Clifford “Brownie” Brown was only 25 years old when he died. The above clip, which is introduced by a very young looking Soupy Sales, was the only one of Brown that I could find.
Here is part of Wikipedia’s assessment of Brown:
He was influenced and encouraged by Fats Navarro,[6] sharing Navarro’s virtuosic technique and brilliance of invention. His sound was warm and round, and notably consistent across the full range of the instrument. He could articulate every note, even at very fast tempos which seemed to present no difficulty to him; this served to enhance the impression of his speed of execution. His sense of harmony was highly developed, enabling him to deliver bold statements through complex harmonic progressions (chord changes), and embodying the linear, “algebraic” terms of bebop harmony. In addition to his up-tempo prowess, he could express himself deeply in a ballad performance.
The Wikipedia entry says that Brown’s best known compositions were Joy Spring and Daahoud. Both of these feature Max Roach. Brown backs Sarah Vaughan on Lullaby of Birdland, with Jimmy Jones on piano and Herbie Mann on flute. Here are two Brown sites.
Recent Comments