Christopher Brown performs with the Mel Brown B3 Organ Group @ the Jack London

"If this band appeared in New York City, they'd be a sensation!"  That was guitar great--and one-time Mel Brown bandmate--George Benson's reaction after hearing the Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group back in 2003.  

In fact, this true all-star band (all four members are Oregon Music Hall Of Fame inductees) has been a sensation going back to 1997, when they began a 20-year run on Thursday evenings at Portland’s legendary “Jimmy Mak’s” (The Oregonian dubbed them “Jimmy Mak’s signature group”).  They’ve continued their Thursday night tradition at the Jack London Revue for the past 6 years. With a collective resume that reads like a "Who's Who" of NW jazz, blues, and soul, this group has the talent and confidence to be completely spontaneous--from their blistering solos to their improvised arrangements and segues.  No wonder they've thrilled audiences wherever they've played.

Count among the band’s fans jazz great Christian McBride, host of National Public Radio’s “Jazz Night In America.”  In an October 2021 broadcast, McBride interviewed Mel and played excerpts from a Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group festival set.  At one point in the program, McBride exclaimed, “My mind is blown!”