Clifford Brown

1. Caravan

2. I Come from Jamaica

3. It's Crazy

4. Brownie Speaks

5. What's New?

6. Theme of No Repeat

7. Laura

8. Easy Living

9. Cherokee

10. Land's End

11. Swingin'

12. Lover, Come Back to Me

13. Sandu

14. All the Things You Are

15. Minority

16. Gertrude's Bounce

17. Come Rain or Come Shine

18. Love Is a Many Splendored Thing

19. Valse Hot

20. Once in a While

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Clifford Brown,Clifford Brown,RCA Makin' Friends,Bop,Hard Bop

Jazz

Music

jazz

Tracks:

Lullaby Of Birdland (Composite Master Take)
April In Paris
He's My Guy
Jim
You're Not The Kind
Embraceable You
I'm Glad There Is You
September Song
It's Crazy
Lullaby Of Birdland (Partial Alternative Take)

Amazon.com essential recording

Like a gifted actress, Sarah Vaughan always makes lyrics come alive, whether on poignant ballads or buoyant pop novelties. Vaughan "plays" her voice as if it is a "real" instrument, and on this 1955 marvel, she is matched with musicians of an equally high caliber. On "Lullaby of Birdland," she trades harmonically advanced scat lines with Herbie Mann, Paul Quinichette, and Clifford Brown. Vaughan is hauntingly romantic and Brown is at his most lyrical on "September Song." She shows her unbelievable bop-influenced creativity on "You're Not the Kind"; Brown's hard-swinging solo and Quinichette's Lester Young-styled softness set up an incredible ending cascade from Vaughan. Pianist Jimmy Jones's beautiful chords on the infectious "He's My Guy" show why he was one of the most sought-after vocal accompanists, while Vaughan's phrasing, deliberately behind the time, adds perfectly to the relaxed feel. "April in Paris" reveals her operatic quality as Brown's tingling riffs fill in the space behind her. Throughout, Sassy combines exquisite elegance, impressive range, and an effortless delivery. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Sassy and Brownie - what more can you ask for?.......2007-04-06

What do you get when you team one of the most beautiful voices in the history of Jazz music (or any musical genre for that matter) with perhaps the greatest trumpet player in Jazz history - pure magic! I can throw out all the cliche's and hyperbole in the world trying sway the rest of you out there who don't own this yet to purchase it immediately. However, what am I going to say that will trump all of the critics (both pros and Amazon ams alike) who give this recording five stars w/out hesitating a second after they listen to it the first time?

When my first child was born just recently, I choose three CD's out of my collection of over a thousand to take with me to the hospital and this was one of the three. Believe it or not, everytime our baby boy has a crying fit, this is the only CD that will consistently get him to stop. So obviously it has a huge place in my heart.

I would give this two extra stars if I could.

Timeless Lullaby.......2006-09-26

Listening to this collaboration between Sarah Vaughan and Clifford Brown (among others) today makes you feel as if time stood still since it was originally recorded in 1954. Vaughan's voice is as crisp now as it will ever be and brings you a sense of what a truly timeless performance is and what art is all about. Packing classic after classic, you hear her perform jazz standards like it is the first time you've heard the songs, such as the case of "Lullaby of Birdland". Her wide ranging voice will simply never die and will continue to save a place for her in music history as one of the best singers ever.

Vaughan and Brown "speak" the same language on this CD........2006-06-25

This 2003 release of Vaughan's December, 1954, album (previously released in 1991 as "Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown") is one of her most brilliant collaborations and a fine memorial to the work of Brown, who died eighteen months after recording this, at age twenty-six. With Brown on trumpet, Paul Quinichette on tenor sax, Jimmy Jones on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, and Herbie Mann on jazz flute, the album is a sophisticated partnership among musicians, all of whom are thinking of the whole sound and the whole effect, rather than their own star turns. The mood varies from light to poignantly tender, the tempo is usually slow, and the volume is kept low, highlighting the creativity of each performer's variations while remaining true to the songs and their meanings.

"Lullaby of Birdland" is lightly swingy in Vaughan's hands, with minimal accompaniment and a restrained mood. Vaughan's voice ranges widely, with a lovely contrast between her lowest range and the flute of Mann, as Brown plays a muted trumpet and remains in the background. "April in Paris" is sweetly tender, with Vaughan hesitating as she asks "What have you done to my heart," her accompanists keeping their solos soft. Both "Embraceable You" and "September Song," slow-tempo songs long associated with Vaughan, allow for much improvisation and highlight Vaughan's enormous range while allowing Brown to soar. The "partial alternative take" of "Lullaby of Birdland" features Vaughan's best scat.

"Jim" and "I'm Glad There Is You" are personal favorites. "Jim," a narrative revealing the intimacy of a relationship in which the woman declares she will continue to love a man who will leave her, begins with a duet, Brown's trumpet so close to the timbre of Vaughan's voice that it sounds like another voice, while his later solo, louder than usual, conveys the passion of the song. "I'm Glad There is You" also features a perfect melding of voice and trumpet as Vaughan hits some of her highest notes in one of the most beautiful combinations of voice and trumpet ever.

Vaughan's range, her emotional feel for the music and sensitivity to her fellow musicians, her clarity of voice, her ability to control tempo (delaying her entrance on some phrases, repeating some lyrics as an echo and then "catching up"), and her recognition that one does not have to shriek to improvise or convey meaning are all highlights of this CD. This elegant album is marked by the restraint of the musicians, all of whom are wildly creative while respecting each other and their songs. Mary Whipple

It doesn't take much.......2006-05-03

I'm a man of few words, but many CDs. This is in my top 20 secure CD case. All the tracks are excellent, but, September Song is my favorite. GET IT!

One of the All-Time Greats from One of the All-Time Greats.......2006-03-23

In June of 2004, Frank-John Hadley of "Down Beat" Magazine interviewed 73 of the top jazz singers in the world for the consensus 30 best vocal jazz albums of all time. This wasn't one of them (although Ms. Vaughan's "How Long Has This Been Going on", on Pablo from 1978, was #10).

I listen to this,and I ask why not? How could this miscarriage of justice by omission happen?

Many say that Sarah Vaughan was the greatest pure singer of all jazz singers, past or present (And I mean that literally; not the greatest jazz singer,necessarily, but the greatest pure singer who sings or sang jazz). I wouldn't dispute it; and I'd hold this c.d. up as a good example of that proposition. Never was there a jazz singer who sang more consistently beautifully than Sassy; and never was there a jazz singer who had a wider range of beautiful tones in her or his singing voice. Whether in her chest or head voice, she just sounded gorgeous. And this c.d., recorded in 1954, captured her in her prime.

As I listen and re-listen to this, I wonder why the world's finest don't have this on the same level as John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, or Sinatra's "Sings for Only the Lonely", or Carmen's "Sings Songs of Billie Holiday." Here are two possibilities:

1) The version of this c.d. I have is not this one, but one released on Comet Records entitled "September Song." The sound is subpar. The piano sounds tinny; and in this day of sound engineering, there's no excuse for that. Perhaps the world's finest were listening to the wrong reissue of the album.

2) Sarah Vaughan and Clifford Brown are about two levels above the other 5-6 musicians on this date. It's not that they are subpar, by any means; but listen to Clifford's solos on "Jim" or "April in Paris", for example, compared with the others; he just takes over the bandstand. He has a fatness and a richness of sound that is matched on this date only by Ms. Vaughan. In contrast, for example, on the Coltrane-Hartman date, Tyner, Garrison and Jones were every bit the equal of the two principals.

Well, whatever the reason, I respectfully disagree. This is one of the all-time greats from one of the all-time greats, and ought to be in the top 10. RC

Average customer rating:

Great Music
Essential, and not just because of Clifford
Good Stuff
Study In Greatness...
Essential recordings

Study in Brown
Clifford Brown , and Max Roach Quintet
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000046NG
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Cherokee
Jacqui
Swingin'
Lands End
George's Dilemma
Sandu
Gerkin For Perkin
If I Love Again
Take The A Train

Amazon.com

When these nine sides were cut in February 1955, trumpeter Clifford Brown was not even 25 years old, but he'd already emerged as jazz's greatest trumpeter this side of Miles Davis. Whereas Davis made his mark through conception, composition, and cool tones, Brown was a blowing, blaring, blistering fire who navigated chord changes without a second's pause. This record will give listeners plenty of chance to marvel at his fleet improvisations and sharp tone, which remarkably never lost its fullness at any speed. The m.o. of the quintet was pretty well set at this point: reinvigorated standards augmented by crafty introductions and taken at full bore; sprite originals with complex melodies; and an urgency unmatched in jazz before or since. Pianist Richie Powell and tenor Harold Land admirably keep pace with the leaders. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Great Music.......2007-01-14

Clifford Brown Is one of the Baddest Trumpet Players Ever. had He lived who knows where His place in History would have been. on drums you had the Great Max Roach.His Drumming is incredible on this Project. swingin,and Land's end are very strong.Piano player Richie Powell holds the Keys down. Harold Land holds things down,George Morrow holds it down on the Bass as well. a must have collection.

Essential, and not just because of Clifford.......2006-11-09

One of the three most important (not to mention brilliant) trumpet players in the history of jazz, Clifford Brown adds to his luster on this varied program of nine engaging tunes. The 1950's were indeed a "golden age" for jazz, offering up many such recorded programs by trumpet-tenor frontlines plus rhythm section. In the early sixties, modal harmonies began to prevail along with simple melodic riffs played over a single interminable rhythmic pattern. The shift can be heard not only in the musical transformations of Roach-led groups but the ensembles of Miles, Blakey, Silver, and Adderley.

"A Study in Brown" isn't a perfect session, but it would be hard to fault not just Clifford but the equally sublime Harold Land. Perhaps the man never got his due because his tenor is so completely in synch with Clifford's horn that the two speak as a single voice during the ensemble sections, uncannily so during the unison passages. It's not just the tightness but the phrasing and "contouring" of their lines. In fact, it's Land, more than Clifford, whose attention to dynamics and the "swelling" of phrases assures that the ensemble choruses take on a breathing, living quality (subtleties such as this, incidentally, would be lost, or "flattened out," were this a Blue Note rather than Emarcy recording).

Land has the unenviable task of following Brown on most of the solos, and he's invariably up to the challenge. His fluid technique, purposeful melodic ideas, and expressive use of dynamics constitute a musical voice that is no less inimitable and personal than Clifford's. The primary anticlimax occurs during the Richie Powell piano solos that follow Land's inventions. On "Land's End," Harold takes not only the first but the best of the solos. On a couple of the tunes (e.g. "Take the A Train") the disappointment is that he's given less solo time than Clifford.

The trumpet-tenor sax format of hundreds of jazz combos and thousands of recordings certainly was overdone, soon becoming tiresomely limited and repetitious. But not with this pair. The combination of Brown and Land provides a study in colors and textures that's all but inexhaustible.

Good Stuff.......2006-07-31

This album was one of the better jazz record purchases I have made. Clifford Brown's trumpet playing is most excellent, and Max Roach's drumming is fantastic. George's Dilemma is a great track...lots of moods created and some good ambient drumming. If you like jazz, buy this album.

Study In Greatness..........2006-01-06

There was never a greater loss to any musical group-or form of music-than the deaths of trumpeter Clifford Brown and pianist
Richie Powell-in 1956 ,in an automobile accident. 'Study in Brown' , one of a handful of albums any serious jazz fan should own, starts off fast with The Brown-Roach Quintet blowin' away
the standard,'Cherokee' and ends with a unique version of 'Take The A Train'.Richie Powell,often described a "Bud's younger brother" composed the swingin' tune 'Jacqui' for this album and
puts to rest any notion that,although he is often referred to as
"Bud's(Powell)younger brother",he is no "second-rater".I love Harold Land's sound on tenor sax-and his composition,'Land's End'
and..this really is one of the ultimate,historic shorlived groups,which wouldn't be complete without George Morrow on bass and Max Roach-who survived it all-on drums.

Essential recordings.......2005-04-05

Clifford Brown (tp) Harold Land (ts) Richie Powell (p) George Morrow (b) Max Roach (d) Rec. 2/55 for EmArcy.

Brilliant recordings that every modern jazz fan should have. Although everything on this CD is fantastic, highlights include "Sandu," a marvelous blues composition by Brownie, and the standard "If I Love Again," which is taken way up tempo and burns! "Cherokee" is also done very fast, with excellent results. "Gerkin for Perkin" is also a blues, but somewhat different - it's a great theme. Clifford Brown made some major jazz statements during his all-too-brief life, and many of them can be found on this CD. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

A great night for jazz
Pressure Cooker
Bebop transforms into hard bop
Hard Bop Genesis
My favourite Art-Blakey set

A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2
Art Blakey , Clifford Brown , and Horace Silver
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1
Study in Brown
Moanin'
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A Night in Tunisia

ASIN: B00005MIZ9
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

Wee-Dot
If I Had You
Quicksilver
Now's The Time
Confirmation
The Way You Look Tonight
Lou's Blues

Amazon.com

The second volume of recordings from this seminal hard-bop date (February 21, 1954) picks up where Volume 1 leaves off, and is no less thrilling. Trumpeter Clifford Brown positively smokes through "Wee-Dot" and a supercharged reworking of the standard "The Way You Look Tonight." Alto Lou Donaldson earns his "Sweet Papa Lou" moniker with a tender reading of "If I Had You," rippling off a flurry of notes without ever upsetting the gentle nature of the tune, and evidencing a strong Bird influence in the process. Speaking of Bird, the two closing tunes come from Parker's pen, most notably "Now's the Time," which here receives a superbly slowed-down and funked-up rendition. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

A great night for jazz.......2005-03-15

This second volume of the Art Blakey Quintet live at Birdland (2/21/54) is just as good as volume 1. Clifford Brown, alto man Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver, and Curly Russell join Blakey for some swinging hard bop performances. "Wee-dot" is a fast blues, as is "Lou's blues," which might be just a tad too frantic. All the playing is exceptional, though, on every track. Should be had with volume 1, and both CDs are must-have deals.

Pressure Cooker.......2005-01-22

Be careful folks, this one can scorch your knickers! Everyone here is in tip-top shape and there are times when this one is a full-blown show of pure firepower.

It also slows down nicely though when it does pull back to the mid and slow tempos. Actually the mid-tempo stuff here is my favorite. Lou Donaldson purely shines here. He really should be more well-known. His playing is an absolute joy from beginning to end and, at least for me, he is the true star of this release. Of course there is also no lack of material here to please the Clifford Brown crowd, either. Sometimes upper-register pyrotechnics types of trumpet players seem to kill my ears. It's not my most favored style, but I still can't help but marvel at the lines Brownie blows here. When listening to him, I get the feeling that audience members probably broke out into a sweat just from hearing and seeing him play.

Even though Jazz at Massey Hall (whether partial or the complete one) is often viewed as a high-water mark in bebop, I'd tend to go with this disc as a better example of what it's all about. The sonic quality of this recording is fuller, richer, and I just think the performance is better, too. This disc has hard-bop-lengthed solos, but bebop style and freneticism... along with the killer slower stuff, as I mentioned earlier.

Bebop transforms into hard bop.......2004-10-05

The second album produced of a concert done in 1953 at Birdland by Art Blakey, this is actually better than Volume 1, in my opinion. I'd give it 4 stars for material and soloing, but 5 for importance, because there are several things are interesting about this cd:

1. This was the first live recording ever made that is not bootleg, but recorded for the specific purpose of commercial release.

2. Art Blakey is known as the god of hard bop, but this is really a bebop album, with blistering tunes and elongated, flowing lines by all the soloists. But you can begin to sense the elements of hard bop coming in, especially with Clifford Brown's solos, so in this way this is a great historical document.

3. The line up of Brown, Blakey and Silver, the three fathers of hard bop, all playing on the same stage is just a joy.

The album is deffinitely worthwhile, as Clifford Brown and Horace Silver (who I've always loved as a composer but less as a soloist) contributing excellent solos, especially Silver on Quicksilver, and Brown on Now's the Time and especially Confirmation. Altoist Lou Donaldson is a solid, adept player in the Bird tradition. While not the equal of Brown, he has two nice moments early on: he steals the show on the tune Wee Dot, and of course is featured on the ballad If I had You. Art Blakey is as brillaint on the drums as always, rarely taking a solo but shining when he does. This really is jazz history right here, and thus EVERY jazz fan should have it, especially lovers of Blakey, Brown and Silver.

Hard Bop Genesis.......2001-12-19

This 1954 live recording is a momentous one in jazz history -- it's one of the first recordings in a style that would be known as hard bop. Blakey's quintet, a clear forerunner of his Jazz Messengers, approaches the classic bop style, mixes in some soul and gospel, and cranks up the energy. Art Blakey's turbocharged drumming, Horace Silver's funky, blues-drenched playing, and the formidable frontline of trumpet wizard Clifford Brown and Bird disciple Lou Donaldson set the mold for the style.

Highlights of Volume 2 are a blistering interpretation of the Kern-Fields classic "The Way You Look Tonight" and two Charlie Parker tunes, "Confirmation" and "Now's The Time". Clifford Brown really burns on these tunes. If you like this CD, be sure to buy Volume 1 as well as the two Bohemia recordings of Blakey a year later.

My favourite Art-Blakey set.......2001-08-15

These live recordings were the first jazz albums I ever bought. Now, after having listened to many more I still think that this live set is one of the most amazing recordings I have. The Art Blakey Quintet was in great form on that particular night, about 50 years ago. The material is bebop as well as early fast hardbop - a nice mix of classics and songs mainly by Horace Silver. I highly recommend this live set to anybody interested in jazz!

Average customer rating:

What can I say about this album...
Hard Bop 101
So much began here
This is it!!!
Two words: Clifford Brown

A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1
Art Blakey , Clifford Brown , and Horace Silver
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2
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ASIN: B00005MIZ8
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

Announcement By Pee Wee Marquette
Split Kick
Once In A While
Quicksilver
A Night In Tunisia
Mayreh
Wee-Dot (Alternate Take)
Blues (Improvisation)

Amazon.com essential recording

For all intents and purposes, the style of jazz known as hard bop came of age at this February 1954 live date from the famous New York club. By adding vibrant elements of blues, funk, soul, and gospel to the technically challenging and highly cerebral bebop form, hard bop became the dominant jazz style and to this day represents what is typically referred to as mainstream jazz. The lineup here resembles the '27 Yankees of the genre: trumpeter Clifford Brown was quickly becoming the red-hot alternative to Miles Davis's cool stylings (his work on the ballad "Once in a While" is worth the price of admission alone); pianist Horace Silver's driving, urgent sound epitomized the funky hard-bop aesthetic; alto Lou Donaldson and bassist Curly Russell had already graced countless essential recordings between them. From this seed grew three of the greatest hard-bop outfits in history: Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Silver's Quintet, and the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet. This short-lived ensemble might have them all licked. For a complete snapshot of the Birdland event, pick up A Night at Birdland, Volume 2, easily on par with Birdland, Volume 1 for sheer artistry. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

What can I say about this album..........2007-03-09

that hasn't been said already? ...I can't think of anything. Simply awesome, would suggest it to anybody that enjoys Clifford Brown or Horace Silver or Art Blakey (in other words, any listener of jazz)

Hard Bop 101.......2007-03-05

This recording is worth five stars alone just to hear Mr. Clifford Brown's performance. No amount of hyperbole can do this man justice. He is simply the best. It is almost bittersweet hearing Brownie sound this great knowing that he had so many of these unbelievable performances still left in him before his untimely and tragic death. This is definitely one of my top five favorites of any album he ever did. This is also one of my top ten favorites of any live album period! It is an amazing performance by the whole group of all-stars - Lou Donaldson, Art Blakey, Horace Silver and Curly Russell.

If you are a fan of Clifford Brown then this is essential! If I was teaching a jazz class this would be the first album I would play to the class as an example of hard bop at it's absolute finest.

So much began here.......2006-11-14

If you love hardbop and/or Horace Silver and/or Art Blakey, you need this album. It is just a joy to hear the band setting the course that so many others would follow over the years.

This is it!!!.......2005-06-13

This CD, with its partner Volume 2, is one of the greatest live recordings of a club date in jazz history. The hard-driving Blakey with his best group ever; Brownie is incredible. And unlike a studio date, there are no retakes, no editing, just raw improvisation at the highest level.

Two words: Clifford Brown.......2005-05-15

Some of the best Trumpet playing I've ever heard is on this album. The entire band rocks - but Cliffor Brown is on fire. I've listened to all the greats - but nothing stands up like this!

Average customer rating:

Beyond beautiful..
The best of the best
Great jazz and a clean life
Clifford Brown -- The wellspring of Joy
Clifford Brown - on the brighter side of the street

Clifford Brown & Max Roach
Clifford Brown , Max Roach , and Harold Land
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004NHC0
Release Date: 2000-02-29

Tracks:

Delilah
Parisian Thoroughfare
Daahoud
Joy Spring
Jordu
Blues Walk, The
What Am I Here For?
These Foolish Things
Blues Walk (alternative take), The
Daahoud (alternative take)
Joy Spring (alternative take)

Amazon.com

Many a young musician has been sabotaged by his own considerable abilities. So caught up are they in technical execution that they give elements such as emotion and taste short shrift. Trumpeter Clifford Brown was a musical dynamo, a man who was capable of playing many instruments well and who possessed supreme natural instincts and boundless energy. Brown painstakingly practiced and perfected his technique, but when practice time gave way to playing time--there was no other time for him--Brown's command was so deeply ingrained that he was free to concentrate on those other elements: emotion and taste. This reissue of the 1954 recorded debut of the Brown-Roach quintet stands as one of the most exciting works in all of jazz, and it plays as if the ensemble knew it at the time. Brown's trumpet work is fiery, confident, and nimble, tempered slightly by Miles Davis's lyricism; his tone is bright and bold, but the icing on the cake is the joy and tenderness that surface. Drummer Max Roach was already a bop veteran when he formed this groundbreaking hard-bop band and he prances like a dancer throughout. Harold Land's grounded, relaxed, grainy tenor is the perfect yin to Brown's yang. Brown emerges here as the crucial link between Dizzy Gillespie and basically all hot trumpeters to follow, even though he was not yet 24 when he made these recordings. Among the four extra cuts on this remastered reissue are alternate versions of "Daahoud" and "Joy Spring," two Brown compositions that have become hard-bop cornerstones. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Beyond beautiful.........2007-01-31

One of the most gorgeous things i have ever heard. Like opening a bougette of spring time. A solid bop sound that swings.

No real jazz fan should be without this album or almost all brown-roach albums. This is truly a combo not just 5 talented individuals and they all fit together so well and nobody plays or played trumpet better than brownie.

The definition of lyrical bop..

The best of the best.......2006-12-30

Perhaps the best Clifford Brown recording available. "Delilah" and "Joy Spring" are breathtaking.

Great jazz and a clean life.......2006-07-29

Clifford Brown's story is a breath of fresh air in jazz. When it seems that so many musicians got bogged down with drugs and booze, etc. you have Clifford Brown as the example that one doesn't have to be tortured, or a victim or addict to be a great artist. His music is so positive. This album is great and no serious jazz collection should be without it, same with Study in Brown, w/ Sarah Vaughn, with Strings. I would put Brownie up against ANY jazz trumpeter. He was that good. The tragedy is that his life was so short. He died, along with his pianist Richie Powell, in a a car wreck when he was just 25. Many people say, "Had he lived longer ...." It's true, I certainly wish he were still around. However, he is, to me, the greatest jazz trumpeter and a real hero not because of his short life or "what could've been" but because of what he did. Listen to Joyspring and Daahoud and see what I mean. Enjoy Brownie, and enjoy life! God is good!

Clifford Brown -- The wellspring of Joy.......2006-06-12

Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis got a lot more attention from the media and the public, but true jazz fans and fellow musicians arguably loved Clifford Brown's playing the best. His tragic death in a 1956 car accident after only two years of the fantastic Clifford Brown/Max Roach quintet did not diminsh his status as possibly the most influential trumpeter of them all.

The list of trumpet giants who were his disciples includes Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton -- and this undoubtedly is not all. Listen to this CD, and you'll understand why. Brownie's tone was always crisp and incisive (without becoming like scraping your fingermails down a blackboard). Whether playing up-tempo or caressing a ballad, his ideas were consistently logical and lyrical -- and so original that some of his solo licks are among those most frequently quoted by other musicians.

If Brownie had never played an instrument but had only written originals like "Joy Spring," "Daahoud,"and "Parisian Thoroughfare," his place in Jazz as a composer alone would be assured. "Joy Spring" has to be one of the most uplifting pieces of music ever penned, and the band does a matchless job on it here.

One of the most underrated tenor sax players is Harold Land, who works superbly with Brown in the ensemble passages. His solo work on this CD should have catapulted him to a level of fame rivalling the best of them.

Max Roach was already known for his work with Charlie Parker and others as the quintessential modern drummer. He continues to evolve as an artist on this album.

Pianist Richie Powell may not have been the brilliant comet his brother Bud was, but the quirky charm of his playing (for my ear) fits in beautifully with this group and often provides a change of mood after the slick solo work of the front line.

Space doesn't suffice for all the superlatives that could be written about this album and about arguably the best-loved trumpet player of them all -- Clifford Brown. He has been greatly missed. Don't deprive yourself of the endless joy this album will bring you.

Clifford Brown - on the brighter side of the street.......2005-05-03

Clifford Brown deserves to be mentioned among the great jazz trumpeters - Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldrige, Freddie Hubbard, Ray Nance, Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, (the last three were Ellington's Trumpeters), Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Miles Davis among others (Lee Morgan, Thad Jones, Woody Shaw and Fats Navarro maybe). He generally is thought of as one of the best, and this album shows that opinon to some degree. This is not the best playing Brown did by a long shot, but it deserves to be in your collection. Brown and Roach's chemistry was really starting to click here, and it shows. I enjoy the Hawkins/Rollins style of Harold Land, and the persistant bass of George Marrow. I do think though that Richie Powell did not fit in this group. He did do some amazing arranging and writing for the group (particularly on the basin street recording), but his soloing almost hinders the groups some. The tune will be pulling you along and the then under-recorded/ out of place piano will come in. His playing at times slows down the song and sounds a little uncomforatble and unsure of itself. Don't let this fault hinder the rest of the tune, because they are phenominal. Maybe I will come around to Richie Powell, I don't know

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Clifford Brown With Strings
A Bit Schmaltzy But Lovely Nonetheless
What a bargain!!
Give It Up For The Band
Clifford Brown - Mr Melodic

Clifford Brown With Strings
Clifford Brown
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Study in Brown
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ASIN: B000006P6U
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Yesterdays
Laura
What's New?
Blue Moon
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
Embraceable You
Willow Weep For Me
Memories Of You
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Portrait Of Jenny
Where Or When
Stardust

Amazon.com

In his brief career before dying at age 25 in an automobile accident, Clifford Brown became one of the most influential trumpeters in jazz, with a rich brassy sound, an almost classical precision, and a clarion fluency of line that would inspire players from Lee Morgan to Terence Blanchard. While string settings have had a mixed reception in jazz, beloved by some musicians while rejected outright by purist listeners, Brown's is one of the more successful. The arrangements by Neal Hefti provide lush settings for the trumpeter's gorgeous sound, while Brown's usual bandmates--pianist Richie Powell, bassist George Morrow, and drummer Max Roach--provide some necessary propulsion. "Laura" and "Stardust" have seldom been caressed with the romance and grace heard here. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Clifford Brown With Strings.......2007-01-10

Clifford Brown has been one of my favorite trumpet players of plus 35 years. I'm just as delighted with recording as anything I've ever heard! Thank You.

A Bit Schmaltzy But Lovely Nonetheless.......2006-05-05

The tone of Brown is gorgeous and the album works as a wonderful showcase for Brown whose pure playing booms and solos out clearly over and away from the strings..the album's mix sounds somewhat juxtaposed but this was 1956..and the record does say Clifford Brown with Strings..
Of course it could have been better in retrospect when one considers a similar concept such as Bird's with Strings..but then again let us be glad this CD reissue was given fine treatment and sound, wonderfully packaged with emotive quality.

What a bargain!!.......2006-01-06

I can't believe what a bargain I got when I picked up this Clifford Brown. Disc is new, excellent price, and if you listen to "Willow Weep for Me", you'll instantly know what I'm talkin' about. I've heard this song done by a few different artists, and the version on this artist is, bar none, the best one I've heard. It just takes me; this cut alone is worth the price of the disc. Great music...

Give It Up For The Band.......2005-12-29

This is indeed an incredible and magical piece of work; in no small measure due to the 'Strings" from the title. Unfortunately and uncharacteristically, Verve Records has seen fit to not give credit where it is also due beyond the talents of Mr. Brown, Mr. Roach, Mr. Hefti, etc.

Despite a new set of liner notes that include interview quotes and rememberances including the following quote from Mr. Hefti "They were the top studio string players in New York...", the Strings remain "unknown". So...to set the record straight about one "unknown String", please know all you jazz fans that the late Mac Ceppos, an accomplished violinist,jazz violin innovator, band leader, arranger and accompianist for the likes of Patty Page and Perry Como, and my Grandfather, played on this recording. It was one of his proudest pieces of work, one that he shared with me as a child and young adult. He knew the magnitude of the record. It is a shame that he and the other proud, passionate musical artists in this and other records of this era are relagated to anonymity.

By the way, if you're wondering which one he is, look at the photos from the back of the original album cover. The bottom left photo of Hefti conducting the Strings...the man in the black suit left of Hefti's head...that's my Grandpa. He was a fine man and a marvelous musician. Enjoy.

Clifford Brown - Mr Melodic.......2005-08-18

Clifford Brown had it all; tone, technique, imagination, deep melodicism, marrying this with Neil Hefti's wonderful arrangements makes for one hell of an recording - "Stardust" is sublime!

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And last but far from least--
Beautiful Bebop by Brownie and Company!

Brown and Roach, Inc.
Clifford Brown , and Max Roach Quintet
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Study in Brown
Clifford Brown & Max Roach
At Basin Street
A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1
More Study in Brown

ASIN: B0000046NE
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Sweet Clifford
I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
Stompin' At The Savoy
I'll String Along With You
Mildama
Darn That Dream
I Get A Kick Out Of You

Customer Reviews:

And last but far from least--.......2007-05-22

Clifford Brown is the most non-controversial musician I can think of--probably the only musician, in fact, about whom I've never heard as much as a contrary word. The evidence is there for all to hear on recordings such as this one. But that evidence should also conclusively show that, though Rollins was certainly a powerful performer, there was none better than Harold Land 1954-1964, who is not only with Clifford on most but the best of the recordings with Max Roach. He's no less impressive (actually more stunning) on the sublime sessions he would record with Curtis Counce as well as dates, such as "The Fox," under his own leadership. I've never experienced a soloist who could at the end of an ensemble chorus come flying out of the chute with such purposeful and propulsive eloquence, creating while suspended in mid-air and setting up the re-entrance of the rhythm section, all but erasing the distinction between ensemble head and solo improvisation.

Land was not a big guy, and were he playing on-stage next to Rollins, he'd no doubt be physically dwarfed and sonically "blown away." He had a smallish, hard-edged sound with absolutely no frills or vibrato, but his melodic lines are in a league of their own. As they always say about Sinatra, listen to his phrasing--not only do his lines live and breathe, whether in the ensemble mix or playing solo, but the man simply does not waste a note. He sees the whole playing field and, like an elegant sailboat, opportunistically charts his course to consummate completion.

After 1970 Land would make some interesting sides with Hutcherson, but for the most part the scene was no longer hospitable to his kind of immaculate, logical but no-less soulful playing. He would find himself in unflattering contexts, and his tone seemed to lose vibrancy along with the breath support necessary to keep his pitches dead-center. Nevertheless, for those ten years Land, along with Hank Mobley, is the tenor player whose recordings I never grow tired of listening to (no offense to Coltrane, Dexter, Rollins, etc., but I'm more likely to reserve those guys for special occasions).

Beautiful Bebop by Brownie and Company!.......2000-05-18

Brown is--justifiably--a jazz icon, and this CD showcases his celebrated rapid-fire riffs and remarkably rounded and mellow tone.

The rapid bebop of "Sweet Clifford" and the closer," I Get A Kick Out of You," may have you shaking your head in awe, with fast but fully articulated soloing by Brown, and simply amazing bop sax by the (underrated?) Harold Land. The notes and lines are just right! Max Roach's astonishing drumming adds to the intensity and wonder of the experience.

Brown's long, almost haunting trumpet on "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" is one of the most beautiful and evocative trumpet solos I've ever heard. His voicing of the lyrics and tender/plaintive sound are superb.

Richie Powell is the force behind "I'll String Along With You," and recalls the tone of Tatum, the sentiment of Hoagie, and the chord emphasis of Nat Cole.

"Stompin' at the Savoy" grooves mellow, with light comping by Powell and bassist George Morrow, and warm burnished solos by Brown and Land. Max Roach slowly builds his solo teasingly, culminating in a bop tour de force.

Tracks:

What Is This Thing Called Love
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
I'll Remember April
Step Lightly (Junior's Arrival)
Powell's Prances
Time 5:06
The Scene Is Clean
Gertrude's Bounce
Flossie Lou
What Is This Thing Called Love
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
I'll Remember April
Flossie Lou

Amazon.com

The Clifford Brown-Max Roach quintet was already one of the best in modern jazz, but when they added Sonny Rollins to the fray in late 1955, it became a lineup for the ages. Basin Street, recorded in early 1956, marks the studio debut of Rollins with the band, and the result is a supercharged highlight of the postbop era. The three furiously paced standards that kick off the set feature superb blowing and crafty arrangements that offer spontaneous intros and rhythmic shifts. Of special note are the contributions of pianist Richie Powell, Bud's younger brother, who not only adds three excellent compositions (the intricate "Powell's Prances," the poignant "Time," and the irresistibly catchy "Gertrude's Bounce"), but also proves himself to be a standout soloist and accompanist. Of course, Brown's bright tone and remarkably fluid ideas are in full bloom as well. Sadly, the quintet would record only once more (Plus 4, issued under Rollins's name) before the June 1956 accident that claimed the lives of Brown and Powell. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

End of the line........2007-05-30

It's been quite a while since I've listened to this album, but the ensemble choruses and solos still ring in my ears--"Love Is a Splendored Thing" (hardly a jazz vehicle but it works), "I Remember April" (perhaps rivaled only by Erroll Garner's on "Concert by the Sea"), "Gertrude's Bounce" (one of their most inspired bebop tunes--part jingle bells, part operatic melodic expansiveness). Everybody's favorite trumpet player demonstrates why he deserves to be, and Rollins brings a new kind of power, energy, and playfulness to the group.

No doubt Sonny provided much more firepower for the group's live performances and loosened up things in the recording studio with his sportive, motivic playing. But Harold Land's precision playing and unfailing melodic logic made for a tighter ensemble sound and more consistent solos--which is the reason I'd give the edge to "Study in Brown." On the other hand, "More Study in Brown" includes another take of "I Remember April" from this same session with Rollins," a version that strikes me as superior to the master take heard here.

Not only was this the end of the string for Clifford, but it's probably the last recording by Max Roach to have a major impact or enduring significance.

Fantastic.......2006-12-11

it's one thing to have a Musician on his way to becoming a All Time Great&it's another to team Up a Great Talent with a Fellow Great Talent&have there Souls Blend as one&leave such a strong mark&endless possiblitys of what could have been. nowadays artists Colab all the time with mixed results. but back in the day you put the best with the best and you got results such as this. the arrangements are top notch as well. Clifford Brown was the truth on Trumpet. he died so young but left a lasting impression. He was that Cat that Miles&Dizzy had to keep a extra pair of eyes&ears on. Max Roach has incredible timing on the Drums. His Rhythm&Timing are top notch. He has Groove in there&has nice solos on here. on Flossie Lou" at the 3:15 Mark Roach has some nice rolls going on. Sonny Rollins plays on here on the Sax. he has always had his own sound on the Sax. Richie Powell left his mark on the Piano Here. George Morrow on the Bass. i enjoy the Cole Porter Cover of "what is this thing called Love? &also Love is a many splended thing. this is the kind of album that pairs together Musicians that truly compliment one another really well. sadly we didn't get more,but this is some Great talent that is timeless.

Slightly overrated..........2005-06-15

I have to say something that may be important to some people: ¨At basin street¨ is not a live recording, is just another studio recording. Now, about the music... this time Brown offers us gems like ¨Love Is a Many Splendored Thing¨ and ¨Powell's Prances¨ (I really like these tracks) but I can't understand why he included boring and uninspired song like ¨Time¨. I recommend you to start with Brown's materpiece: ¨Study in Brown¨

Great, but not a live concert.......2003-03-23

I agree this is a great cd. But don't let the title fool you, this is not a live (concert) recording. But that makes it even beter-no crowd noise to spoil it!

History was made with this recording........2002-10-25

This CD was recorded at a live concert. Clifford Brown, the young jazz trumpet sensation of his time, and soloist in this album, exceeds in his wonderfully melodic improvisations. This is definitely a great recording for anyone looking for some great music!

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At the Cotton Club 1956
Clifford Brown
Manufacturer: Lonehill Jazz Spain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000PFU7VM
Release Date: 2007-05-14

Tracks:

Introduction By Clifford Brown
Take The "A" Train
Darn That Dream/Intermission Announcement By Clifford Brown
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Jordu
Valse Hot (Incomplete)
Introduction By Max Roach Into Get Happy
Untitled Blues
Delilah
Lover
Lover Man
Daahoud
WhatS New
ILl Remember April
Daahoud (Bonus Track)
Round Midnight (Bonus Track)
Blues Walk (Bonus Track)

Album Details

All Tracks Previously Unissued on Any Format! Includes the Only Known Version of "Round Midnight" by Brown.

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Thank you Amazon Reviewers!
"It was this record that made Helen Merrill into a star."
An obscure classic
Absolutely Beautiful
First-class

Helen Merrill with Clifford Brown
Helen Merrill with Clifford Brown
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000046ND
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Don't Explain
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
What's New
Falling In Love With Love
Yesterdays
Born To Be Blue
'S Wonderful

Amazon.com

Merrill's first album also starred trumpeter Clifford Brown on these sessions made 18 months before his June 1956 death. The 24-year-old singer's breathy, extremely musical style is already fully formed here; in fact, at least one of these cuts, "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," stands as a signature take for her. This disc is a great way to discover the too-often overlooked Merrill. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Thank you Amazon Reviewers! .......2007-04-14

At the time I am writing this review there have been eight reviews and each one of them gives this perfect recording a five-star rating. Well, who am I to argue with perfection. After all, it was because of the great five-star reviews on Amazon that I decided to place my order for this CD. Amazon shipped it for free, and five days later it arrived in the mail in perfect condition.

The first time I played this CD I loved it. The second time I loved it even more. I think I have listened to this particular CD at least two dozen times... over and over again...and it still isn't getting old. Again, thank you to Amazon for recommending this to me and then for all of the insightful reviewers who encouraged me to make the purchase even though as much of a fan I am of Clifford Brown, I knew very little about Helen Merrill. Brownie is amazing as always as is the entire group - Danny Bank (sax, clarinet, flute), Jimmy Jones (piano), Barry Galbraith (guitar), Milt Hilton (bass), Osie Johnson (drums), and the legendary Quincy Jones as the conductor and arranger. However, this is really Helen Merrill's golden moment under the sun. The way she can go from softly vocalizing a sad song like Billie Holiday's "Dont Explain" and making you feel (along with Brownie's melancholy trumpet) like your heart is about to break to lilting in a fast tempo with swingin rythm to the very upbeat "s' Wonderful". Every song on this album is great. Also the sound quality of this digitally remastered CD (from Japan)is absolutely perfect.

"It was this record that made Helen Merrill into a star.".......2006-04-03

Originally recorded in December, 1954, when Helen Merrill was only twenty-five, this recording, now digitally remastered and re-released, was her professional breakthrough. With Clifford Brown on trumpet, arrangements by Quincy Jones, who was himself only twenty-one, and fantastic back-up (Jimmy Jones on piano is especially notable), Helen Merrill was free to unloose her jazz interpretations and her explore her dramatic talent with lyrics. With a lush voice which still retains the sweetness of youth, she offers new variations on familiar melodic lines, provides sensitive interpretations of sad songs, and happily jives to the upbeat.

Billy Holiday's "Don't Explain," one of the saddest songs ever written, is brilliantly interpreted by Merrill, as she reflects the innocence of the betrayed lover who still loves and needs the betrayer and therefore chooses to accept betrayal. When Merrill sings, "You're my joy--and pain," no listener can fail to be moved. Clifford Brown's solo, though more assertive in mood than Merrill, adds to the drama. Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," more upbeat, is classic Merrill, the beautiful lyrics gaining the full romantic treatment, sometimes whispery, with Jimmy Jones's piano in the background and brushwork by drummer Osie Johnson before Brown enters for his solo.

"What's New" by Johnny Mercer receives a slower treatment than usual, Merrill singing in a pensive mood as she reminisces about the past and provides jazz variations to the melodic line. Brown's stellar solo is jazzier, more upbeat and full of improvisation. "Falling in Love With Love," another of Merrill's famous songs, also features a jazz cello by Oscar Pettiford, while the mournful "Yesterdays" is full of vocal variations and jazz improvisation by Brown. "'S Wonderful," the fastest paced, most upbeat song on the CD also features fascinating instrumentation, with lots of fast brushwork, a guitar solo, and Brown's trumpet exploring the full range of the instrument.

Youthful, with an innocent, honest sound, Merrill is no newcomer, having sung professionally since she was fifteen, but here she is at her early best-still having the freshness of youth while having achieved the skills to control her voice and set the pace and mood for the instrumentation in this fantastic album, which features Brown just eighteen months before his death. Those who are fans of Merrill may also enjoy hearing "Just Friends," an amazing CD she made with Stan Getz in 1990, when she was, unbelievably, sixty. n Mary Whipple

An obscure classic.......2006-02-24

Every once in a while, a jazz album has the right tunes, the right arrangments, the right players and the right mood to become a classic. This one is a classic all around, which unfortunately is not in the best sellers where it belongs. Everything is right in its place in this record. If you havent heard of this record before, dont worry, this is classic jazz at its best. Beware: you might fall in love in Helen after listening to that voice.

Clifford Brown just steals the show. Every solo is a masterpiece, this could be the most impressive record in Brownie's career. Of the top 3 at least. After listening to this record, I come to the conclusion that the only trumpeter in the same category as Clifford is Louis Armstrong himself. Amazing, must buy!

Absolutely Beautiful.......2004-09-10

I just can't stop buying this album...two for friends, one for my father, one for my ex, one for my favorite bartender, one for my car, one for my office....My God, has "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" ever been as inviting sung by any other vocalist? And how many of you night-club loving jazz afficionados claimed "Don't Explain" as a personal theme song? Born to Be Blue is spooky, a chills up the spine tingler that leaves you craving Helen Merrill's vocals, and I've played this CD hundreds of times without losing interest...this one fits right into your collection, no matter what else you listen to. Order a few, you'll be wanting to share.

First-class.......2003-04-16

This is a pretty astonishing debut for the young Merrill, and though she has recorded many fine albums (including her exceptional recent run for Verve/Gitanes) none quite touches this one. The arrangements are by Quincy Jones--hardly the calibre of Gil Evans, whom she brought in for her next album, but attractive nonetheless. Most importantly, Jones chose a light & spacious instrumentation that placed most of the emphasis on Clifford Brown's trumpet (who is the sole horn except for some discreet baritone & flute from Danny Banks), & he also was willing to grant Merrill the kind of achingly slow ballad tempos that can turn turgid & dull in the wrong hands but which are actually Merrill's forte. Only one track here--the last, "S'Wonderful"--is uptempo, & the rest ranges from medium ("You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to") to slow ("Born to Be Blue") to _really_ slow ("Yesterdays", "Don't Explain").

That sounds like a recipe for tedium (it would be with most singers), & yet the results are fascinating throughout, & sometimes have real raised-goosebumps power. Merrill's distinctive, almost vibratoless style--very breathy, somehow both guileless but smart, & without any distancing displays of virtuosity--is complemented by Clifford Brown's gentle but very precise (almost calligraphic) improvisations. These are some of the best of Brown's solos on record--the kind of thing that makes any aspiriing musician run to their instrument to start trying to lift it. Perhaps surprisingly, Brown's solo work here has the definite edge over his other notable recording with a vocalist, Sarah Vaughan.

Fans of this disc will want to search out Merrill's now out of print disc _Brownie_, in which she revisited much of the material from this disc, with an all-star trumpet ensemble playing arrangements of Brown's solos from this disc. It's a very affecting tribute, & is by no means a mere postscript to this disc. It's a pity, though, that while the later disc includes "Born to Be Blue", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" & "Don't Explain", it doesn't include a version of "Yesterdays", which includes perhaps my favourite of Brown's features on the original recording (complete with its graceful allusions to "Parker's Mood").

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