Dean Brown With Dennis Chambers + Will Lee - DBIII Live At The Cotton Club Tokyo

Review by Nuar Pradana

DBIII Live At The Cotton Club Tokyo: Jazz-Funk Firepower Straight Outta Germany (2009) Alright, so here’s the deal—Dean Brown’s DBIII Live At The Cotton Club Tokyo is one of those albums that sneaks up on you like a caffeinated ninja. Released in 2009 under BHM Productions, this jazz-funk-fusion beast roars with energy and chops for days. It's basically what happens when Contemporary Jazz meets Funk/Soul in a Tokyo club late at night. Spoiler alert: everyone walks out sweaty but happy. First off, let’s talk about the lineup because holy smokes, it’s stacked. Dean Brown himself plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sings (yes, he sings), produces, arranges, AND executive-produces. That guy didn’t just wear multiple hats; he opened his own hat store. Then there’s Dennis Chambers on drums—a human metronome with attitude—and Will Lee laying down basslines smoother than butter on a hot pancake. Oh, and Bobby Sparks? Dude pops up on clavinet and synth to sprinkle some extra magic dust where needed. Now, onto the tracks. You’ve got ten songs here, each packed with swagger and soul, but two stood out enough to lodge themselves permanently in my brain: “Clave Groove” and “All You Need Is Love.” Let’s break ‘em down. “Clave Groove” This track kicks off like your morning coffee after pulling an all-nighter—it wakes you up fast. Bobby Sparks’ clavinet work dances around Dennis Chambers’ drumming like they’re old friends who still haven’t run out of things to say. And Will Lee? Man, his bassline could make even your grandma want to bust a move. What sticks with me most is how effortlessly funky it feels without trying too hard. Like, yeah, we’re cool, no biggie, just laying down grooves that’ll haunt your dreams. “All You Need Is Love” Okay, covering The Beatles is always risky business—you don’t mess with perfection—but Dean Brown pulls it off like a pro. He doesn’t just slap a jazz filter on it; he reimagines the whole thing. His vocals are raw yet soulful, like someone spilling their heart over a whiskey glass. The interplay between his guitar and Will Lee’s bass gives the song a fresh coat of paint while keeping its classic charm intact. By the end, you almost forget it was ever a Beatles tune—which is both sacrilegious and kinda genius. The rest of the album keeps the momentum going strong. Tracks like “Soul Eyes” bring the moodiness, while “Camel Hump” throws curveballs with its quirky rhythms. Credit also goes to Alan Sanderson for mixing and mastering wizardry, plus Kiichi Goto for recording everything crisp as autumn leaves. Even Sandrine Lee’s photography deserves a shoutout—it matches the vibe perfectly: sharp, vibrant, and full of life. Here’s the kicker though: listening to this album feels less like hearing music and more like eavesdropping on a killer jam session. Every note screams authenticity, every beat hits like a friendly punch to the gut. Sure, it’s technically categorized as Jazz-Funk or Fusion, but honestly? Labels feel kinda pointless here. This is just good music made by people who clearly love what they do. Final thought: If I ever find myself stranded on a deserted island, I’d probably smuggle this album along. Not only would it keep me sane, but maybe—just maybe—I’d learn to play something half as cool as Dean Brown’s solos. Or at least figure out how to clap along to Dennis Chambers’ beats. Either way, thumbs WAY up.

Download Dean Brown With Dennis Chambers + Will Lee - DBIII Live At The Cotton Club Tokyo

Artist: Dean Brown With Dennis Chambers + Will Lee
Album: DBIII Live At The Cotton Club Tokyo

Germany

2009

Rating: 3.8

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Filename: dean-brown-with-dennis-chambers-will-lee-dbiii-live-at-the.zip

MP3 size: 71 mb
FLAC size: 575 mb

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
Up From The Skies	6:58
Clave Groove	10:06
Breaksong	9:05
Camel Hump	8:37
The Battle's Over	9:52
Soul Eyes	1:54
Solid	6:22
All You Need Is Love	5:13
Two Numbers	8:35
Take This	2:48

Video

DB III - Dean Brown Trio - Just Do It / Teil 2

Dean Brown DBIII 01 Take This

Images

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Catalog Numbers

BHM 1041-2

Labels

BHM Productions

Listen online

lytte på nettet
escuchar en línea
online anhören
kuunnella verkossa
ouvir online
lyssna på nätet
online luisteren
ascolta in linea
écouter en ligne

Formats

CD
Album

Companies

Role	Company
Phonographic Copyright (p)	BHM Productions GmbH
Copyright (c)	BHM Productions GmbH
Marketed By	ZYX Music
Distributed By	ZYX Music
Recorded At	Cotton Club, Tokyo
Mixed At	Studio West, San Diego
Mastered At	Skywalk Mastering/Imagion AG
Published By	Flying Untergamphen Music
Designed At	Schoett Design

Credits

Role	Credit
Acoustic Guitar	Dean Brown
Electric Guitar	Dean Brown
Vocals	Dean Brown
Producer	Dean Brown
Arranged By	Dean Brown
Executive-Producer	Dean Brown
Clavinet	Bobby Sparks (tracks: 1, 3)
Drums	Dennis Chambers
Edited By	Alan Sanderson, Dean Brown
Electric Bass	Will Lee
Mastered By	Marko Schneider
Mixed By	Alan Sanderson
Photography By	Sandrine Lee
Recorded By	Kiichi Goto
Synthesizer	Bobby Sparks (tracks: 3)

Notes

Recorded December 5, 6, & 7, 2008, at The Cotton Club in Tokyo, Japan.

Barcodes

Barcode: 0 090204 787647
Label Code: LC 14403
Rights Society: GEMA
Matrix / Runout: ZYX Music BHM1041-2 11 A00
Mastering SID Code: IFPI L551
Mould SID Code: IFPI 9AK5

About Dean Brown With Dennis Chambers + Will Lee

American jazz fusion guitarist (* August 19, 1955).

Real Name

Dean Brown

Name Vars

D. Brown
DB
Dean
Dean \
Brown

deanbrown.com

Interesting fact about Album

Here’s a cool fact: The album *DBIII Live At The Cotton Club Tokyo* is a powerhouse of talent, blending jazz, funk, and soul in a way that feels alive. Dean Brown not only played guitar and sang but also took on nearly every creative role—producer, arranger, and even executive producer. It’s like he poured his entire musical soul into this project. Fun twist? Legendary drummer Dennis Chambers and bassist Will Lee brought their A-game, while Bobby Sparks added extra flavor with clavinet and synths on select tracks. Recorded in Tokyo and released in Germany in 2009, it’s a global effort with a funky, jazzy heartbeat. And hey, they even covered The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love,” giving it a fresh, groovy spin.

Comments

sarashimiten

2025-03-15

yes, totally agree with funklover24. thanks for posting. good sound. awesome stuff all round. Great to get an opportunity to see such a megalithic god of drumming as DC in such a venue. Please post more!