Keith Brown is a Professor of Music at the University of Tennessee where in addition to teaching applied drum set, he is the Director of Jazz Bands and coordinator of small jazz ensembles. He studied under Ed Soph as a grant recipient from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as with Chet Hedgecoth, Michael Combs, and Alan Dawson.

He is an active performer playing regularly with several groups including the trio Boling, Brown, & Holloway, and the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra where he has performed with (among others) Monty Alexander, Mulgrew Miller, Hank Jones, John Clayton, Maceo Parker, Wycliffe Gordon, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Terrel Stafford, Conrad Herwig, Dan Trudell, Stefon Harris, Karrin Allyson, Gregory Porter, Ingrid Jensen, John Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski, Eric Reed, James Morrison, and Warren Wolf.

He has also performed with Zim Ngqawana, Marvin Stamm, Doc Severinsen, Tommy Flanagan, Jerry Coker, Rick Simerly, Will Campbell, Greg Tardy, Donald Brown, Jeff Coffin and others.

He is featured on many CDs including several with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, Boling, Brown, & Holloway. His recording with South African Saxophonist Zim Ngqawana Zimology In Concert (USA 2008) won a SAMA for best traditional recording in 2008

He is currently a Meinl cymbal and Innovative Percussion endorser. He is very involved with the Percussive Arts Society and has contributed articles to its official publication.