Louis "KING LOUIE" PAIN

THE MEL BROWN ORGAN TRIO

"The Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group" is a well-known soul-jazz quartet.  They've played to packed houses on Thursday nights in Portland, OR for 28 years and counting.  Their CDs have received rave reviews in Downbeat, and George Benson said, "If this band appeared in New York City, they'd be a sensation!"  The scaled down version of the band--The Mel Brown Organ Trio--isn't as well-known, but it's equally exciting!

Audiences love hearing the guys stretch out in this uncluttered, intimate format.  Saxophonist Renato Caranto and organist “King Louie” Pain (both Oregon Music Hall of Fame inductees) exchange exciting solos and engage in plenty of spontaneous interplay.  Louis has a deep background in blues and soul music and is a master at utilizing the dynamic range of the organ.  Renato has toured & recorded with everyone from Esperanza Spalding to the late Merle Haggard, and if you listen carefully you might hear him quote from ten different songs in a single solo!  As for Mel Brown—a former Motown staff drummer and a true NW music legend: he both anchors the group and takes solos that have to be seen & heard to be believed!