Henri Brown has earned himself some big-league connections in the music world, thanks in part to the family roots he shares with Jimi Hendrix.

Brown, a 性视界传媒 resident and first cousin of the Seattle-raised guitar legend, is a mainstay on the that has featured , including Buddy Guy, Johnny Lang, Dweezil Zappa, Kenny Aronoff and many others, in a concert showcase of Hendrix鈥檚 immortal music.

One of those recent Experience Hendrix tour stars, Joe Satriani, is featured on the latest song recorded by Brown and his band, HB Wild.

The new 鈥淢ake Time 4 Love,鈥� a rearranged number Brown wrote and recorded for an album years ago, is also featured in a video posted to Youtube on Thursday (March 5).

鈥淚 had the song and recorded the bed tracks and everything, all done,鈥� Brown explained. 鈥淎nd when I met Joe (Satriani) on the (Experience Hendrix) tour, I just asked him about doing a solo on one of the tracks, and he said he鈥檇 be honoured, which was great. As soon as we got back from the tour, I sent him the song, he loved it, he said to give him two or three days and he came back with a draft and just a screamin鈥� solo on it 鈥� but you know, he did three passes before he was happy with it. I said, 鈥楳an, do as many as you want!鈥欌��

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The video features HB Wild band members Corey Phillips on guitar, Stan Ganapolsky on keys and Jayson Dean on drums, and the song will be included on a new HB Wild album of songs, said Brown, who sings and plays bass.

鈥淲e gonna finish the record soon and then do some festivals and support-act shows, hopefully, for some of the tours of the biggest artists I鈥檝e gotten to know, right,鈥� Brown explained. 鈥淭hat song with Joe (Satriani), I looked today and it has around 18,000 streams , and I鈥檝e never had that many streams with all the songs I鈥檝e put on Spotify, put together, and that鈥檚 just in a few days of the new song. Satriani鈥檚 name has to play a part in that, no doubt.鈥�

Brown met Jimi Hendrix just once, but he doesn鈥檛 remember much about the encounter.

鈥淚 was young,鈥� Brown said in 2009, 鈥渂ut he (Hendrix) grew up with my older brother and sister for a time, in East Vancouver. He went to school there鈥�. The fans will know where, but I have no idea.鈥�

Brown鈥檚 mother, Pearl, was sister to Jimi鈥檚 father. While Jimi and his family had roots in Seattle, the Brown clan moved from Spokane to Vancouver when Henri was six. Today, he lives in the Fleetwood area of 性视界传媒.

鈥淗B,鈥� as Brown is called in a bio posted to has a long and expansive background in the music and film industry. TV viewers might recognize him from his late-1990s acting stint on The Sentinel, which found him playing a cop named, yes, Henri Brown, opposite old buddy Richard Burgi, star of the show.

For the Experience Hendrix shows, Brown was invited along to perform nine years ago. Last year, he did close to 48 dates on the tour.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great, and I鈥檓 just so happy and honoured that they keep inviting me back,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚鈥檓 now the emcee for the whole show, yeah, and so I come out and it鈥檚 nice to be myself and do what I do. I sing a lot of songs 鈥� you know, 鈥楶urple Haze鈥� with Dave Mustaine, another one with Eric Johnson, 鈥楩oxy Lady鈥� with Billy Cox and Mato Nanji, and one of the Slide Brothers, Chuck Campbell. Buddy Guy is up there, and Chris Layton is drums on everything.

鈥淭his year,鈥� Brown continued, 鈥淚 usually hear about it about six months beforehand, so if they鈥檙e doing one in the fall I won鈥檛 know about it until next month or whatever, so I鈥檓 waiting for that email. I鈥檓 ready.鈥�

The closest the tour has come to Vancouver is Seattle. 鈥淪ome family and friends were there for that, which was great,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淯sually we start in Florida or something like that, get in the bus and away we go.鈥�

With HB Wild, Brown keeps busy with gigs, too.

鈥淵ou know, I鈥檓 60 and I still get to play,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd I laugh at that because then there鈥檚 Buddy Guy, who鈥檚 83. Never mind, c鈥檓on. I have time, you know.

鈥淭he place I play the most right now is , down in Gastown,鈥� Brown continued, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 great, probably one of the nicest gigs in the city, really hip. I get there around 8 and the place is packed by 8:30, a lineup way outside the door. And it鈥檚 weird because it鈥檚 all by donation.鈥�

Brown is on the web at

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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