Spencer Brewer

  • Spencer Brewer, Nancy Rumbel, Eric Tingstad - Emerald [Narada Lotus LP-1011] (1986)
  • Spencer Brewer - Portraits [Narada Lotus  LP-1017] (1987)

Also Appears On

  • Various Artists - Narada Christmas Collection [Narada Collection Series LP-3902] (1988)

Biography

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Spencer Brewer began playing piano at age seven, learning mostly from his grandmother, who taught him Southern blues and boogie-woogie. When he became the accompanist for numerous national modern dance troupes and writing musicals 'off-Broadway', Spencer developed a taste for spontaneous and interpretive music. After his move to Northern California in the early 80's, Brewer began recording original instrumental music, joining the forefront of the burgeoning new age music movement, producing two #1 records and selling more than a million albums under his own name.

Not long after moving to Mendocino County, California in the mid 80's he started Laughing Coyote Productions, a world class recording studio dedicated to recording and producing audiophile recordings. For the nearly two decades LCP would produce over 300 records, numerous soundtracks and countless radio commercials.

Spencer firmly believes in contributing back to his local community of Mendocino County. While donating private concerts over the years for local non-profit agencies, he started and still runs the highly successful ''Sundays in the Park'' summer concert series. He also created the series' 'Live at the Playhouse', 'The Professional Pianist Series', 'Happination', 'BandSlam in the Plaza', 'Acoustic Cafe', 'Sunset at the Cellars', ''Lightening Jam with Kris Kristoffersen' and is a consultant to many performance organizations throughout the area regionally. Spencer conceived the 56-acre Redwood Valley Outdoor Educational Facility for kids and is one of the founding members of the scholarship foundation, Ukiah Educational Foundation. He has been nominated for Ukiah's ''Citizen of the Year'' award and in 2008 won the Mendocino County Arts Champion Award.

Spencer has been a composer/pianist/performer playing for audiences and listeners worldwide. In 1999 a serious car accident caused a brain injury that altered his musical abilities. The frustration that came with his sudden (and thankfully temporary) loss of musical fluency pushed his creativity to find new methods of expression. Spencer found himself in his shop, intensely driven to work with his hands in new ways.

He began collecting pieces from a world that had turned abstract, and using the same form of spontaneous, interpretive spirit that drove his musical career, began transforming an instinctive need to create.... into solid objects. The piano would always be there for him, but a new passion was born, and Spencer found himself spending more and more time in his shop, creating highly unique sculptures as inspired as the music he continues to play. [spencerbrewer.com]