Thursday, August 4, 2016

The 5 Browns Play Gershwin

The 5 Browns are 5 siblings who've been around for years unnoticed by me until recently. As you'll see they play Steinway grands together with the tops off, giving a rich, lusty feeling to their performances.

With the political and economic news so dismal, I thought some inspiration was in order.

From their website:
THE 5 BROWNS are delivering on their dream to wake up classical music by introducing it to the widest, largest and most excited audience they can find. Whether performing individually or together in various combinations from duo to complex five-piano arrangements, The 5 Browns reveal a deep connection to the intent of their material while bringing a fresh energy and dynamic character to the color and tonal spectrum of their sound. 
The 5 Browns – Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae – all attended New York’s Juilliard School. In fact, they became the first family of five siblings ever accepted simultaneously. The quintet enjoyed their first wave of critical attention in February 2002 when People magazine dubbed them the “Fab Five” at about the same time they were featured on Oprah and 60 Minutes. 
First up is an abbreviated version of Rhapsody in Blue:


As part of Steinway's "Live from the Factory Floor" concert series in Astoria NY, the Browns perform an extended version of Rhapsody in Blue:


Finally, An American in Paris featuring Chris Botti:




No comments:

An early George Gershwin song from the musical "Miss 1917"

  Today, February 12,2024, marks the 100th anniversary of the debut of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" in Aeolian Hall in...