Tom Browne and The Brit Funk Association

Born in Queens, New York, Browne initially learned to play the piano at the age of 11 before making the switch to the trumpet. The musician subsequently studied at New York’s High School of Music and Art where he pursued his interest in classical music, before discovering jazz music in his college years. In 1979 Browne issued his debut album “Browne Sugar”, earning strong reviews and charting at No. 6 on the Jazz Albums Chart. The full-length “Love Approach” followed a year later in 1980, featuring his first hit single “Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.), which topped the U.S R&B chart upon release. Peaking at No. 1 on the Jazz Albums Charts, the record saw Browne utilise the talents of musicians Dave Grusin, Bernard Wright, Omar Hakim, and Marcus Miller.

Browne’s 1981 album “Magic” was the first to be released on Arista Records and spawned his second hit single “Thighs High (Grip Your Hips and Move)”. Despite the subsequent album releases of “Yours Truly” in 1981, “Rockin’ Radio” in 1983, “Tommy Gun” in 1984, and “No Longer I” in 1988, by the tail-end of the ‘80s Browne had largely disappeared from the musical spotlight. In 1994 the trumpeter returned and released the funk album “Mo’ Jamaica Funk”, earning strong reviews from the critical press. The extolled jazz number “Another Shade of Browne” followed in 1996, spawning the hit single “What Took So Long?”.