone âthey can trust.â
Though retired, her generations of fans didnât allow her musical legacy to be forgotten. In 2007 she was inducted into the Blues Smithsonian and in 2015 she received a congressional acknowledgment for her contribution to the arts. And, in 2020, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner set aside December 12, 2020, as Jewel Brown Day.
But the storyâs not over, not by a longshot. Today, Jewel Brown is back, this time, for the first time, with songs of her own. Thanks for Good Oleâ Music and Memories is Brownâs long-awaited new recording, done in collaboration with Nic Allen (better known as Joe Sampleâs longtime musical director). âOver the years,â she notes in her bio, âI had the opportunity to work with various songwriters, but I never put my name on anything. I feel like the Lord has given back to me what was taken, and Iâve enjoyed doing a lot of writing lately with Nic.â
The ten jazz and blues tracks on the album reflect that collaboration. While it nods to Brownâs legacy, revisiting two songs that form important chapters in her musical history (the brilliantly updated opener âDid You Hear About Jerryâ and the lush âSong of the Dreamer,â written by her ex-husband Eddie Curtis.) But thereâs so much more, including the rockinâ cover âWhich Way Is Up,â the a cappella âPain and Glory,â the jazzy âWhy Did You Do That,â and the boppinâ, bluesy closer âHow Did It Go.â The recording is rich and full, showcasing great playing and Brownâs elegant, sage-like vocals.
So, no, itâs not your typical throwaway comeback recording. Thanks for Good Oleâ Music and Memories is an inspired reintroduction of an impressive talent, an important musical figure, and, best of all, an incredible voice.
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