b. 29 December 1933, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. After teaching himself to play various reed instruments Brown played with several bands before forming an avant garde group in the late 50s. Active throughout the next 30 years as player and composer, again largely self-taught, Brown was prominent in extending the boundaries of the Australian jazz scene. He has also been eager to pursue his ideas and concepts through teaching and was responsible for establishing a jazz studies course. Although he played mostly tenor saxophone in the early stages of his career, doubling on soprano, later he leaned more towards the soprano and also played flute. On all these instruments, Brown plays with considerable verve, forcefully developing complex and always interesting lines while retaining, especially on tenor, a warm and expansive lyricism.