Dean Brown graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1977. During that time in Boston he performed with his own groups as well as Tiger's Baku, replacing Mike Stern in that group before moving to New York around 1980 and joining Billy Cobham's band.
Since 1982 Brown has recorded and/or toured worldwide with his own projects as well as artists Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, Eric Clapton, Billy Cobham, The Brecker Brothers, Roberta Flack, Bob James, Joe Zawinul, George Duke, Victor Bailey, Bill Evans, snd Steve Smith's Vital Information.
As a solo artist, Brown has produced five solo CDs with his fifth solo CD "Rolajafufu" just being released in Spring 2016. His first titled "Here" (2001) on ESC Records, is his all-star debut CD featuring jazz greats Michael Brecker, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, Billy Cobham, George Duke, Randy Brecker, Christian McBride, Don Alias, Bill Evans, Bernard Wright and many others. His second record "Groove Warrior" (2004) on ESC Records, features another all-star lineup with Lalah Hathaway, Marcus Miller, Bernard Wright, JuJu House, Poogie Bell, Schuyler Deale, Booker King, and Patches Stewart, just to name a few. His third "DBIII" (2009) on the BHM label features an all-star power trio with musical greats Dennis Chambers and Will Lee. His fourth CD "Unfinished Business"(2012) featuring yet another all-star cast of musicians with Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Kirk Whalum, Dennis Chambers, Jimmy Earl, Gerry Etkins and Hadrien Feraud among others.
Brown's studio guitar work can be heard on over 100 albums, including four Grammy Award winners. Records such as the Brecker Brothers' Return of the Brecker Brothers and Out of the Loop, Marcus Miller's The Sun Don't Lie, Billy Cobham's Warning, and Joe Zawinul's Faces and Places are just a few out of the long list. His live performances include DVDs with Marcus Miller, Billy Cobham, Gil Evans, David Sanborn, Louie Bellson, Bob James, and Steve Smith's Vital Information. Brown's compositions and arrangements are featured on albums by Les McCann, Dennis Chambers, Ricky Peterson, Steve Smith's Vital Information, and Billy Cobham.
As an educator and clinician Dean conducts master classes at schools and venues at home and abroad and teaches several classes of his own curriculum at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California since 2006. Dean has also released an instructional/live DVD with publishing giant Hal Leonard for Musicians Institute titled "Modern Techniques for the Electric Guitarist"(2008) and has had several featured instructional articles in Guitar Player Magazine (US), Guitar World (US), Gittare and Bass (G), Bass Player, Jazz Life (Jp), Big Box (I), Muzikus (Cz), Guitarist (Fr) and 20th Century Guitar magazines (US). Dean and Runfly Studios have developed and released a popular ear training iPhone/iPad app called 'Pickup Tunes' based on his teaching techniques.
1982 Billy Cobham Smokin' Live at Montreux ("Some Other Kind" written by Dean Brown)1982 Billy Cobham– Observations + ("M.S.R." written by Dean Brown)1982 Tiger Okoshi Mudd Cake1983 Steve Smith Vital Information1984 Steve Smith Orion ("The Strut" written by Dean Brown)1985 Billy Cobham Warning1986 Billy Cobham Power Play1987 Lee Venters 388 Marlborough Street ("Noah's Ark" written by Dean Brown)1987 Steve Smith Global Beat ("One Flight Up" co written by Dean Brown)1987 Steve Smith Part I and II DVD1988 Al Corley The Big Picture1988 Bob James Ivory Coast1988 Kirk Whalum And You Know That1988 Rob Prester Trillium1988 Roland Vasquez The Tides of Time1989 Kirk Whalum The Promise1990 Bob James Grand Piano Canyon1990 Various Artists GRP Digital Sampler, Vol. 21991 Various Artists Beyond the Groove: Contemporary Jazz on The Move1992 Takeshi T.K. Ito Visions1992 The Brecker Brothers Return of the Brecker Brothers1992 Steps Ahead Yin Yang1993 Gary Rosen Tot Rock1993 Marcus Miller The Sun Don't Lie1993 The Mann Brothers Mann to Mann1993 Color Me Badd Time and Chance1993 Kirk Whalum Cache1994 Bob James Restless1994 David Sanborn Hearsay1994 Jason Miles World Tour1994 Marcus Miller Tales1994 The Brecker Brothers Out of the Loop1995 Lenny White Present Tense1995 Various Artists Blue Suede Sneakers1995 Various Artists People1996 Bernard Purdie's Soul to Jazz1996 David Sanborn Songs from the Night Before1996 Jason Miles Mr. X1996 Tom Coster From the Street1996 Various Artists JVC XRCD Sampler1996 Lenny White Renderers of Spirit1997 Various Artists Hot Jazz Biscuits1997 Various Artists NBA at 50: A Musical Celebration1997 Eddie Harris The Last Concert1997 John Favicchia World Time1997 Roberta Flack The Christmas Album1997 Till Bronner Midnight1997 Weldon Irvine Spoken Melodies1998 Various Artists Hot Jazz Biscuits1998 Walkaway Night Life (Headless Horseman, Beatin' Silver, written by Dean Brown)1999 Bill Evans Touch1999 David Sanborn Inside (Grammy Best Contemporary Jazz Performance)1999 Ricky Peterson Souvenir (Ignorance is Bliss co written by Dean Brown)1999 Billy Cobham By Design1999 Brecker Brothers Priceless Jazz1999 Marcus Miller Live and More1999 Master Vel The Price of Freedom1999 Nelson Rangell Always2000 Jason Miles/Various Artists A Love Affair: The Music of Ivan Lins2000 Jason Miles/Various Artists Celebrating the Music of Weather Report2000 Bikithi Kumalo "In Front of My Eyes"2000 Joe Piket Nine Times Framed2001 David Mann "Touch"2001 Dean Brown Here2001 Jason Miles/Various Artists To Grover With Love2001 Various Artists Telarc Sampler2001 Bill Evans "Soul Insider"2001 Bob James Restoration: The Best of Bob James2001 David Sanborn "David Sanborn and Friends" DVD2001 John Favicchia Dharma ("The Gauntlet" written by Dean Brown)2001 Randy Brecker Hangin' in the City2001 Victor Bailey That's Right2002 Walkaway Double Walk2002 Dennis Chambers Outbreak (Plan B co written by Dean Brown)2002 Gato Barbieri Shadow of the Cat2002 Gil Evans Gil Evans and His Orchestra DVD2002 Joe Zawinul Faces and Places2002 Kirk Whalum Best of Kirk Whalum2002 Les McCann Pump It Up ("Buckshot & LeFonque", "Funk It" co written by Dean Brown)2003 Marcus Miller Ozell Tapes2003 Various Artists Living Theater, Vol. 32003 Bernard Maseli The Globetrotters: Fairytales of the Trees2003 Cassandra Reed Cassandra Reed2003 Eric Marienthal Sweet Talk2003 Freddie Cole In the Name of Love2003 Louie Bellson Louie Bellson and His Big Band DVD2003 Roberta Flack Holiday2004 Dean Brown Groove Warrior2004 Maximum Grooves Coast to Coast ("You Da Mann", "Attitude", "Karma Kanic" co written by Dean Brown)2004 Various Artists Undercover [Hip Bop]2005 Jason Miles Miles to Miles: In the Spirit of Miles Davis2005 Marcus Miller Silver Rain2005 Various Artists As One Tsunami Relief ("Gemini" written by Dean Brown)2006 Various Artists Funk Academy2006 Alex Fox Influences2006 Bradley Leighton with Jason Miles Bradley Leighton with Jason Miles2006 Dennis Chambers Planet Earth ("Camel Hump" written by Dean Brown)2006 Jason Miles What's Going On: The Music of Marvin Gaye2006 Marcus Miller Master Of All Trades DVD2006 Mauri Sanchez Good Vibes2006 Poogie Bell Get On the Kit2007 Billy Cobham/Louie Bellson Cobham Meets Bellson DVD2007 Keith Anderson & Full of Soul Let's Roll2007 Various Artists Funky Planet Earth2007 Steve Adelson Adventures in Stickology2008 Billy Cobham Fruit from the Loom2008 Dean Brown Modern Techniques for the Electric Guitarist DVD2008 Razl Rotonova2009 Cheikh Ndoye A Child's Tale2009 Dean Brown DBIII2009 Mauri Sanchis Groove Words (produced by Mauri Sanchis and Dean Brown)2009 Michael Schmidt Destination2012 Dean Brown Unfinished Business2012 Roberta Flack Let It Be Roberta2013 Global Noize Sly reimagined2013 Randy Brecker The Brecker Brothers Band Reunion2013 The Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine It's About Time2016 Dean Brown Rolajafufu
