Guitarist dee Brown Releases New Track “Summer Cruise” | WATCH NEW VIDEO!
Groove jazz guitarist dee Brown channels Detroit’s summer car culture on “Summer Cruise”
The May 8 single was written and produced by Billboard hitmaker Blake Aaron.
UPDATE June 26th, 2026: Watch New Official Music Video Below! (written and produced by Billboard hitmaker Blake Aaron)
DETROIT, Michigan (15 APRIL 2026): After Detroit’s brutal winters, car enthusiasts from around the world roll out their convertibles along Woodward Avenue. All summer long, the iconic stretch builds toward August’s Woodward Dream Cruise — North America’s largest one-day automotive event. With that scene in mind, groove jazz guitarist dee Brown’s new Innervision Records single, “Summer Cruise,” will drop May 8.
The single previews Brown’s upcoming album, Living The Good Life, and continues his tradition of blending R&B and jazz with Detroit-inspired storytelling. Brown’s label mate Blake Aaron, who has crafted nine Billboard No. 1 singles, wrote and produced “Summer Cruise.” The track has the carefree sound of summer based on its laid back, fun, and funky vibes. Set to a retro go-go beat built by GRAMMY®-winning bassist Mel Brown and drummer Michael White, Brown’s electric jazz guitar struts, strums, and steers the jovial journey. While Aaron plays rhythm guitar to embellish the groove, Michael Parlett’s saxophone copilots the single with passion, power, and panache. 13-time GRAMMY® nominee Tyries Rolfe polishes the ride with lustrous strings and Carnell Harrell’s vibrant keyboard sweetens the harmonies.
Brown and Aaron collaborated on the 2024 single “Wes 8Mile” that appears on Brown’s 2025 Mister Smooth album. That was another outing influenced by Brown’s hometown culture.
“Blake Aaron introduced me to ‘Summer Cruise,’ suggesting it sounded like a ‘dee Brown track.’ After listening, I couldn’t agree more. We decided to collaborate and it became an ideal opportunity for Blake to produce, write, engineer, and arrange this beautiful song. The melody was captivating, and the groove made me feel like dancing with a joyful energy,” said Brown, who will play two shows at Chelsea Table + Stage in New York City on June 3 and perform at the Asbury Park Jazz Festival on June 28.
“The single really reflects my Detroit roots during the warm summer months when you can drop your top on your convertible in the evening and cruise down Woodward Avenue, especially during the Woodward Dream Cruise. That event has become a phenomenon that attracts about one million people and 40,000 classic cars.”
Brown has released six albums over nearly two decades, beginning with 2007’s No Time To Waste. His 2018 Remembering You and 2021 Deep Secrets albums have each received over five million Spotify streams. Last year’s Mister Smooth album featured collaborations with his longtime producer and songwriting partner Valdez Brantley (Usher, Mary J. Blige, Keith Sweat, Lil Wayne), a GRAMMY® nominee. Tracks from the set hit the Billboard Top 30.
Brown has shared stages or studio sessions with icons across R&B, jazz, and gospel, including George Benson, Al Jarreau, Stephanie Mills, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Paul Brown, Paul Taylor, Darren Rahn, Bob James, Brian Culbertson, Spyro Gyra, The Ohio Players, Najee, Jeffrey Osborne, and Michael and BeBe Winans.
For more information, visit www.deebrownjazz.com.
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