Just Between Us

Background

Brown produced the album with guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Kirk Whalum, Ronnie Laws, the Earth, Wind & Fire Horns and Boyz II Men. The album contains cover versions of two songs: "Love Holiday" by Earth, Wind & Fire and "Too High" by Stevie Wonder. The latter song was featured in the end credits of the film Passenger 57.

Critical reception

Sherri Winston of the Sun Sentinel called Just Between Us "jazzy fun that gets moody and sexy and thoughtful, but never boring... A beautiful ride."

Thom Jurek of AllMusic, in a 4 out of 5 stars review, commented, "The end result is an album that, although surely a product of its time in terms of production, is musically timeless. Its sense of balance between composition, arrangement, improvisation, and its various genre blends is still a blueprint for contemporary jazz in the 21st century."

Personnel

Musicians and vocalists

Norman Brown – guitars, music concept (4)

Herman Jackson – keyboards (1, 3, 5, 7, 11), synthesizers (9), synth strings (10)

Wayne Linsey – keyboards (1, 3, 5, 11)

Jerry Peters – keyboards (2)

Brian Simpson – keyboards (2, 8), programming (2, 8)

Bobby Lyle – acoustic piano (4, 7, 9), acoustic piano solo (8)

Larry Farrow – keyboards (10), synth bass (10)

Juewett Bostick – programming (10)

Al McKay – rhythm guitar (4)

Richard Patterson – bass (1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11)

Sam Sims – bass (2, 8)

Verdine White – bass (4)

Nathan East – bass (7, 9)

Chuck Morris – drums (1, 3, 5, 6, 11)

Land Richards – cymbals (2, 8, 10), drum fills (10)

Michael Baker – drums (4, 7, 9)

Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 3, 4, 6, 9)

Munyungo Jackson – percussion (2, 7, 11)

Ronnie Laws – soprano saxophone (1)

Kirk Whalum – tenor saxophone (1)

Music arrangements

Norman Brown – arrangements (1–3, 5–11), BGV arrangements (9)

Norman Connors – arrangements (1–3, 5, 7–11)

Land Richards – arrangements (3, 8)

Benjamin Wright – arrangements (4, 7, 9), horn arrangements (7, 9), string arrangements (9)

Denise Stewart – BGV arrangements (4, 9)

Stevie Wonder – arrangements (6)

Juewett Bostick – arrangements (10)

Production

Steve McKeever – executive producer, producer (6)

Norman Connors – producer (1–5, 7–11)

Norman Brown – co-producer (1–3, 5, 8, 10, 11)

Bruce Walker – A&R project coordinator

Stephen Meltzer – art direction

Shauna Woods – design

Todd Gray – photography

Technical credits

Ralph Sutton – recording, mixing (3, 7, 9, 10)

Brant Biles – mixing (1, 2, 6)

Malcolm Cecil – mixing (1, 2, 6)

Robert Margouleff – mixing (1, 2, 6)

John Falzarano – recording (2, 8)

Brian Simpson – recording (2, 8)

Barney Perkins – mixing (4)

Elliott Peters – mixing (5, 8, 11)

Steve McKeever – mixing (6)

Richard Huredia – assistant engineer (1–9, 11)

William Cooper – mix assistant (1, 2)

Bob Tucker – mix assistant (3, 7, 9, 10)

Noel Hazen – assistant engineer (4, 7, 9)

Kenny Ochoa – mix assistant (4, 5)

David Betancourt – mix assistant (8)

Tina Antoine – mix assistant (11)