Definitive Clifford Brown

Read About This Recording

During his tragically brief life (he died in a car accident in 1956 at the age of 25), Clifford Brown was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time. His warm tone, inventive ideas and complete control of his instrument not only made him one of the pacesetters of 1953-56 but an influential force for decades to come. His sound and ideas can be heard in the playing of such major trumpeters as Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw.

This single disc serves as an excellent introduction to Brownie's playing, for it contains many of the highpoints of his recordings for Blue Note and Emarcy. The trumpeter is heard at Birdland with drummer Art Blakey in a group that directly preceded the Jazz Messengers, in all-star sets, backed by a string section, on sessions led by Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington, and with the famous quintet that he co-led with drummer Max Roach. Brown is featured playing his two famous originals Joy Spring and Daahoud, and coming up with fresh and exciting ideas on such songs as Wee Dot, Jordu, Cherokee and I'll Remember April.

Throughout this disc, Brown shows that he was one of the major bebop/hard bop trumpeters, making one grateful that he was well documented before his life was cut short.

-Scott Yanow

Extended Article

In his short life, Clifford Brown created a place for himself in jazz history by combining extraordinary technical ability with a love of melody and a highly developed sense of musical structure. Clean-living, studious and extremely disciplined, he was loved as a person and admired as a musician by everyone who knew him.

At a young age, Brown concentrated on his timbre, developing a distinctively warm and fat sound. Early stints with Art Blakey and other bandleaders served notice that a major new voice on the trumpet had arrived. And when he teamed with Max Roach to form a quintet in 1954, the result was the hardest-driven, most exciting small group on the jazz scene.

While Brownie, as he was universally known, died an accidental early death, his recorded work - especially his work with Roach - is one of the greatest legacies in all jazz.

Contents

Easy Living; Wee Dot; Jordu; I Get A Kick Out Of You; Joy Spring; Daahoud; I've Got You Under My Skin; He's My Guy; Born To Be Blue; Stardust; Cherokee; I'll Remember April; The Scene is Clean.

Helen Merrill, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Vocals; Clifford Brown, Trumpet; Lou Donaldson, Charlie Rouse, Saxes; Gigi Gryce, Alto Sax; Harold Land, Sonny Rollins, Tenor Saxes; John Lewis, Richie Powell, Horace Silver, Pianos; Percy Heath, Milt Hinton, George Morrow, Curly Russell, Basses; Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Drums; Neal Hefti, Arranger; Quincy Jones, Arranger/Conductor.