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{{short description|American jazz musician}}
'''Cleopatra Brown''' was a receptionist who work for an government organizations. she was a black strong women and no one thought she could be a spy. so she went on a misson without asking and she did amazing but her boss did not care to make her a spy so she quit and now spys accet her.
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Cleo Brown
| background =
| image = Cleo Brown.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|12|8}}
| birth_place = [[Meridian, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|4|15|1909|12|8}}
| death_place = [[Denver, Colorado]], U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|[[Jazz]]|[[blues]]|[[boogie-woogie]]}}
| occupation = Musician (pianist, vocalist)
| instrument = {{hlist|Piano}}
| years_active =
| label =
| associated_acts =
}}

'''Cleopatra Brown''' (December 8, 1909<ref name="bare">{{cite book| first1= Bob| last1= Eagle| first2= Eric S.| last2= LeBlanc| year= 2013| title= Blues - A Regional Experience| publisher= Praeger Publishers| location= Santa Barbara| pages=113 | isbn= 978-0313344237}}</ref> or 1909 – April 15, 1995),<ref name="Dead">{{cite web|author=Doc Rock |url=http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1995.html |title=The Dead Rock Stars Club 1994 - 1995 |publisher=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com |date= |accessdate=2014-07-12}}</ref> known as '''Cleo Brown''', '''C. Patra Brown''' or '''Cleo Patra Brown''', was an American [[blues]] and [[jazz]] vocalist and pianist. She was the first woman instrumentalist to receive the [[National Endowment for the Arts|NEA]] Jazz Masters Fellowship.<ref name="NEA">{{cite web |title =NEA Jazz Masters: Cleo Brown |publisher =NEA |url =https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/cleo-brown |accessdate =2017-09-06 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20190410102806/https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/cleo-brown |archive-date =2019-04-10 |url-status =dead }}</ref>

==Life==
While Brown's place of birth has been published as [[Meridian, Mississippi|Meridian]], [[Mississippi]], Brown told W. Balliett in a 1986 interview published in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' that she was born in [[De Kalb, Mississippi]], shortly before her father took a position as a pastor in Meridian.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=W. Balliett|title=Scoop|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|issue=62|date=10 November 1986|page=132}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Grove |author=Barry Kernfeld|date=2003 |title=Brown, Cleo(patra) |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J060800}}</ref> She played piano in the Baptist church as a child. In 1919 her family moved to [[Chicago]], and she began learning piano from her brother who worked with [["Pine Top" Smith]], playing [[boogie-woogie]] for dances.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Jazz Women at the Keyboard|last=Unterbrink|first=Mary|publisher=McFarland|year=1983|isbn=0899500749|location=Jefferson, NC|pages=[https://archive.org/details/jazzwomenatkeybo00unte/page/n66 57]–60|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/jazzwomenatkeybo00unte}}</ref> From around 1923 she worked in [[vaudeville]], as well as taking gigs in clubs.<ref name=":0" /> In 1935, she replaced [[Fats Waller]] as pianist on New York radio station [[WCBS (AM)|WABC]].<ref name="NEA"/><ref name="AM"/>

From the 1930s to the 1950s she toured the United States regularly, recording for [[Decca Records]] (among other labels) along the way and recording many humorous, ironic titles such as "Breakin' in a New Pair of Shoes", "[[Mama Don't Want No Peas An' Rice An' Cocoanut Oil|Mama Don't Want No Peas and Rice and Coconut Oil]]", "When Hollywood Goes Black and Tan", and "The Stuff Is Here and It's Mellow". Her [[stride piano]] playing was often compared to [[Fats Waller]],<ref name="AM">{{cite web|title =Cleo Brown |last=Chadbourne |first=Eugene |publisher=allmusic |url ={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p184661/biography|pure_url=yes}} | accessdate =2009-12-20}}</ref> and she is credited as an influence on [[Dave Brubeck]], who played during the intermissions of her shows, and [[Marian McPartland]]. She played regularly at clubs in Chicago, toured widely, and recorded for both Decca and [[Capitol Records]].<ref name="NEA"/>

Brown began to shy away from singing bawdy blues songs because of her deepening religious beliefs and, in 1953, she was baptized, retired from music, and became a nurse in 1959. Jazz biographies frequently listed her as deceased due to her absence from music.<ref name=":0" /> The song "Sweet Cleo Brown" was recorded by Brubeck in tribute to her.<ref>Liner notes, "Dave Brubek Plays and Plays and Plays" Fantasy Records, Catalog #3259. Recorded 1957, remastered 1992. CD catalog # OJCCD-716.</ref>

From the mid-1970s until 1981, she performed under the name of C. Patra Brown on radio shows in Denver, Colorado. She replaced boogie-woogie music with slower, inspirational music.<ref name=":0" /> She returned to record again, and performed on [[National Public Radio]].<ref name="AM" />

She gave birth to a son, Matthew, and had four grandchildren.<ref name=":0" /> She died on April 15, 1995, in [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]], Colorado.<ref name="Dead" />

==Discography==
* ''Living in the Afterglow'' (Audiophile, 1989)
* ''1935–1951'' (Chronological Classics)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Cleo}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Cleo}}
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[[Category:Jazz musicians from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Mississippi]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:Decca Records artists]]


{{US-jazz-singer-stub}}
{{US-jazz-pianist-stub}}
{{US-blues-musician-stub}}

Latest revision as of 07:32, 16 October 2024

Cleo Brown
Background information
Born(1909-12-08)December 8, 1909
Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedApril 15, 1995(1995-04-15) (aged 85)
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician (pianist, vocalist)
Instrument
  • Piano

Cleopatra Brown (December 8, 1909[1] or 1909 – April 15, 1995),[2] known as Cleo Brown, C. Patra Brown or Cleo Patra Brown, was an American blues and jazz vocalist and pianist. She was the first woman instrumentalist to receive the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship.[3]

Life

[edit]

While Brown's place of birth has been published as Meridian, Mississippi, Brown told W. Balliett in a 1986 interview published in The New Yorker that she was born in De Kalb, Mississippi, shortly before her father took a position as a pastor in Meridian.[4][5] She played piano in the Baptist church as a child. In 1919 her family moved to Chicago, and she began learning piano from her brother who worked with "Pine Top" Smith, playing boogie-woogie for dances.[6] From around 1923 she worked in vaudeville, as well as taking gigs in clubs.[6] In 1935, she replaced Fats Waller as pianist on New York radio station WABC.[3][7]

From the 1930s to the 1950s she toured the United States regularly, recording for Decca Records (among other labels) along the way and recording many humorous, ironic titles such as "Breakin' in a New Pair of Shoes", "Mama Don't Want No Peas and Rice and Coconut Oil", "When Hollywood Goes Black and Tan", and "The Stuff Is Here and It's Mellow". Her stride piano playing was often compared to Fats Waller,[7] and she is credited as an influence on Dave Brubeck, who played during the intermissions of her shows, and Marian McPartland. She played regularly at clubs in Chicago, toured widely, and recorded for both Decca and Capitol Records.[3]

Brown began to shy away from singing bawdy blues songs because of her deepening religious beliefs and, in 1953, she was baptized, retired from music, and became a nurse in 1959. Jazz biographies frequently listed her as deceased due to her absence from music.[6] The song "Sweet Cleo Brown" was recorded by Brubeck in tribute to her.[8]

From the mid-1970s until 1981, she performed under the name of C. Patra Brown on radio shows in Denver, Colorado. She replaced boogie-woogie music with slower, inspirational music.[6] She returned to record again, and performed on National Public Radio.[7]

She gave birth to a son, Matthew, and had four grandchildren.[6] She died on April 15, 1995, in Denver, Colorado.[2]

Discography

[edit]
  • Living in the Afterglow (Audiophile, 1989)
  • 1935–1951 (Chronological Classics)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 113. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  2. ^ a b Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1994 - 1995". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  3. ^ a b c "NEA Jazz Masters: Cleo Brown". NEA. Archived from the original on 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  4. ^ W. Balliett (10 November 1986). "Scoop". The New Yorker. No. 62. p. 132.
  5. ^ Barry Kernfeld (2003). "Brown, Cleo(patra)". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J060800. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
  6. ^ a b c d e Unterbrink, Mary (1983). Jazz Women at the Keyboard. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. pp. 57–60. ISBN 0899500749.
  7. ^ a b c Chadbourne, Eugene. "Cleo Brown". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  8. ^ Liner notes, "Dave Brubek Plays and Plays and Plays" Fantasy Records, Catalog #3259. Recorded 1957, remastered 1992. CD catalog # OJCCD-716.


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