Two Musicians Both Named Brian Woodbury Get Their Music Profiles Confused on the Internet and Decide to Make a Song Together
originally published: 08/08/2022
Brian Woodbury is a Los Angeles songwriter, composer and bandleader, who has just released his 9th solo album Rhapsody & Filigree, the Final Volume of his Anthems & Antithets tetralogy, each volume in a distinct musical mood: comic, personal, political & arty. Brian Woodbury is also the name of a Utah-based jazz trombonist, who last year released his first solo album Dream Feeder.
Except, according to the streaming platforms, they’re both the same person.
When Utah Brian put out his album, LA Brian found his own music and artist profile on Spotify, YouTube, etc. conflated with Utah Brian’s. LA Brian tried to sort out the mess, and reached out to Utah Brian to enlist his help. They figured if they both contacted the streaming platforms, it would be simple to disentangle their online identities.
Not so simple, in fact. Even getting through to someone at the streaming platforms was a challenge. And once they got through, the process for disentangling their identities was frustratingly difficult.
As a joke, LA Brian suggested they really confuse the algorithms by making a song together. They both thought this was a funny idea but then they actually did it.
LA Brian wrote lyrics for “The Other Brian Woodbury,” the true tale of being mistaken for somebody with the same name. In the style of pre-war swing jazz, LA Brian wrote music for an Intro and a Verse and then handed it off to Utah Brian to write music for a Bridge. Together they created an extended Instrumental section, indulging their experimental sides.
They arranged it together, but recorded it in separate studios, with LA Brian singing and bringing in pianist David Witham, bassist Edwin Livingston and drummer Andy Sanesi; and Utah Brian overdubbing himself on 8 trombones, creating a big band horn choir.
LA Brian says, “It’s really a song for anyone about whom misinformation has been perpetuated on the internet. Which, I think, is just about everyone.”
The resulting song is now out as the second track on LA Brian’s newly-released Rhapsody & Filigree album. And since the collaboration worked out so well, LA Brian invited Utah Brian to play trombone on 3 other songs that appear on the album.
"Well, I certainly hope so, it seems like it is," laughed Blues Traveler bassist Ben Wilson as he discussed what the band has been up to and their preparations before they hit the road once again for a Summer tour. "The band has been quite active over the years through touring and we managed to continue to record some records. We've done two kinds of covers records, the first one was a blues record which actually got nominated for a Grammy which was pretty cool and the next one, we did some soul covers. That one wasn't quite as well received but it was sure fun to make. So, it's been really cool; you have this massive success for a decade or so and then you kind of dip below that cultural Gestalt line where you're just kind of bubbling below the surface and you can do just fine there even though you're not on the cover of "The Rolling Stone" and that's kind of what we've been doing. We've had a good run, it has been fantastic and these summer tours where we get together with these other kind of bands of similar eras with similar kinds of hits; we're very fortunate as kind of a neo-hippie jam band from that era that kind of bucked some of the trends that were going on at the time but we were lucky enough to have a couple of hits and that has allowed us to have kind of a different career than just the straight jam bands do; not that that wouldn't be awesome as well because obviously many of them are doing just fine but it's just a slightly different road but it has been wonderful. We didn't rehearse a whole lot because we've been playing together for 38 years but things are good and we're stoked for this upcoming tour."
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 7:30pm. Griffin is an American singer-songwriter and storyteller. Touring and making records for over 20 years, House has a discography that includes over 13 albums.
(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic baskets to Reeves-Reed Arboretum and celebrate summer with their 2025 concert series, Sounds of a Summer Night! All performances will be held on select Wednesday evenings on the grounds of this non-profit public garden located in Summit.
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