Steve Wing provided this short bio of Bus Brown whose music we will feature on both July 16 and August 27:
Bus Brown was born in Baltimore MD in 1907. In the 1930s he formed The Harlem Highlanders, a singing and dancing troupe of African Americans that wore kilts for their performances. Bus befriended and was influenced by singer Billie Holiday, also from Baltimore.After living and performing in New York and Baltimore he moved to Durham in the late 1970s to join Yusuf Salim and other Baltimore musicians. In addition to their regular venue in Durham, The Salaam Cultural Center, they played at The Station in Carrboro.
Bus’s compositions ranged from sentimental ballads to biting social commentary on racism and social injustice. The band will present examples of both on July 16.
Frankie Alexander said:
Yusuf would have been 86, on July 10th, and Bus Brown, who died at 99.5 years, would have been 109 on July 14 — the celebration almost made his actual birthday!
Jazz at The Station started around 1980. Here’s a partial list of musicians who performed there in the 80’s. If you know anyone we’ve left out please contact me!
- Al Doctor – saxophone
- Al Neese – trumpet, flugel horn
- Ben Palmer – bass
- Ben Seawell – bass
- Bus Brown – vocals
- Chip Crawford
- Chuck Leonard – drums
- Connie Prince – vocals
- Daoud Hassan – drums
- David Via – drums
- Earl “Goldfinger” Wilson – guitar
- Ed Moon – bass
- Ed Paolantonio – piano
- Eve Cornelius – vocals
- Frankie Alexander – vocals
- Freeman Ledbetter – bass
- Gregg Gelb – saxophones
- Greg Hyslop – guitar
- Hayes Samir – vibes
- Jim Crawford – saxophone
- Jim Ketch – trumpet
- John Faison – drums
- John Hanks – drums
- Larry Duckworth – drums
- Mansour – percussion
- Pete Goldberg – guitar
- Pete Kaufman – trumpet
- Peter Ingram – drums
- Ray Codrington – trumpet
- Rich Ruhlen – trombone
- Robbie Link – bass
- Rodney Marsh – saxophones
- Scott Adair – saxophones
- Scott Sawyer – guitar
- Steve Knisley – bass
- Steve Wing – piano, vocals
- Suzanne Saunders – vocals
- Tom Smith – trombone
- Vernon Pratt – saxophones
- Yusuf Salim – piano