Grammy Winner Norman Brown To Play At This Year's Summer Sizzle!

Contemporary jazz guitarist Norman Brown, a 2003 Grammy-award winner, has been announced as the third headliner at the 6th Annual Historic Third Ward Association Jazz Festival: Summer Sizzle! Brown will perform at 9 pm on August 7, on the Main Stage at Catalano Square. Previously announced Main Stage headliners are trumpeter Jon Faddis (9 pm, August 6) and saxophonist David Sanchez (4:30 pm, August 7).

Brown won the 2003 Grammy Award for "Best Pop Instrumental Album" for "Just Chillin'" (Warner Bros.), his fifth album/ It's just one of the many awards the contemporary jazz guitarist has won. His second album, "After the Storm," captured "1995 Jazz Album of the Year" from Gavin and Soul Train, and his "Better Days Ahead" release earned the 1997 American Jazz Award for Contemporary Guitar.

The chart-topping Brown is known for his energetic, uplifting, soulful sound. Raised in Kansas City, he began playing in his early teens and studied at the prestigious Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles. Strongly influenced by Wes Montgomery and George Benson, Brown enjoys a commanding presence on the contemporary jazz scene. In fact, Brown conveys an emotional expressiveness and sound in his hands with a watery technique that resembles Montgomery. And like Benson, Brown occasionally scats in unison with his guitar solos and melodies.

Summer Sizzle also features a marketplace with a variety of art, gift, and specialty items, food and beverages. The Historic Third Ward Jazz Festival: Summer Sizzle is presented by Jewel-Osco, produced by the Historic Third Ward Association (HTWA) and sponsored in part by Smooth Jazz WJZI 93.3. For more information, call 414-273-1173.

Complete Summer Schedule Schedule