Guitarist dee Brown to Release New Album “Mister Smooth” on March 28th, 2025 | LISTEN!

Groove jazz guitarist dee Brown is cool, calm, and in control on new album

The “Mister Smooth” album drops on March 28, the same day the title track will be released as a single.

DETROIT, Michigan (5 MARCH 2025): Everyone craves certainty, especially during these tumultuous times. Guitarist dee Brown created a jazzy album of R&B instrumentals on which he adopted the persona of a fictious character called “Mister Smooth,” who is confident, focused, and anchored in equanimity. Writing eight new songs, most of them with his GRAMMY® nominated producer and longtime collaborator Valdez Brantley (Usher, Mary J. Blige, Keith Sweat, Lil Wayne), Brown’s sixth album will be released by Innervision Records on March 28. The melody-rich title track will be issued as a single the same day.

Stepping into the “Mister Smooth” character like a method actor while writing and recording the album wasn’t much of a stretch for Brown, who is a devout man of faith. The confidence and maturity that he exudes on the recording and is on full display via his guitar work and the compositions he crafted for the set are bolden and empowering. It’s a determined mindset purposed with overcoming challenges and adversity while remaining in control – even when the world feels chaotic.

“Mister Smooth embodies a person who is consistently on top of things and maintains control in any situation. Even when faced with uncertainty, he excels at ‘faking it until he makes it,’ elevating the experience for everyone involved. I created an album that captures the essence of what it means to be a Mister Smooth. This concept isn’t just a reflection of who I am or aspire to be; it represents a powerful attribute that enhances any situation. The name itself resonates with many, making it relatable and appealing. This is perfectly aligned with the type of music we produce and the kind of person with whom we all aspire to be,” said Brown who released multiple singles from the project while he was working on the collection over the last couple of years.

After opening the album with “Mister Smooth,” the Detroit- born and based artist offers a taste of his hometown on “Wes 8Mile,” which he wrote with multi-time Billboard No. 1 chart-topper Blake Aaron who produced the song that was issued as a single. Mike Parlett’s saxophone perfectly complements Brown’s cool toned electric jazz guitar riffs that invoke jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery.

Another collaboration with Aaron resulted in “The Thing Is…” which adds horn player and arranger David Mann, keyboardist Tateng Katindig, and Aaron’s rhythm guitar to the ensemble. It was the second single from the album and hit all the major charts.

Brown and Brantley interpret Sister Sledge’s rousing anthem “We Are Family,” which includes an imaginative jazz breakdown midway through the disco dancefloor filler.

Brown sees his Mister Smooth character as someone who would be charming, which inspired the song titled “Charming.”

“This track was developed after I decided we needed to record a slower song. I wanted to incorporate 808 electric drums, Moog synth/bass, and a variety of synthesized sounds reminiscent of the 1990s with a strong emphasis on guitar,” said Brown.

“Finesse” was the first track recorded for the album, yet the song had to go through a process of evolution. Brown explains, “I noticed a problem with the song’s chorus. I decided to try an alternative melody, and it seems to work perfectly. So, when you hear the track, if you listen to the lead melody on the big body guitar, that’s the new melody and if you listen in the background, there’s another melody that is played with my Stratocaster-style guitar that is more like a picking style playing the original melody. They work together perfectly.”

The album’s first single was “You Already Know,” which was released as a deep cut during the recording process to keep Brown on radio playlists. His gregarious guitar is slick and proficient as it deftly maneuvers to the fore of a midtempo electric groove.

The vibrant “Charismatic” gets a boost from Merlon Devine’s soprano sax. Brown explains, “Initially, Valdez (Brantley) played the flute sound on the track on his keyboard, but I felt we needed a live flute player. Unfortunately, all the flautists we knew were unavailable. I suggested using a soprano saxophone instead and called my good friend, Merlon Devine. We decided to keep the keyboard flute sound after all, but it’s Merlon’s beautiful soprano sax that really stands out on this track.”

We experience a completely different side of Brown on “4th Dimension,” on which he indulges his rock god guitar alter ego.

“I was kind of a rock ‘n’ roller influenced by great bands from the ’80s and ’90s. I’ve always loved legendary guitarists like Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page, and I wanted to create a rocky, funky groove. We started exploring a direction that I don’t usually take. I used a lot of distortion and drive on my guitar. We incorporated a jazzy guitar sound as well, resulting in a song blending both jazz and rock elements,” shared Brown.

Last holiday season, Brown released “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” on which he, Brantley (keyboards, piano, programming, arrangements), drummer Ron Otis, and bassist Lanar Brantley were joined by vocalist Jayla Treasure, a talented singer, songwriter, Praise and Worship leader, and a music major who is currently continuing her studies in college.

“I wanted to choose a song for the holidays that truly embodies the spirit of Christmas. The song turned out great and reached the top of the streaming charts,” enthused Brown.

Brown debuted in 2007 with the release of his “No Time To Waste” album. Building his following with growing radio airplay via each successive album and single release, Brown has performed, shared the stage and/or recorded with a wide array of jazz, R&B, and gospel GRAMMY winners, nominees, and Billboard hitmakers including George Benson, Al Jarreau, Stephanie Mills, Gerald Albright, Alexander Zonjic, Bob Baldwin, Mindi Abair, Jessy J, Paul Brown, Paul Taylor, Darren Rahn, Tim Bowman, Randy Scott, Gail Jhonson, Nate Harasim, Bob James, Brian Culbertson, Spyro Gyra, The Ohio Players, Najee, Jeffery Osborne, Aretha Franklin, and Michael and BeBe Winans. For more information, visit https://www.deebrownjazz.com.

Brown’s “Mister Smooth” album contains the following songs:

“Mister Smooth”
“Wes 8Mile”
“The Thing is…”
“We Are Family”
“Charming”
“Finesse”
“You Already Know”
“Charismatic”
“4th Dimension”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Pre-save “Mister Smooth” at https://sym.ffm.to/mistersmooth.

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