Grey Reverend is the solo project of singer/songwriter/composer L.D. Brown. Based in Brooklyn, New York, L.D. Brown was born in Pennsylvania and raised on a variety of music genres. After developing an affinity for jazz and the emerging indie rock sounds of the ’80′s, like My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr., he began studying music. Beginning with the saxophone, then later shifting his attention to the guitar under the instruction and guidance of his mentor, jazz guitar legend, Pat Martino, L.D. was soon playing guitar exclusively and performing in various jazz, rock, and blues outfits throughout Philadelphia. Though, after immersing himself in music theory and jazz improvisation, he began experiencing problems with his hands and was diagnosed with focal dystonia. While coping with the loss of dexterity in his hands, L.D. found himself drawn towards songwriting in the traditions of acoustic folk and blues musicians such as John Fahey, Bert Jansch, Joni Mitchell, and Mississippi John Hurt. The desire to write his own material combined with the knowledge of musicology prompted L.D. to craft subversive and unique chord structures for his songs within an accessible vernacular.
