Miles Davis once said, “I’ll play it first and tell you what it is later.” Butcher Brown, a Richmond, VA band, embodies this spirit with their innovative "solar music," blending jazz, hip-hop, funk, soul, and rock into a Southern-inflected, genre-defying sound. The group—drummer Corey Fonville, producer/multi-instrumentalist DJ Harrison, bassist Andrew Randazzo, trumpeter/saxophonist Marcus “Tennishu” Tenney, and guitarist Morgan Burrs—has built a reputation as jazz festival staples while resonating with rap, indie, and beyond.

Their latest album, Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey featuring Tennishu and R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND, reinvents big band jazz with Tennishu’s rap beats transformed into vibrant suites featuring Richmond musicians. Tennishu’s smooth baritone weaves through bold brass, funky bass, and resonant percussion, even reimagining Notorious B.I.G. in an inventive homage. It’s a sonic vision akin to a modern-day score for The Great Gatsby.

Emerging from Richmond’s vibrant music scene and VCU’s jazz program, Butcher Brown first recorded at DJ Harrison’s Jellowstone studio, fusing influences like Ohbliv, D’Angelo, and Joe Henderson into their 2014 debut, All Purpose Music. Over the years, they’ve explored soul-rock, Afrobeat, and jazz-funk, culminating in their genre-blurring Concord Jazz debut, #KingButch (2020). From NPR’s Tiny Desk to European tours, their boundless creativity thrives.

With collaborations on the horizon, Butcher Brown continues evolving, bringing their signature sound and big band energy to audiences worldwide.