By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org
As a child, it was Kevin Brewster’s mom that helped steer him toward the saxophone.
The 2021 East Kentwood grad said his mom, Audrey Reed, often listened to gospel, R&B and soul music such as Fred Hammond, John P. Kee, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire.
“I always wondered what the specific instrument I heard in those songs was until eventually I found out it was a saxophone which made me want to play it,” Brewster said. “I then began playing the saxophone at 11 years old.
“As far as I remember, growing up I was always into music, either if it was dancing, listening to music or singing. I grew up in the church which got me involved with playing the drums, saxophone and singing in the choir.”
Brewster, who just finished his second year of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, was recently in the WKTV studio with his quartet taping a television program called Jazz Works, which will air soon on our station.
The other members of the quartet are Max Gage on piano, Judah Guerra, bass and Brian Allen, drums.
East Kentwood and MSU connection
Guerra also graduated from EK High School, while Allen went to Grand Rapids Christian and Gage, Northview. All members study music at Michigan State University.
Brewster said they all met while in high school and began practicing together.
“We had one of our first gigs at a restaurant and I knew ever since then I wanted to keep playing with these guys,” Brewster explained. “We formally got together in 2021, and then we gigged throughout the summer our first year of college.”
The quartet has performed locally at the Grand Rapids Foodie Fest, GRNoir Jazz Club, GR Festival of the Arts and the Kentwood Winter Concert Series.
While at East Kentwood, Brewster performed in the marching band, wind ensemble and jazz ensemble I.
He’s counting on his high school and college experiences to guide him through his career.
“After I graduate college, my goal is to attend graduate school to pursue my masters in jazz performance while continuing to put out music and eventually become a recording artist. I also want to tour around the world as a band leader and/or sideman, and then soon become a college professor to teach jazz saxophone.”
