Silver Jews Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea CD

' As he draws heavily from the jazz traditions, Brown does not shy away from swinging on bass guitar even though he is an accomplished double bassist. 'I have always continued to play more traditional jazz on bass guitar as well as upright and feel that bass guitar has a place in jazz music.

'Born in South Boston VA in 1970, Damon was the youngest of 3 boys and was encouraged, along with his brothers, to follow his musical inclinations at an early age. He recalls,' My father whistled melodies while he played guitar, and his music and soulfulness left a lasting imprint on me.

' Damon would play guitar as well at an early age, but it was in 1983 when certain events began to shape his life. He remembers, ' In 1983 I picked up the bass, began performing in a band with my brothers Derek and Duane, and my life long friend, guitarist Harold Greene, who joined our band later that year. It was a huge year for me.

' Damon performed regularly with the group and rehearsed every week, along with taking every music class his public school offered.

Berklee College of Music was Damon's first stop after high school, though eventually he transferred to North Carolina Central University to finish his undergraduate degree. It was at NCCU that he mentored with jazz program director Ira Wiggins and strings director Earl Sanders who began Damon's studies on double bass. And as the bassist for Ira Wiggins's professional group, Damon performed regularly throughout the state. 'Performing with Ira was an education I am equally thankful to have had, and he didn't cut us any slack on the bandstand just because some of us were his students at NCCU,' he says.