Arthur Bradford "Brad" Gowans (December 3, 1903, Billerica, Massachusetts – September 8, 1954, Los Angeles)[1] was an American jazz trombonist and reedist.

In 1926 he played cornet with Joe Venuti, and worked later in the 1920s with Red Nichols, Jimmy Durante, Mal Hallett (1927–29), and Bert Lown.

[1] Early in the 1940s he played regularly at Nick's in Greenwich Village in New York City, and worked with Ray McKinley and Art Hodes.

Gowans is credited in Nat Hentoff's jazz history classic Hear Me Talkin' To Ya with one of the great all-time one-liners.

Asked by a prospective band leader whether he could read music, Gowans reportedly replied, "Not well enough to hurt my playing."