Thanks for the lovely and thoughtful piece about Clifford Brown. Yes, so interesting to think what might have been, inclulding, say, a Clifford Brown-Sonny Rollins reunion along the way ...
Since you asked about favorites: Like Sean Jones, I'll take "Sonny Rollins Plus 4" as Brown's best recording in the studio. However, in a one-artist, one-solo challenge for Brownie, I'd take the epic ride on "A Night in Tunisia" from the famous jam session tapes from Music City in Philly that for a long time were thought to have been made the night he died but, per Catalano's Brown bio, we know took place on May 31, 1955. Everything great about Clifford Brown is in that solo -- the second bridge at 2:24! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_SxclrGZ2w I also love his solo on "Brown Skins" with a big band in 1953 -- the song is a Quincy Jones original based on "Cherokee." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLuXIwcAYGs
About a year ago, I became enamored with Clifford's solo on "Bellarosa" from 1953 -- so much so that I did a little transcribing and wrote it up:
--
"Was there ever a more perfect trumpet player than Clifford Brown? Listen to the golden lusciousness of his sound here, the clear-as-a-bell articulation, the graceful countenance of his swing, and the sheer melodic beauty of his improvisation. Details: The 6-½ bar snake he plays starting in bar 2 of the second A section is stunning – the witty bob-and-weave of the phrase, the rhythmic pirouettes, the surprising upward leap of a 4th to a high C going into bar 4. Then comes a truly startling jump of a major 6th to the high E-flat (the flat 9 of the D7 chord) in the midst of a clever turnback that gets back home by sliding down an arpeggiated augmented chord.
Perfection.
From Levy's Sonny Rollins bio, I learned that “Bellarosa” was written by Elmo Hope and Sonny Rollins when they were incarcerated at Rikers Island at the same time in 1952. The 1953 recording for Blue Note is still early for Brownie, and I'm struck by how the first 8 bars of the solo sound like his idol, Fats Navarro, especially the double-time. But the second 8 bars are totally mature Brownie, and those upward leaps into the balcony of the trumpet, especially the major 6th to the E-flat above the staff, foreshadow Booker Little. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1R6a3Yg7BM&list=RDv1R6a3Yg7BM&start_radio=1
--
Coda: The footage of Brown on the Soupy Sales show actually dates to 1956. I interviewed Soupy about the discovery of the tape for the Detroit Free Press in 1996, not long after Soupy found it in his garage. I later fleshed out that piece for a chapter about Soupy for "Jazz from Detroit" but, alas, was forced to cut it at the last minute for space. As a heroic champion of jazz on his late-night show in Detroit in the '50s, Soupy was an important part of the ecosystem here.
Many thanks, Mark — especially for the beautiful description of the Bellarosa solo. Yes! One thing I've been thinking about is the graceful contour of Clifford's solos, and all the subtle unexpected ways he had of tracing arpeggios. He's flying along, and you expect one resolution, but he darts into an alternate path before landing the phrase. Sean alluded to the depth of his preparatory work as an soloist, how meticulous he was. I don't think that takes anything away from his genius, even if he wasn't the "pure" improviser that Rollins turned out to be. He was just so incredibly quick, and his reserves of intellect so formidable, that the effect was the same. I really do wonder what he could have done in response to the new possibilities presented by the post-bop '60s. At the very least, I think he would have dined out on the Blue Note boogaloo craze — maybe even back in the saddle with Sweet Poppa Lou.
No surprise, Nate, your article on Clifford Brown is well-researched, thoughtful, and an excellent reminder of not only what the trumpeter brought to jazz but also how the musical form changed after his unfortunate passing.
Enjoy the event at MacDowell for Anthony Braxton. When he taught at Wesleyan, I used to see him around Middletown and, especially at concerts he created at the school's Center for the Arts. He was always friendly and would take time to talk. The honor is well-deserved.
Thank you, Richard. Really appreciate the attentive read. And I love that you have those stories of Braxton in the campus element. I may even refer to that in the talk tomorrow…
I enjoyed the WRTI piece, thanks! As it happens I've been thinking about Lem Winchester lately, who was also from Wilmington (probably why he recorded that tribute -- I haven't heard it). Winchester's death was also too soon -- and senseless. (For those who don't know: his day job was policeman, and he was showing how to freak people out by putting a revolver with one empty chamber to your head -- but he left the wrong chamber empty.) The death has nothing to do with Brown's but I can't separate them in my mind.
Thanks for the lovely and thoughtful piece about Clifford Brown. Yes, so interesting to think what might have been, inclulding, say, a Clifford Brown-Sonny Rollins reunion along the way ...
Since you asked about favorites: Like Sean Jones, I'll take "Sonny Rollins Plus 4" as Brown's best recording in the studio. However, in a one-artist, one-solo challenge for Brownie, I'd take the epic ride on "A Night in Tunisia" from the famous jam session tapes from Music City in Philly that for a long time were thought to have been made the night he died but, per Catalano's Brown bio, we know took place on May 31, 1955. Everything great about Clifford Brown is in that solo -- the second bridge at 2:24! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_SxclrGZ2w I also love his solo on "Brown Skins" with a big band in 1953 -- the song is a Quincy Jones original based on "Cherokee." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLuXIwcAYGs
About a year ago, I became enamored with Clifford's solo on "Bellarosa" from 1953 -- so much so that I did a little transcribing and wrote it up:
--
"Was there ever a more perfect trumpet player than Clifford Brown? Listen to the golden lusciousness of his sound here, the clear-as-a-bell articulation, the graceful countenance of his swing, and the sheer melodic beauty of his improvisation. Details: The 6-½ bar snake he plays starting in bar 2 of the second A section is stunning – the witty bob-and-weave of the phrase, the rhythmic pirouettes, the surprising upward leap of a 4th to a high C going into bar 4. Then comes a truly startling jump of a major 6th to the high E-flat (the flat 9 of the D7 chord) in the midst of a clever turnback that gets back home by sliding down an arpeggiated augmented chord.
Perfection.
From Levy's Sonny Rollins bio, I learned that “Bellarosa” was written by Elmo Hope and Sonny Rollins when they were incarcerated at Rikers Island at the same time in 1952. The 1953 recording for Blue Note is still early for Brownie, and I'm struck by how the first 8 bars of the solo sound like his idol, Fats Navarro, especially the double-time. But the second 8 bars are totally mature Brownie, and those upward leaps into the balcony of the trumpet, especially the major 6th to the E-flat above the staff, foreshadow Booker Little. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1R6a3Yg7BM&list=RDv1R6a3Yg7BM&start_radio=1
--
Coda: The footage of Brown on the Soupy Sales show actually dates to 1956. I interviewed Soupy about the discovery of the tape for the Detroit Free Press in 1996, not long after Soupy found it in his garage. I later fleshed out that piece for a chapter about Soupy for "Jazz from Detroit" but, alas, was forced to cut it at the last minute for space. As a heroic champion of jazz on his late-night show in Detroit in the '50s, Soupy was an important part of the ecosystem here.
Carry on.
Many thanks, Mark — especially for the beautiful description of the Bellarosa solo. Yes! One thing I've been thinking about is the graceful contour of Clifford's solos, and all the subtle unexpected ways he had of tracing arpeggios. He's flying along, and you expect one resolution, but he darts into an alternate path before landing the phrase. Sean alluded to the depth of his preparatory work as an soloist, how meticulous he was. I don't think that takes anything away from his genius, even if he wasn't the "pure" improviser that Rollins turned out to be. He was just so incredibly quick, and his reserves of intellect so formidable, that the effect was the same. I really do wonder what he could have done in response to the new possibilities presented by the post-bop '60s. At the very least, I think he would have dined out on the Blue Note boogaloo craze — maybe even back in the saddle with Sweet Poppa Lou.
No surprise, Nate, your article on Clifford Brown is well-researched, thoughtful, and an excellent reminder of not only what the trumpeter brought to jazz but also how the musical form changed after his unfortunate passing.
Enjoy the event at MacDowell for Anthony Braxton. When he taught at Wesleyan, I used to see him around Middletown and, especially at concerts he created at the school's Center for the Arts. He was always friendly and would take time to talk. The honor is well-deserved.
Thank you, Richard. Really appreciate the attentive read. And I love that you have those stories of Braxton in the campus element. I may even refer to that in the talk tomorrow…
Beautiful Nate!
I enjoyed the WRTI piece, thanks! As it happens I've been thinking about Lem Winchester lately, who was also from Wilmington (probably why he recorded that tribute -- I haven't heard it). Winchester's death was also too soon -- and senseless. (For those who don't know: his day job was policeman, and he was showing how to freak people out by putting a revolver with one empty chamber to your head -- but he left the wrong chamber empty.) The death has nothing to do with Brown's but I can't separate them in my mind.
Sorry to nitpick, but can you really be 200 miles east of Philadelphia? Assuming this should be west, and thus on the way to Chicago?
not a nitpick if you’re politely pointing out a glaring error! gonna fix that now, thanks