Vernell Brown got his career off to a quick start although it has stalled a bit since then. Brown was discovered as a teenager when he performed at a Grammy In The Schools program sponsored by NARAS as a substitute pianist. The result was that he was heard by Jerry Moss and signed to a contract at A&M where he recorded two CDs. Prior to that, Brown had started playing piano when he was four and then switched primarily to drums from the time he was six until he was 13. After returning to the piano, Brown studied with Terry Trotter and Charlie Shoemake, developing quickly. He was a finalist at the 1988 and 1989 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competitions. While Brown's debut A&M recording A Total Eclipse covered several jazz styles along with a bit of funk, 1990's Stay Tuned was more r&b-oriented. Since then, Vernell Brown has maintained A lower-than-expected profile. He still has great potential. ~ Scott Yanow