“…a throaty, sultry mix of pop, jazz and soul…” Chico News & Review, 2010

“…Brown's singing voice is singularly heartfelt and soulful, delivering her original lyrics with moving emotional honesty.” Chico News & Review, 2007

"I hear a lot of musicians... some people can write, some people can play,  (Karen) seems to be the whole package…. a beautiful voice, beautiful songs." KZFR -Terre Reynolds 2005

 i n f o @ k a r e n j o y b r o w n . c o m

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For the over ten years, singer songwriter Karen Joy Brown has surprised and delighted Northern California fans with her ability to express emotion through her deeply soulful voice.

Karen discovered a love of performing though choirs, drama, and musicals as well as cross-cultural interests studying French and Spanish in high school. A passion for songwriting ignited when she picked up her father’s guitar at eighteen and continued throughout her Spanish studies at CSU Chico and early teaching career compiling thirty original songs and leading music for church services.

Her own style began to blossom playing solo in small venues and farmers’ markets. Literate lyrics pondering love, loss, and a deep affection for the beauty in mundane life began to command attention winning local songwriting contests and regular rotation on community radio.

Employing eclectic influences from Mavis Staples, Chet Baker, Gillian Welch, to Tom Petty, she produced a three song EP featuring Goodbye, My Beautiful Ocean, her 2007 first full-length release, Fabulous Junkyard, and 2010, Little Words.

Since her last recording, Karen deepened her skills by joining an acapella gospel choir memorizing dozens of classic spirituals and gospel tunes while focusing on the art of harmony, blending, and arrangement. Her last Chico music project, Afternoon Bloom, featured her renewed love of harmony performing with her twin sister in a full band.

June 2012 brought Karen to Sonoma County where she plays regularly as a duo with her gifted guitarist husband, David Silva, and two years in The Bootleg Honeys trio fulfilling dreams playing at the Kate Wolf Festival and Sweetwater Music Hall. 

Summer 2019 hails a season of recording a new album, "'Blooming", with lyrics that capture the struggles and inspirations of a homeward focused decade rebuilding life and work in a new place, new marriage, and the foster-adoption of a seven year old girl. The songs feature the same powerful vocals of past albums with the added refinement and nuance of a singer who's come into her own style and signature. The arrangements shine with depth and a rich chordal and melodic palate with the collaboration of husband and guitarist, David Silva who's masterful and emotive leads bind each song into a living bouquet. 

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DISCOGRAPHY/RADIO  iTunes/CD

  2005 Karen Joy Brown EP  listen

  2007 Fabulous Junkyard  listen

2010 Little Words  listen 

CAM-Chico Area Music compilation CD 2009,10

Upstairs at First St. Café compilation CD 2009

2013 Silver Lining back up vocals for Matthew Clough

KZFR-Face the Music

KKUP-Wimmins Music

KRCB- North Bay Songwriters 

Spotify, Jango, Live 365

 

VENUES/PERFORMANCES

Festivals Chillith Fair 2006-8  /  California Nut Festival 2011 / Kate Wolf Festival 2017 (The Bootleg Honeys) / Railroad Square Music Festival 2017 (The Bootleg Honeys) 

Farmer’s Market/Outdoor  Peacetown, Sebastopol/ Julliard Park, Santa Rosa / Friday Night Live, Cloverdale (opening for Ruthie Foster) Santana Row, San Jose / Chico Thursday Night Market / Elk Grove Thursday Night Market
North Bay  Sebastopol Film Festival 2013 / First St. Café  Benicia / Ace in the Hole  Sebastopol / Gypsy Café  Sebastopol / Aqus  Petaluma / Hopmonk Sonoma, Sebastopol / Bluewater Bistro Bodega Bay / Aroma Roasters  Santa Rosa / Viansa Winery Sonoma /  The Epicurean Connection  Sonoma / The Bistro Hayward / Headlands Café  Ft. Bragg /Cambria Pines Lodge Cambria
South Bay  Monterey Live / Blue Rock Shoot Saratoga / Monsieur Beans Willow Glen / Frescaroma San Jose / Coffee Society Cupertino / Borders Santana Row / Red Rock Coffee Mountain View
Oregon  Jefferson State Pub Ashland / Jonny B’s Medford /
Chico and Valley Area Venues Sierra Nevada Taproom / La Salle’s / Monk’s Wine Lounge /Red Tavern /Chico Women’s Club / Duffy’s Tavern / 1078 Gallery / Café Flo / Café Coda / Espresso Roma Davis / Borders Sacramento / Fox & Goose Sacramento / Vintner’s Cellar Redding / Old Arch Brewery Lodi / Queen Bee Coffee Modesto / Pangaea Pub  Quincy