Hometown Sound: Richmond’s Butcher Brown on Jazz as a Language, Tiny Desk, and RVA Roots #031

By Billy Briefman · January 16, 2026 · 1:19:53 read

Category: Arts & Culture

Show: Unscripted RVA

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In this featured episode - Tennishu, Corey, and Morgan of Butcher Brown join us to talk about how they work: jazz as a shared language, the role of trust and collaboration in a five-piece band, and why they design live sets with intention. We cover their path from Richmond venues to national placements (Tiny Desk, Monday Night Football), how front-of-house shapes what audiences actually hear, and their production approach to a genre-agnostic sound.

Butcher Brown is a genre-bending quintet that’s been creating music together since 2009. Widely celebrated as one of Richmond’s premier creative music acts , this band brings together top-tier talent: Morgan Burrs (guitar), Corey Fonville (drums), and “Tennishu” (trumpet, saxophone & vocals) are 3 key parts of the magic. Their sound flows effortlessly from funk to jazz to soulful hip-hop.

With 2 appearances on Tiny Desk - NPR even praised Butcher Brown for “scoffing at the limitations” of genres. They’ve repped RVA on the world stage when they covered Little Richard's classic “Rip It Up” for ESPN's Monday Night Football in 2020. With their musical innovation and hometown pride on full display, Butcher Brown embodies the soulful, creative spirit of Richmond, Virginia

We also get into Richmond’s influence—the VCU pipeline, house-show history, and the city’s current rooms—plus the overlap between rap and jazz, streaming/label realities, audience shifts, and what’s next for the band. If you want a clear view of process, performance, and the scene that built them, this episode delivers.

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This podcast is produced by ⁠Vera House⁠ — a creative club and media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion creative expression, elevate culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern brands in Richmond.

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