Clifford+brown

This 1954 studio date, a self-titled album recorded for Emarcy, was later reissued as Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown to denote the involvement of one of the top trumpeters of the day. Vaughan sings nine intimate standards with a band including Brown on trumpet, Herbie Mann on flute, and Paul Quinichette on tenor, each of which have plenty of space for solos (most of the songs are close to the five-minute mark). Vaughan is arguably in the best voice of her career here, pausing and lingering over notes on the standards "April in Paris," "Jim," and "Lullaby of Birdland." As touching as Vaughan is, however, Brown almost equals her with his solos on "Lullaby of Birdland," "Jim," and "September Song," displaying his incredible bop virtuosity in a restrained setting without sacrificing either the simple feeling of his notes or the extraordinary flair of his choices…

"I play the trumpet, my name is Clifford Brown." With these simple and unpretentious words, Brownie introduced himself to the audience of the Cotton Club in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 28, 1956. And indeed he played the trumpet, with a fire and excellence that has earned him renown worldwide. May 28 was the opening night of a week-long engagement for the Max Roach-Clifford Brown Quintet, featuring Sonny Rollins on tenor sax, Richie Powell (Bud Powell's younger brother) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. Despite the exceptional talent of the individual band members, the quintet proved to be more than the sum of its parts. The Cleveland Cotton Club performances contained on this package were recorded on amateur equipment and include sets played by the quintet on May 28, May 29 and June 1, 1956. As a bonus to these amazing performances, we present another previously unissued set: a radio broadcast by the same quintet…

Study in Brown features the 1955 version of the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet, a group also including tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Richie Powell, and bassist George Morrow. One of the premiere early hard bop units, this band had unlimited potential. Highlights of this set are "Cherokee" (during which trumpeter Brown is brilliant), "Swingin'," and "Sandu." All of this group's recordings are well worth acquiring.

The tragic death of the great Clifford Brown in a car accident at the early age of 25 on June 26, 1956, put a halt to one of the most promising careers in jazz history. From then on all of the remaining sessions which Clifford had recorded began to be released under titles such as that of Jazz Immortal (Pacific Jazz Records PJ-3), which appeared posthumously and presents a couple of sessions that marked the only existing collaborations between Brown and Zoot Sims. The rare Sims feature “Bones for Zoot”, which completes the date and was omitted from various previous reissues, is included on this edition, as well as a complete 1953 bonus session that pairs Brown with another horn giant, Lou Donaldson.

There are two schools of thought regarding this Clifford Brown with strings session. Brownie plays quite beautifully and shows off his warm tone on such numbers as "Portrait of Jenny," "Memories of You," "Embraceable You" and "Stardust." But on the other hand the string arrangements by Neal Hefti border on muzak and Brown never really departs from the melody. So the trumpeter's tone is the only reason to acquire this disc which to this listener is a slight disappointment, not living up to its potential.

Like swing guitarist Charlie Christian, Clifford Brown was incredibly influential for someone who died so young. The Fats Navarro-minded trumpeter was only 25 when a car accident claimed his life in 1956, but his influence remained long after his death - Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd, and Carmell Jones were among the many trumpet titans who were heavily influenced by Brown. In the early to mid-'50s, Brown kept getting more and more exciting; those who found him impressive in 1952 found even more reason to be impressed in 1955. That means that when it comes to Brown's dates, excellent doesn't necessarily mean essential…

The last official album by the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet is the only one that featured the great Sonny Rollins on tenor. With pianist Richie Powell and bassist George Morrow completing the group, this date is a hard bop classic. Brownie and Rollins fit together perfectly on memorable versions of "What Is This Thing Called Love," "I'll Remember April," and a witty arrangement of "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing."

Clifford Brown - The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings (1995) {4CD Set Capitol rec 1953-1954}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.45 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 584 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 781 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1953-54, 1995 Blue Note / Pacific Jazz / Capitol | CDP 7243 8 34195 2 4
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trumpet

This four-CD set has the exact same music as an earlier Mosaic five-LP box, but is highly recommended to those listeners not already possessing the limited-edition set. Trumpeter Clifford Brown is heard on the most significant recordings from the first half of his tragically brief career. Whether co-leading a date with altoist Lou Donaldson, playing as a sideman with trombonist J.J. Johnson, interacting with an all-star group of West Coast players, or jamming with the first (although unofficial) edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (a two-disc live performance with a quintet that also includes the drummer/leader, Donaldson and pianist Horace Silver), Brown is the main star.

Documenting when trumpeter Clifford Brown was on the rise, the new collection covers his three 10-inch albums from 1953 - recorded with J.J. Johnson (Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown), Lou Donaldson (New Faces New Sounds) and his own sextet (New Star On The Horizon) - plus legendary live Birdland recordings headlined by Art Blakey, in which Brown is featured along with Donaldson and pianist Horace Silver. While this collection presents the original 10-inch album sequences for the first time since the mid-1950s, the Birdland shows are presented in their original performance sequence for the first time ever.