Return

Description

Old Man Brown is based in the Baltimore area, playing original Rock, Blues, Soul and Funk that honors earlier traditions with respectful arrangements and the highest standards of musicianship. OMB's repertoire includes an enticing collection of original songs written by keyboardist and singer Adam Scott-Wakefield and his late brother, drummer John Scott-Wakefield. OMB's music is inspired by blues and rock legends such as Freddie King, The Meters, Bobby Bland, The Allman Brothers and Little Feat. Surprisingly, the OMB musicians all grew up in rural New Hampshire, far from the blues traditions of the Southeast and the Midwest. The Scott-Wakefield brothers studied music, John at USC in 1996-97 and Adam at New York's New School in 2000, and played in a series of jazz and rock bands separately and together, from Los Angeles to New York City to Atlanta. But they craved the freedom of their own band and in 2001 reunited with long-time friends and fellow musicians Marshall Chapman (guitar), Paul Lewis (bass) and Alex Rankin (guitar). The guys gathered on a farm in central NH, hosted by Chapman's stepfather, Peter Brown, aka "Old Man Brown," who opened his house to the band and cleaned out a "studio" in the barn for jamming. Thus was Old Man Brown born. The sudden death of drummer John Scott-Wakefield happened just as the band was completing studio work on the OMB demo. The band has recruited one of John's best friends, Benjamin Woodbury to fill his place. In 2005 Old Man Brown submitted the demo, with the help of Big Noise Productions, to the Grammy's. All three made a ballot spot: 'For That Someone (I Knew Before)' / Best Rock Group or Duo 'Fool to Love' / Best R&B Vocals 'Turn To Me' / Best Rock Song In 2006 Johnny Neel (The Allman Brothers, Dickey Betts Band) heard about the band from a local friend in Baltimore and after listening to their demo wanted to work with the band. In July Old Man Brown went to Johnny's studio in Nashville, Straight-up Sound Studios, and collaborated on their first full length CD, "Return". Since the CD was released in January of 2007, Johnny and Old Man Brown have been playing shows from Delaware to D.C. selling CDs and snagging fans along the way. More shows/festivals have been planned for the band along the east coast during the summer of 2007. Old Man Brown's album keeps on selling and regional momentum is picking up for these young men from the back woods of New Hampshire. Old Man Brown has appeared on stages with The Derek Trucks Band, Levon Helm, Canned Heat, and many others. With strong compositions, meticulous playing, inspired solos and skillful group improvisation, Old Man Brown offers up a refreshing contrast to the canned sounds of much popular rock music today. OMB displays an infectious commitment to innovation built on hard work and an unswerving respect for their music's roots. They envision the birth of a rock revolution firmly founded on those principles, and have fired the first shots.