Legendary jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown, noted for his lyricism, clarity of sound, and grace of technique in introducing the “hard-bop” genre, was born on this date in 1930. The Wilmington, Delaware, native attended Delaware State College and Maryland State College. He played in Philadelphia before joining, first, Tadd Damerons band in Atlantic City, then Lionel Hamptons big band for a European tour, both in 1953. He then played with leading West Coast musicians and the Art Blakey quintet. In 1954, he and drummer Max Roach formed the Brown-Roach quintet, which quickly became one of the outstanding postwar jazz units. When Brown began recording frequently, his style was fully mature. Influenced by Fats Navarro, he developed an innate sense of solo form, a rich tone, and a virtuoso technique in all trumpet ranges. His style included brilliant high notes, high rhythmic detail, and a generous incorporation of grace notes and varied inflections, all of which he played with rare grace and ease. He was especially noted for the melodic qualities of his improvising, which often flowed in long phrases. Brown was the most influential trumpeter of his generation; the lyrical aspects of his music influenced many trumpeters, including Lee Morgan and Booker Little, and his technical brilliance especially influenced trumpeters such as Donald Byrd and Freddie Hubbard. Tragically, on June 26, 1956, Brown, along with his wife, Nancy, and jazz pianist Richie Powell died in a car accident, leaving behind just four years’ worth of recordings. Nonetheless, he had considerable influence on later jazz trumpet players. Below is his classic, “Joy Spring.”
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:28:30 +0000
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