Band on the Wall and Jazz FM are delighted to present two great funk and jazz icons – saxophonist Ronnie Laws and trumpet player Tom Browne performing together with full band. Over their 30-year careers they’ve played with some of the biggest stars out there, including Quincy Jones, Sister Sledge, Ramsey Lewis, Earth, Wind & Fire, Mariah Carey and Eryka Badu – expect the stage to sizzle when these two get playing!
Ronnie Laws
In 1972, Laws joined the fledgling group Earth, Wind & Fire, playing saxophone and flute on their seminal album Last Days and Time. In 1975, he began his solo career with the album Pressure Sensitive, on which his most famous instrumental song, Always There, was included. It became an instant jazz-funk classic, covered by numerous artists. Laws has also recorded with numerous other artists, including Arthur Adams, Howard Hewett, Brian Culbertson, Ramsey Lewis, Jeff Lorber, Hugh Masekela, Alphonse Mouzon, David Sea, and Sister Sledge.
Tom Browne
Tom Browne’s success was inevitable as he began to carve a path for his musical future early on as a student of New York’s High School of Music and Art. During this period, Browne became a regular on the New York jazz scene.
In 1978 after Browne played an NY uptown club affiliated with George Benson, he was offered several solo recording contracts and ultimately signed with GRP Records (then distributed by Arista). On GRP, he recorded four solo albums. His debut release, Browne Sugar (1979) dominated the jazz charts for numerous weeks while his next two releases Love Approach (1980) and Magic (1981) each sold 500,000 units earning gold records. Love Approach also spawned the hit song Funkin’ for Jamaica, which earned him a gold single and today, is still a favorite among dance DJ’s around the world.
The Band:
Ronnie Laws – saxophone
Tom Browne – trumpet
Jason Rebello – keys
Troy Miller – drums
Nick Cook – bass
This concert will begin at 8pm but our Picturehouse Cafe Bar is open for delicious food and drinks from 5.30pm. Special Offer! Book your meal in advance and get free ‘lucky dip’ tickets for a future concert – click here now for details