Dee Brown fans who have been patiently waiting for the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2010 contemporary urban jazz hit album A Little Elbowroom will be happy to know that the Detroit based guitarist is back, sounding sweeter than ever (literally!) on his Innervision Records debut whose tasty melodies, grooves and vibe perfectly reflect its unforgettable title: Brown Sugar, Honey-Coated Love. Already a popular airplay hit on terrestrial and internet stations across the country, its lead single, the just as sweetly titled “Honeycomb,” is a percussive, lighthearted and soaring jazz-funk conversation between Brown’s crisp West Montgomery-George Benson styled lines (he exclusively uses and endorses Eastman Guitars) and the high energy alto sax of Desi McCullers, Jr.. The son of one of the original Motown “Funk Brothers,” McCullers previously co-wrote (with the guitarist and keyboardist Nate Harasim) “True Reality,” the first single off A Little Elbowroom. He also plays on Brown’s new tracks “My Love’s Forever” (which he co-wrote) and “Ice Cream Sunday,” an edgy retro soul jam that showcases Brown’s jangling rhythm guitar harmonies and fiery electric soloing while continuing the sugary delights theme beautifully. Brown, a Motor City native who has been keeping up a steady flow of live club and festival performances locally and nationally since emerging onto the national scene with No Time To Waste in 2007, also collaborates on Brown Sugar, Honey-Coated Love with top Detroit songwriters and musicians Valdez Brantley, longtime keyboardist and Musical Director for Usher; his brother, bassist Kern Brantley, Musical Director for Lady Gaga; Chip Dixson, a notable gospel player who has recorded with Marvin Sapp; and “soul trumpeter” and instrumental recording artist Lin Rountree. Both Brantley Brothers were also featured prominently on A Little Elbowroom. Realizing that jazz comes out tastier when he’s inspired by and bouncing ideas of musicians and songwriters he admires, Brown co-penned with Dixson “Honeycomb,” a playful “Honeycomb (Intro)” featuring DJ Shannon Weiss and “I’m Here For You (I’ll Never Leave You),” a sensual, candle-lit romance featuring the soulful vocals of co-writer Shaunia Edwards. In addition, the guitarist co-wrote seven new tracks with Valdez, including the lush urban jazz-gospel influenced ballad “My Love’s Forever” (with McCullers); the graceful vocal declaration “Smile Again” (with lead vocal by co-writer Arnell Carmichael); the explosive, in the pocket rock-jazz adventure “Pleasurable Dream” (featuring Brown on scat vocals); “Ice Cream Sunday”; the infectious, funked up expression of “Natural Love”; and the infectious title track, a lively electric guitar driven romp featuring Rountree’s soaring trumpet and flugelhorn. Brown includes a glorious, old school cover of The Intruders’ Philly Soul hit “I’ll Always Love My Mama” as a dedication to his beloved mother, Roceal Brown. He dedicated A Little Elbowroom to his father “Sonny,” a veteran drummer who died during the recording of that previous album. Growing up in Detroit the youngest of three children, the guitarist – whose given name is Demitrius Edwards Brown – was exposed to all the greats through recordings of his dad Sonny’s favorite jazz artists, including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Les McCann, Cannonball Adderley, King Pleasure and Charlie Christian. But Brown was just as likely in his busy household to hear the soul music of his mom’s favorites, The Four Tops, The Miracles, Jackson 5 and James Brown. He cites a defining moment in his career as a day in elementary school when a classmate demonstrated an ability to play back a song heard on the radio with his guitar. Fascinated and inspired, Brown eventually received his first guitar as a Christmas present from his grandmother, and immediately began taking lessons. Developing quickly on his chosen instrument, he formed a band in high school called “Foreplay” that played all over town and earned them attention from Quincy Jones. Later in college, Brown earned a degree in Biology & Respiratory Therapy while also taking many music classes and working on becoming a better singer. The guitarist was actually renowned as a vocalist for a long time after he formed a BoyzIIMen-like group called One Wish, which was nominated for a Nashville music award and won a Metro Times Detroit Music Award as “Best Single By A Local Artist.” Brown made his transition into R&B driven instrumental music when he and saxophonist Gentry Shelby formed “Shelby Brown”; their album Miracle spawned a #1 hit (“Come Into My Heart,” written and produced by Brown) on the DMX Smooth Jazz chart. Later, with the help of his longtime friend and producer Gerald Mitchell of Los Hermanos, Brown began developing his unique sound on the guitar and recorded his breakthrough album No Time To Waste. Where does all the sweetness on Brown Sugar, Honey-Coated Love come from? Same place Brown’s music always has--his faith in God. Raised in church, Brown plays gospel music every Sunday at his congregation Baptist World Changers in Detroit. The song “Honeycomb” in particular was inspired by Proverbs 27:7, which says, “A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” To that end, Brown happily offers thoughtful and dynamic music that stands apart in today’s crowded contemporary urban jazz landscape. The guitarist also notes that just as honey is natural sugar, his sound and his tunes come from an organic, soulful place. “I’m very much into the whole health food thing, and honey and brown sugar are both naturally sweet treats,” he says. “But it goes back to Scripture in another way. When the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples, they thought he was a ghost, but he said he ws hungry. They fed him fish and then it’s said he ate honeycomb for dessert. Even when I’m playing music that both fans of sacred and secular music can enjoy, that’s always a foundational inspiration for me as a songwriter and artist.”