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Heralded as “Canada's preeminent jazz trumpeter" by NYC's Village Voice and considered one of the most acclaimed improvisers residing in Canada, Brownman Ali - born on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, is the multiple award winning NYC-schooled protégé to his teacher - Grammy-winning trumpet legend Randy Brecker. In the spirit of supreme trumpet genre-crossing visionaries such as Brecker and Miles Davis, he tirelessly leads and composes actively for no less than 6 ensembles of his own. He is also a musical director and/or featured soloist in countless other groups; testament to his unparalleled diversity of musical vision and skills making him one of Canada's most decorated jazz artists and highly in demand session calls for both Universal and Sony/BMG recording studios in forms of music ranging from be-bop to hip-hop. As a featured soloist he has appeared with Canada's leading Latin, urban, hiphop, reggae, island and DJ artists in addition to his foundational jazz milieu. With just under 300 recording credits to his name - many of these albums having won or been nominated for Junos (Canada's Grammy) - he is considered to be one of the most unique and provocative improvising trumpet players on the scene today, and a vanguard for the evolution of jazz in Canada. CBC Radio Canada recently announced he may the most recorded trumpet player in Canadian history.

As a leader, he is best known for his work with his multi-award winning latin-jazz-urban ensemble CRUZAO. They have toured Canada’s jazz festival and club circuit extensively, winning the 2001 Montreal Jazz Fest's coveted "Grand Prix du Jazz Award” leading to his being signed to the prestigious Justin Time Records label, simultaneous to Brownman winning a CBC-Galaxie "Rising Star" award. The subsequent 2002 release of "Shades Of Brown" would rocket to #1 on Canada’s jazz charts and remain there for 3 months as CRUZAO toured internationally. Brownman would be awarded a National Jazz Award for "Composer of the Year" for the tunes he composed on that same recording. Europe welcomed the BROWNMAN AKOUSTIC TRIO in 2002 & 2003 and the BROWNMAN ELECTRYC TRIO in 2004 as the groups toured the continent and recorded 2 records released on European labels. 2005 would see extensive Canadian touring in early months of the year and the later with a South American tour beginning in Cuba. At the personal invitation of legendary pianist Chucho Valdes, he would represent Canada at the Havana Jazz Festival; leading CRUZAO HAVANA comprised of an all-Cuban rhythm section featuring members of the essential Afro-Cuban ensemble IRAKERE performing original Brownman compositions as recorded by CRUZAO. This performance marked the beginning of a two month extensive tour of South and Central America concluding with a gig with jazz saxophone legend GARY BARTZ in Belize and a recording session in Cuba with the luminous timba group CHISPA Y LOS COMPLICES. 2006 was a busy year and included 7 national and international tours, a multitude of recording sessions and appearances with such legends as legendary rapper GURU (of Gangstarr & Jazzmatazz fame) & NYC Brazilian harmonica legend HENDRIK MEURKENS.

From 2006 to 2010, Brownman was the featured soloist with the legendary New York City jazz-hip-hop artist Guru (of Gangstarr fame) for his Jazzmatazz ensemble (replacing Donald Byrd in that group) and catalyzing his appearing on the cover of CODA magazine, Canada's most acclaimed jazz publication. In December 2009 Brownman launched his own independent record label Browntasauras Records, with Brownman Electryc Trio's debut recording of Juggernaut as its flagship release, along with re-issues of his entire back-catalog from other groups he leads. http://Browntasauras.brownman.com/

Since returning to Canada from NYC, he has been on the cutting edge of modern music in the nation for the last decade, winning multiple awards nationally and achieving international recognition while touring the globe.

With 300 recording appearances and over 5000 live performances to his name, he has performed or recorded with the likes of Wayne Shorter, Randy Brecker, John Scofield, Charlie Hunter, Gary Bartz, Gary Thomas, Soulive, Fertile Ground, Kenny Wheeler, Hugh Fraser, Don Thompson, Kirk Macdonald, Pat Labarbera, Dave Restivo, Dave Young, Stich Wynston, Kelly Jefferson, Quincin Nachoff, Rita Di Ghent, Heather Bambrick, Philosopher Kings, Guru, Jazzmatazz, KRS-1, Big Daddy Kane, K-OS, Kyprios, Rikoshay, Pocket Dwellers, Moses Mayes, God Made Me Funky, Divine Brown, Grüvoria, Juke Joint, One Step Beyond, Kush, Jason Wilson, Tabarruk, D'bi Young, Dub Trinity, Kobo Town, Irakere, NG La Banda, Chucho Valdes, Danilo Perez, Hilario Duran, Energia Latina, Chiva, Bestial, Cimarron, Tumbao Inc., Ricky Franco, Fito Blanko, Eliana Cuevas, Plan C, Macondo, Pacande, Banda Bella, Dominicanada & far too many more to list here…

Brownman also holds a degree in physics and a minor in philosophy, writes the brass column for Canadian Musician Magazine and is an often called upon lecturer and clinician internationally on such topics as Advanced Jazz Harmony, Hip-hop and the Modern Jazz Improviser & Latin Rhythms for the Jazz Improviser.

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AWARDS:

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2012 Brownman Electryc Trio - Independent Music Award nominee - "Jazz Group of the Year"

2012 Brownman named "2012 Artist To Watch" by Resonancity magazine

2011 Brownman inducted into the "WHO'S WHO IN BLACK CANADA" National directory

2010 Brownman Electryc Trio - Independent Music Award nominee - "Jazz Group of the Year"

2010 Brownman Electryc Trio - Artvoice Magazine nominee for "Jazz Act of the Year"

2009 Brownman - named "favorite touring soloist" (w/ Jazzmatazz) by London, UK's Jazz After Dark

2008 Brownman Electryc Trio - Independent Music Award nominee - "Jazz Group of the Year"

2008 Brownman Electryc Trio - National Jazz Award nominee - "Electric Jazz Group of the Year"

2007 Brownman - NOW Magazine's "Toronto Jazz Trumpet Player of the Year"

2007 Brownman Electryc Trio - National Jazz Award winner - "Electric Jazz Group of the Year"

2007 Brownman - National Jazz Award nominee - "Musician of the Year"

2007 Brownman - National Jazz Award nominee - "Latin-jazz artist of the Year"

2007 Brownman - SOCAN National Jazz Award nominee - "Composer of the Year"

2007 Brownman - National Jazz Award nominee - "Instrumentalist of the Year" (flugelhorn)

2006 Brownman - National Jazz Award nominee - "Latin-jazz artist of the Year"

2005 Brownman - NOW Magazine's "Toronto Jazz Artist of the Year".

2004 Brownman & CRUZAO - Independent Music Award nominee - "Jazz Group of the Year"

2003 MARRON MATIZADO - "Best Toronto Salsa Band" (SalsaSPOT)

2002 Brownman - National Jazz Award winner - "Jazz Composer of the Year"

2002 Brownman - National Jazz Award nominee - "Jazz Trumpet Player of the Year"

2001 Brownman & CRUZAO - winner of the Montreal Jazz Fest's "Grand Prix Du Jazz Award"

2001 Brownman & CRUZAO - winner of the CBC Galaxie "Rising Star Award"

Brownman - 3 time nominee for "Jazz Trumpet Player of the Year" (NJA).

Brownman & CRUZAO - 4 time nominee for "Electric Group of the Year" (NJA)

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AS A LEADER:

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CRUZAO

:: highly acclaimed multiple award-winning latin-jazz-urbania quintet

:: http://Cruzao.Brownman.com/

CRUZAO GRUPO MONSTRUOSO

:: 15-man latin-jazz-urban orchestra permutation of CRUZAO

:: http://Monster.Brownman.com/

GRUVASYLUM

:: hip-hop, drum’n’bass and breakbeats… with a jazz ideology

:: http://Gruvasylum.Brownman.com/

BROWNMAN ELECTRYC TRIO

:: electrified groove trio in the spirit of Miles Davis’ electric years

:: http://ElectrycTrio.Brownman.com/

BROWNMAN AKOUSTIC TRIO/QUARTET/QUINTET

:: mainstream hard-swinging NYC-style jazz

:: http://BAT.Brownman.com/

MARRÓN MATIZADO

:: 11-man highly energized Salsa powerhouse

:: http://Matizado.Brownman.com/

ARECIBO

:: deeply exploratory latin-jazz quartet

:: http://Arecibo.Brownman.com