BROWN JEWELS

Although noted drummer George “Funky” Brown passed away in 2023 from cancer at age 74, his spirit lives on in the music he left behind. As many R&B fans will know, he was the rhythmic heartbeat of Kool & The Gang, the legendary New Jersey funk and soul group he co-founded in the 1960s and who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. But Brown’s musical legacy also includes a posthumous solo album, Where I’m Coming From, which he completed just before he passed and is scheduled for a September release. 

Ahead of the keenly-anticipated album comes a taster in the shape of a single, ‘Shawty’s Got,’ a romantic mid-tempo R&B groove about young love with an addictive chorus. Brown’s deft songwriting skills won’t surprise Kool & The Gang fans, some of whom will know that he co-wrote two of the band’s biggest hits, ‘Ladies Night’ and ‘Too Hot.’  

Elsewhere in Where I’m Coming From, Brown’s musical journey takes him from Brazilian bossa novas (‘Gemma’) to smooth R&B (‘She Just Wants To Be Loved By Somebody’), passionate ballads (‘Honey’), and searing funk (‘Leave It On The Fire’). It’s an accomplished, well-crafted album with a contemporary edge that reveals Brown, who possessed a soulful voice and could play several instruments, was much more than a drummer.

‘Shawty’s Got’ is out now. Where I’m Coming From will follow on September 13th via Astana Music through BFD/The Orchard. 

Watch the video to ‘Shawty’s Got’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKEOMC3j8LQ&feature=youtu.be

Hear it: https://orcd.co/GeorgeBrownShawtysGot

Pre-order the album: https://orcd.co/GeorgeBrownWICF

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