The Voice

On Sunday, March 22, the historic Coconut Grove Ballroom at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will fill with music, memory and gratitude as the Santa Cruz community gathers to celebrate the life and legacy of beloved vocalist Tammi Brown. The event, “Honoring Tammi Brown,”will benefit the American Cancer Society, and will bring together world-class musicians, longtime collaborators and friends for an afternoon of songs and stories dedicated to one of the most powerful and generous voices ever to grace Santa Cruz stages.

Doors open at 12:45 p.m., with the program running from 2 – 5 p.m. The afternoon will feature performances from musicians who shared stages with Brown over the years, along with video tributes and personal recollections that capture the depth of her impact on the local music community and far beyond.

I worked with Tammi dozens of times and no matter what kind of show it was, comedy, political, spiritual, or whoever was on it, you’d wait for her to sing. You’d know something special was happening before she took the microphone. Maybe the smile that invited you to smile. Maybe the eyes dancing with joy. Then she’d throw her head back and bring the house down. Every time. She was given a big, beautiful voice-box that enthralled us with its resonance, and when she would use those vocal chords to laugh, her open spirit would fill every corner of the room, the most joyful sound I’ve ever heard.

Yes, she was gifted with a powerful instrument, but her ascension to a higher level came from her immersion in the musical traditions of the Black church, where gospel music is a communal act of spirit. I once asked her where her deep musical training came from and she said, “Oh, it all comes from the church. I got a gig playing organ for my church when I was five years old.”

Over the decades, that spiritual intensity fused with jazz sophistication to create a voice unlike any other. Tammi Brown moved from church-shaking gospel to smoky jazz phrasing without losing the slightest emotional power. She sang with the warmth of gospel devotion and the improvisational boldness of jazz.

Her career took her far beyond Santa Cruz. Brown collaborated with legendary artists including Quincy Jones, Bobby McFerrin and Joan Baez. She performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, at the Monterey Jazz Festival and on stages throughout Europe and the United States. Her recording career included work with jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan, who will be performing at the celebration, and blues artist Eric Bibb, as well as original projects co-produced with Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra. Her vocals also appeared on the award-winning Lost American Jazz Book, which received Best Jazz with Vocals Album at the 18th Independent Music Awards.

For all those achievements, Brown remained deeply rooted in the Santa Cruz community. She founded the Santa Cruz Gospel Choir, mentored young singers and taught voice locally, helping nurture a generation of musicians.

In 2024, the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission honored Brown as Santa Cruz County Artist of the Year, not only for her artistic achievements but the generosity that defined her career.

The show’s musical direction will be handled by master bassist Dan Robbins, known for his expressive style and wide musical range. Robbins worked closely with Brown and says her power as a performer came from something deeper than technical skill. “I think people were moved by the clarity and tenderness and conviction in her delivery,” Robbins says. “Everyone knew that what came out of her mouth felt like absolute cosmic truth. Her instrument was beautiful, her actual voice, but it was also the energy that came through it.”

He recalls how Brown could silence even the most chaotic room. “You could be playing in a noisy bar where nobody is paying attention.” Dan pauses here; I could tell he was choking up. He takes a moment and speaks. “Then Tammi starts singing and suddenly the whole place gets quiet. She could captivate a room. And she never did it from a place of ‘Look at me,’” Robbins says. “It was always humble, and always powerful.”

Even when learning a song moments before performing it, Brown delivered standing-ovation performances. That extraordinary presence left a lasting imprint on the Santa Cruz music scene. Brown could sit in with virtually any band, jazz, gospel, blues, folk, and elevate the entire room with what Dan Robbins calls her “quiet power.” Her authenticity, he says, is what people remember most. “She’d say, ‘Oh dear, I don’t know what I’m doing,’” Robbins laughs. “Meanwhile she’s playing in keys like D-flat with five flats. She was a complete, and natural musician.”

Celebration producer Jay Saber, who has organized many benefit concerts, says Brown never hesitated when he asked to perform for a cause. “Every single show that I asked her to play, knowing that it was a benefit for something, she always said ‘Yes.’ It was never about the money for Tammi. It was about how she could help bring people in to support the nonprofit.”

Sunday’s event will reflect that spirit. All proceeds over production costs will go to the American Cancer Society. Saber promises an afternoon that blends music, storytelling and visual tributes. “We’re going to create a reverent and graceful afternoon,” he says. “We’ll have some wonderful videos and performances by amazing musicians who played with her over the years.” Among those expected to perform are internationally known jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan, keyboardist Melvin Seals, known for his work with the Jerry Garcia Band, as well as local favorites including Dylan Rose, Matt Hartle and others from the Santa Cruz music scene.

Brown’s musical instincts border on the supernatural. Saber remembers calling her for benefit shows, sometimes asking her to sing songs she barely knew. “She’d say, ‘It doesn’t matter what you want me to sing, I’ll be there,’” he recalls. “Sometimes she’d walk in, ask what the song was, pull it up on her iPad, and then knock it out of the park.”

On March 22, that natural brilliance will echo through the voices and instruments of the musicians she inspired. For this event, attendees will receive a commemorative color poster, and food and drinks will be available throughout the afternoon. Parking is available across the street with validation for a discount.

For those who never had the chance to hear Tammi Brown sing, the March 22 tribute may be the closest thing to experiencing it: a room full of musicians and friends carrying forward the spirit of a singer who lifted us all with Amazing Grace. On Sunday afternoon we will do what Tammi Brown spent decades doing for us. We will gather. We will sing.

Musicians Gather at the Coconut Grove to Honor the Life and Music of Tammi Brown
Benefit for the American Cancer Society – March 22 at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Tickets at eventbrite.com