Butcher Brown Members, Gear & Sound

Butcher Brown is a genre-blending musical group hailing from Richmond, Virginia, known for their innovative fusion of hip hop, jazz, funk, and soul. The quintet features Corey Fonville (drums), DJ Harrison (producer/multi-instrumentalist), Andrew Randazzo (bass/composer), Marcus “Tennishu” Tenney (trumpet/saxophone/MC), and Morgan Burrs (guitar). Their music, often described as "solar music," is a vibrant tapestry that incorporates elements of southern psychedelia and forward-thinking jazz, making them both jazz festival mainstays and contenders on stages shared with hip hop and rock giants. Since recording their debut album All Purpose Music at DJ Harrison's Jellowstone studio, Butcher Brown has continued to expand their eclectic catalog, with releases that effortlessly traverse the boundaries of traditional jazz, soul-jazz, and boom-bap.

Butcher Brown's sound is a lush, rhythmic blend of organic and electronic textures, creating a deeply immersive, groove-centric experience. The group's warm, analog tones are achieved through the use of classic gear like the Fender Rhodes, paired with modern effects such as the Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler, which adds depth and ambiance to their compositions. Their music often features tight, syncopated rhythms and dynamic improvisations, underpinned by Fonville's intricate drumming and Randazzo's fluid bass lines. DJ Harrison's use of vintage equipment, like the Akai MPC 1000 for beat-making, injects a raw, yet polished edge to their sound, allowing for seamless transitions between jazz improvisations and hip hop grooves. This balance of tradition and innovation is what gives Butcher Brown their distinctive, expansive sonic character.