A new jazz venue in the Twin Cities is aiming to be more than just a place to hear live music. For co-founder Johnnie Brown, The Brownstone Jazz Club is about access, community, and creating space for artists, especially Black artists, to grow.
Brown, a longtime Twin Cities musician, officially began his professional music journey in March 2012, debuting with a Teddy Pendergrass tribute performance. More than a decade later, he remains an independent artist, blending gospel, R&B, neo-soul and jazz, a sound shaped by his upbringing in the Church of God in Christ, where his father served as a pastor.
“Gospel was my foundation,” Brown said. “Jazz is something I’m still working my way into, but I love it.”…