Leon "Kid Chocolate" Brown è uno dei migliori e più versatili musicisti di New Orleans e fra i giovani trombettisti è uno dei pochi rimasti fedeli al jazz che ha reso celebre la Crescent City. Sposato da 20 anni con la sua tromba, Leon inizia a studiare da adolescente al New Orleans Center for Creative Arts iniziando a farsi conoscere nell'ambiente, a frequentare musicisti più grandi e a saltare le lezioni per esibirsi nello storico quartiere francese. Uno dei primi musicisti a prendere Kid Chocolate sotto la sua ala fu il leggendario Anthony "Tuba Fats " Lacen. A costui seguì Bob French, leader della più antica jazz band ancora in vita (l'Original Tuxedo Jazz Band), complesso nella quale hanno militato numerose icone del jazz come Papa Celestine e Louis Armstrong. Con la Tuxedo, Leon prese il soprannome di "Kid Chocolate". Da allora Kid si è esibito con Los Hombres Calientes (band più volte vincitrice del Billboard Award e nominata ai Grammy), The Headhunters, Lenny Kravitz, Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr. Milt Hinton, Delfeayo Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Joe Henderson, Joe Sample, Dr John, The Kermit Ruffins Big Band, Little John, MC5, George Porter, Trombone Shorty, Otra, Red Tyler, Ed Frank, Glen David Andrews & his Lazy 6, Henry Butler, Irvin Mayfield, Shannon Powell, Leroy Jones, e Pete Seeger. Nel 2010 ha vinto il Grammy Award per il Miglior Album con la New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) di Irvin Mayfield. Dotato di uno stile unico, Kid Chocolate porta sul palco quella che ama definire la New Orleans "people music": risate, ritmo e divertimento sempre accompagnati dalla migliore musica jazz che New Orleans ha da offrire. Leon "Kid Chocolate" Brown is one of New Orleans finest and most versatile musicians. He's one of the only trumpet players of the younger generation dedicated to maintaining the traditions and music of the Traditional Jazz musicians who made the world fall in love with New Orleans Jazz. He began studying the trumpet at the age of 9. However, it was not until he reached age 15 that he found true interest and purpose in music while attending the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). He benefited from NOCCA's rigorous music theory and music history curriculum, as well as its private training. About this same time, he started to meet the older New Orleans musicians who made their livings in the clubs and on the streets of the French Quarter. It wasn't long before Chocolate began cutting classes here and there to go to the French Quarter and learn the music, processes and purpose of Traditional New Orleans music. One of the first and most influential musicians to take Chocolate under his wing was the legendary tuba player Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen. Chocolate could be seen any given day sitting on the bench, right next to Tuba Fats in Jackson Square, learning how to be a lead trumpet player in a traditional New Orleans jazz band. His next mentor was Bob French who is the leader of the oldest still performing jazz band (The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band). Many of New Orleans' musical icons have played in this band, from Papa Celestine to Louis Armstrong. Chocolate had his chance to not only play in this band but was also crowned (in New Orleans fashion) as Kid Chocolate. Since graduating from NOCCA, he has performed with some of the world's greatest bands and musicians, including Irvin Mayfield, The Headhunters, Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Joe Henderson, Dewey Redman, Lenny Kravitz, Milt Hinton, Joe Sample and Henry Butler. For seven years, he was a member of the Billboard Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated band Los Hombres Calientes. His sound has been described as being without a ceiling or walls, something that speaks to the unmatched versatility of New Orleans musicians who take advantage of their musical and cultural environments. The most recent highlight in Kid Chocolate's career is winning the 2010 Grammy for Best Album by a large Jazz band with Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO). After these diverse experiences, Leon's sound has been molded into what can be described as a style with no ceiling or walls. This speaks to the unmatched versatility of New Orleans musicians who take advantage of their musical/cultural environment. Kid Chocolate now leads a quartet that performs what he describes New Orleans "people music". His shows presently are all about love, laughs, dancing, drinking and having a great time while still presenting some of the highest level of music and musicians the country has to offer.

• published: 28 Jun 2014
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