The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra - The Sirius Mystery opus 4 no​.​1 (August 6, 2021 Ropeadope Records)

Born In Chicago and raised in East St Louis Illinois, Russell Gunn is a Pan-African Composer, producer and Trumpeter. While his initial musical interest was American Hip-Hop, he has been celebrated as a Jazz trumpeter from his early years to this day. In High School Gunn was named best all around trumpet player in the country, in a field that included college and professional players. Gunn declined scholarships from major universities, including Berklee School Of Music, to attend Jackson State University, a historically Black University.

In 1993 Russell moved to New York, performing as a member of the Wynton Marsalis Big Band, Known now as Jazz At Lincoln Center. He was in the trumpet section with Marcus Printupo and Roger Ingram on the Pulitzer Prize winning Jazz Oratorio ‘Blood On The Fields’ (composed By Marsalis). His first recording was with the great alto Saxophonist and St Louis native Oliver Lake on the album ‘Tribute to Eric Dolphy’.

Russell Gunn has performed with the best in contemporary music: Oliver Lake, Branford Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Maxwell, DʼAngelo, Angie Stone, Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove big band, Lou Reed, Cee Lo Green, Ne-Yo, Marcus Miller, Benny Golson, Young Jeezy, Joi, Les Nubian, and Harry Connick Jr. and many more. He has achieved two Grammy nominations for the albums Ethnomusicology Vol 1 and Vol 2

Gunn is the founder, composer, and director of contemporary big band ‘The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra’, with two releases to date - Get It How You Live, and Pyramids. Get It How You Live introduces us to the band, expressing their contemporary style and leading us toward Gunn's seminal work, a trilogy that represents the artist’s search to tell the expansive story of the African diaspora and the rich history it carries. Pyramids is the first in a three album set that carries us further into Gunn's world of discovery and expression. Pyramids delves (musically) into the true splendor of the Kemetic and Nubian peoples, whose accomplishments have been buried through years of rewritten European history.

In the second album, titled 'The Sirius Mystery'. Russell Gunn goes further into the concept of oral tradition that has been overwritten by the European technology. Following an ancestry tracing, Gunn found his roots in Mali, which piqued his interest in the country and specifically the Dogon (Kaado) people. People whose knowledge of space and planetary positions has stunned other African peoples, and has brought forth the ire of Euro-centric scholars eager to dispute that any knowledge could have pre-dated theirs. The intent is serious; Gunn is on a mission to contribute his knowledge, through art, to our further understanding for the world we have inherited. 

1. Sirius B - The Unseen Absolute (Intro)

2. The Dogon - Primordial Permanence

3. Amma's Egg - The Structure Of Matter

4. The Nummo Fish - Natatory Astronauts

5. (Bonus Track) Amma's Egg - The Structure Of Matter (Alternate Version)

Composed, Arranged, Orchestrated and conducted by - Russell Gunn

Special Guest - Wynton Marsalis (trumpet)

Vocals :

Dionne Farris

Dashill Smith

Trumpets :

1 - Lee King

2 - Melvin Jones

3 - Terence Harper

4 - Dashill Smith

Trombones :

1 - Derrick Jackson

2 - Derrick White

3 - Will Williams

4 - Tom Gibson

Saxophones :

Alto 1 - Mike Burton

Alto 2 - Marquinn Mason

Tenor 1 - Mike Walton

Tenor 2 - Fareed Mahluli

Baritone - Jamel Mitchell

Flute - Rasheeda Ali

Bass Clarinet – Dashill Smith

Rhythm Section :

Keyboards – Phil Davis

Piano - Kevin Bales

Bass - Tres Gilbert

Drums - Lil John Roberts (Left Channel)

Drums - Terreon Gully (Right Channel)

Guitar - Rod Harris Jr.

Percussion - Ali Barr

Additional Musicians (from original small group session)

Louis Heriveaux - Piano

Brian Hogans - Alto Sax

Morgan Guerin - EWI

Darren English - Trumpet

Delbert Felix - Acoustic Bass

Kebbi Williams - Tenor Sax

Produced by – Russell Gunn

Recorded By Michael Schenck and Phil Davis

Recorded in Atlanta Georgia, December 2020

Mixed By Russell Gunn and Dave Darlington

Mastered By Dave Darlington in New York City, January 2021

Cover art and design by Russell Gunn

Executive producer – Russell Gunn

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NEW RELEASE: Keith Brown Trio’s AFRICAN RIPPLES (f/ Melanie Charles, Camille Thurman + more) via Space Time Records

Acclaimed Pianist Keith Brown Announces the Release of His Revelatory New Album

African Ripples with his Trio, Out May 20, 2021 On Space Time Records

Space Time Records is proud to announce the May 20, 2021 release of African Ripples, the long-awaited new album by multi-faceted pianist, composer and arranger Keith Brown. The pianist’s third album as a leader, African Ripples introduces a new iteration of the Keith Brown trio now anchored by bassist Dezron Douglas and rotating drummers Darrell Green and Terron “Tank” Gully. Augmenting the mix is an abundance of notable special guests including trumpeter Russell Gunn, saxophonist Anthony Ware, vocalist Melanie Charles, vocalist Camille Thurman, vocalist Tamara Brown, spoken word artist Cyrus Aaron, and percussionist Nêgah Santos. 

After appearing on a number of universally acclaimed jazz recordings last year, including those by Jazzmeia Horn, Charles Tolliver, and Gregory Tardy, Keith Brown fulfills a long-held artistic vision on African Ripples. “The music of African Ripples was composed and collected to convey my personal experiences through Black music and how it has rippled out in so many different directions,” says Brown. “These ripples serve to bring to light our different relationships and connections and different variations of the same impactful shared experiences. This music has always been an extension of how we express ourselves within these relationships.”

Recorded in November of last year at Samurai Hotel Studios in Queens NY, African Ripples features innovative original compositions by Brown as well as several arrangements of tunes by such luminaries as Fats Waller and Stevie Wonder. Though the trio’s current configuration is new, the musicians on African Ripples have long-standing musical relationships. Terreon Gully is a longtime collaborator of Brown’s, having produced and performed on his previous album The Journey.  On Darrell Green, Brown shares that “[he] was one of the first drummers I met on the scene and has become one of my favorite drummers,” and on Dezron Douglas, he says: “anyone familiar with Dezron’s playing knows how deep his groove is but also how free he allows the music to be as well,” adding, “all these musicians provide exactly what I need to make the music speak.”

African Ripples begins with the deeply soulful “African Ripples Epigraph” featuring the evocative spoken word of Cyrus Aaron. Supple horn refrains cascade in between Aaron’s poignant words, underscored by Dezron Douglas’ deep groove and Brown’s powerful pianistic musings. “512 Arkansas St” provides the listener with some insight on the artist’s upbringing in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dedicated to the composer’s extended family, the song conjures the jubilance of family gatherings and features stunning improvisation by Brown as well as Russell Gunn and Anthony Ware. 

“Queen” is dedicated to Brown’s wife Tamara and the musical inspiration for the composition comes from a painting by Nigerian-born artist Uzo Egonu entitled ‘Guinean Girl’. The beauty and intensity of the piano is matched by the strength of Camille Thurman’s soaring vocals.“Prayer For My Nephews” is a composition written by Brown for his nephews, who are 19 and 4 years old. Featuring the words of Cyrus Aaron, the song is filled with affirmations and prayer. Brown notes “growing up as young black men, these words are important to hear, and it can also be uplifting to anyone at any age that needs a word of encouragement.” 

“Truth and Comfort” is a song about personal growth and re-education. The composer notes: “Everyone is raised in families and communities that can imprint ideas and beliefs that become a part of who we are. However, I think it is everyone’s responsibility to grow beyond the thoughts and beliefs that make them comfortable and see all the world’s many possibilities. This is something that some people have already done in their lives, so they’ll be able to relate to the experience, and for those who have not, maybe it will be an opportunity for them to think and see where they can open up themselves to truths beyond their comfort level.” The trio displays its stellar interplay on this nuanced track, and Brown offers audiences impassioned improvisation, beautifully supported by Terreon Gully and Dezron Douglas.

With the express purpose of fostering connection and positivity, African Ripples takes listeners on a journey throughout the life of the composer and offers a musical interpretation of many experiences that we all share in common – communion, hope, fear, nostalgia, grief and love. ‘My hope is that the listener will find enjoyment in the sounds, rhythms, harmonies, and melodies familiar to them and the ones that may be unfamiliar,” asserts Brown. “I hope that the energy and soul we put into this recording give them energy and uplift the soul.”

1. African Ripples Epigraph (featuring and lyrics by Cyrus Aaron) [2:03]

2. Truth and Comfort [5:01]

3. NAFID [5:19]

4. Just You, Just Me (Jesse Greer) [4:52]

5. 512 Arkansas St. (featuring Russell Gunn and Anthony Ware) [6:33]

6. African Ripples Part I (Thomas “Fats” Waller) [2:04]

7. African Ripples Part II (Thomas “Fats” Waller) [4:31]

8. Queen (featuring Camille Thurman) [6:37]

9. Come Back As A Flower (featuring Melanie Charles) (Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright) [5:23]

10. 118 & 8th [6:07]

11. What’s Left Behind [6:45]

12. Song of Samson (featuring Russell Gunn and Anthony Ware) [7:14]

13. Eye 2 Eye with the Sun [5:31]

14. Prayer for My Nephews (featuring and lyrics by Cyrus Aaron) [2:32]

15. African Ripples (Thomas “Fats” Waller) [0:46]

Keith Brown Trio:

Keith Brown- Piano, Rhodes, Synths

Dezron Douglas- Acoustic and Electric Bass

Terreon “Tank” Gully- (Drums, except tracks 6, 7, 8, and 13)

Darrell Green- (Drums, tracks 6,7,8, and 13)

Special Guests:

Russell Gunn-(Trumpet, tracks 1,5 and 12)

Anthony Ware- (Tenor saxophone, tracks 1,5 and 12)

Melanie Charles- (Vocals, track 9)

Camille Thurman- (Vocals track 8)

Cyrus Aaron- (Spoken Word, tracks 1 and 14)

Nêgah Santos- (Percussion, tracks 12 and 13)

Tamara Brown- Background Vocals (tracks 8 and 9)

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MORE ABOUT KEITH BROWN

Memphis-born, Knoxville-raised and New York-based Keith Brown is one of the most in-demand pianists on the contemporary jazz scene. Since he began playing jazz at the age of 18, Brown has performed and recorded with a who’s-who of jazz luminaries. He currently tours as the pianist for Charles Tolliver and Jazzmeia Horn and has shared the stage with great jazz artists such as Camille Thurman & The Darrell Green Trio, Dezron Douglas, Sherman Irby, Steve Slagle, Terreon Gully, Kenneth Whalum III, David Weiss, Mike Clark, Bill Saxton, Joe Farnsworth, Greg Tardy, John Clayton, Benny Golson, and Bobby Watson to name a few. 

African Ripples is Brown’s third release as a leader, following the release of The Journey, in 2015 and Sweet and Lovely, in 2011. Brown appears on a number of highly acclaimed recent recordings including Jazzmeia Horn’s Where We Are, Charles Tolliver’s Connect, Janinah Burnett’s Love The Color of Your Butterfly, and Gregory Tardy’s If Time Could Stand Still. 

Russell Gunn - The Sirius Mystery (2016)

The highly anticipated release of the new Russell Gunn musical masterpiece “The Sirius Mystery” is now official. 

What is already considered to be a game changer on the strength of the first single “Sirius B (the unseen absolute)”, “The Sirius Mystery” as a complete suite, delivers pure creative magic.

Gunn Fu (as Russell Gunn is affectionately known) delivers a brilliant musical portrait of the mysteries of Dogon Mythology. An Epic modern and ancient work of music by Russell Gunn.

“Russell Gunn’s inimitable conception of music is a diasporic crucible of ancestral intent.” – Mtafuta Ukweli

Russell Gunn’s new recording “The Sirius Mystery” is a progressive, dynamic and compelling four part master work, genre bending musical odyssey blending “Jazz”, EDM, American Trap, African Drums, Dub Step and Charlie Parker improvisation in a four movement suite that is inspired by and based on the Mythology of the mysterious Dogon Tribe of Mali.

The title of the work takes its name from the best selling book on the subject by author Robert K. Temple and research by French anthropologist Marcel Griaule.

“The Sirius Mystery” seamlessly blends “Jazz” with EDM, African Drums, Southern Hip Hop, Dogon Astrology, and acutely complex Melodic Motifs. Intensely emotional and angular improvisation crown the “odd rhythm”, “drum chant”, “trap jazz” aggregation of sound and spirit composed by Russell Gunn.

Russell Gunn

1. Sirius B (The Unseen Absolute) 9:06

2. The Nummo Fish (Natatory Astronauts) 11:12

3. The Dogon (Primordial Permanence) 11:02

4. Amma's Egg (The Structure of Matter) 9:20

5. Sirius B (The Unseen Absolute) [Radio Version] 5:57

6. The Nummo Fish (Natatory Astronauts) [Radio Version] 6:54

7. The Dogon (Primordial Permanence [RadioVersion]7:02

8. Amma's Egg (The Structure of Matter) [Radio Version]