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It's been just over fifty years since Bud Powell's younger brother, Richie Powell, lost control of his car, driving into a ditch, killing not only himself but the legendary trumpet master Clifford Brown at age 25. The lost to jazz was incalculable, and that being a gross understatement. For me, Clifford Brown was the most perfect jazz trumpeter of all time...I don't say "greatest" as that statement has no meaning, with everyone having their own purely subjective feelings as to what constitutes "greatness." Make no mistake, however, that Clifford, or Brownie as he was widely known, in virtually everyone's opinion was "great." Like Mozart, Clifford Brown has no serious detractors. That is not just my opinion.

From early 1953 when Brownie first burst on the East Coast jazz scene playing with Tadd Dameron most musicians, critics and fans knew that here was a new player destined for greatness. A well documented stint with Lionel Hampton's big band followed. Clifford, who had studied at the Maryland University School of Music was not only well-schooled but was, what trumpet players refer to as a "master of his instrument." Dizzy Gillespie was once asked if there was ever anything he wanted to do on his horn but had been unable to do. Diz supposedly took a beat and answered, "No!" No question that Clifford would have answered the same...or perhaps not as he was modest to a fault. This genius (not too strong word) was, by most accounts, an extremely shy man who let his horn do his talking. And talk he did. He was only active in recording for a little over three years (making his debut on an R & B single) and yet left us a legacy so outstanding that young players even today point to him as a major influence. Think of that for a second. A man dead for over half a century who recorded in the days before digital, let alone stereo yet is still listened to extensively all this time later. His recordings are maintained as catalog items by the record companies, that is, always in stock and never out of print. Other greats, rememabered only by we more zealous fans, such as Fats Navarro lack the fan base of Clifford. James Dean in film remains unbelievably popular on the strength of only three films, Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly are legends of rock with sadly thin lists of recordings. This is the stuff of legends...dying young may be the ultimate career move for many artists but in Clifford's case I don't think it would have mattered. Had Brownie lived it's a certain bet that his fame could only have spread and grown.

Clifford Brown had, in my opinion, a perfect tone...full in both upper and lower registers with always the exact amount of vibrato. It's purely subjective but I think many fans agree with that statement so well do his albums still sell. Not only that but he possessed phenomenal range and expression matched with a technique that only comes through years of dedicated study, practice and experience. Trumpeters know that one of the most difficult practices in soloing is the ability to maintain pitch and tone when dropping from the high notes to the lower register...Brown always made it seem deceptively simple. Clifford was influenced by Dizzy and early Miles, no doubt, but it's apparent to me that he knew his Harry James as well. He could unleash breath-taking flurries of notes as quickly as anyone ever with long lip-challenging phrases (and this in the years prior to modal improvisation, thank you Miles.) and yet...and this is a big yet...his phrases, or improvisations, always went somewhere. No dead-ends in Clifford Brown solos as every run was resolved and, it seemed, always in the most perfect, tasteful and musical manner. We've all heard blasts of seemingly thousands of notes but then the soloist seems to run out of ideas and more or less just fades out at chorus end. Not Brownie! I"ve studied virtually all of his recorded legacy and have yet to find an ackward solo...every one a classic example of jazz trumpet at it's finest. Whether you're listening to one of his break-neck speed takes on "Cherokee" or the like on a gorgeous rendering of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" the feeling of satisfaction reaches the listener.

Not surprisingly, Brownie was a master at chess and this makes perfect sense for this brilliant trumpeter. Chess is a game of thought...of planning your next move well in advance...not unlike a perfectly structured trumpet solo...hear any version of his own composition, "Joy Spring." Clifford was a non-drinking, no drugs guy at a time and in a profession where alcohol and drug abuse were all to common. He was a serious student of music even though he was already recognized by the public as a giant and by his peers as one of the masters of his art. Stories of his endless practice sessions are famous. (A bearded, beret wearing jazz musician is asked by a man in the street, "Hey, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?" The cat answers, "Practice, man, practice!")

Despite his short life we're left with a wonderful collection of recorded genius by Brownie. I hope Tom, and the rest of the group, will make a point of spending many hours with the oeuvre of Clifford Brown as it will be time well spent no matter what particular genre of jazz, or music in general, you prefer.

May I suggest a few starting places?

In my teens I purchased an old EmArcy "sampler" album at my local record shop. The first track on side one was "Cherokee" and I played it over and over and this naturally led to a drop off in my purchases of Harry James and a new interest in Clifford. "Cherokee" was a signature selection for Clifford due to the challenging chord changes, melody, etc. Ray Noble's compostion, as most members of this group already know, became almost a theme for modern, post bop players. In his wonderful oral autobiography Art Pepper explains that whenever a group of professionals were jamming after hours and a young "wannabe" came in to jam they always called up "Cherokee" because unless you were a master this tune would soon seperate the men from the boys...girls not being much in evidence, in jazz playing, at that time. For musicians, you know the chord changes are not for the faint of heart nor is the fast, faster, fastest tempos at which the song is usually played. One of Clifford's best versions can by found on the original EmArcy "A Study In Brown." Sui generis for Brown fans or students. Cuban trumpet wizard Arturo Sandoval has recorded tributes to Brownie and his "Cherokees" are beyond believability...Arturo is the heir to Clifford and the rest. (For a mind blowing experience hear Arturo's "Evolution Of the Jazz Trumpet" (2003) wherein he offers seventeen, or so, note for note remakes of trumpet classics from Louis' "Sleepytime Down South" to Freddie Hubbard's "Up Jumped Spring." (He even does an exact remake of "Maynard Ferguson" the Shorty Rogers chart for Stan Kenton to showcase Maynard's upper register work...Arturo is da bomb!).

Many jazz musicians of the modern school wanted to record with strings following the lead of Mr. Charles Parker who seemed to always be in the lead in everything. "Parker With Strings" is one of the absolute classics of modern American music and not to be missed by any serious listener and...and...this is also true of "Clifford Brown With Strings" another EmArcy effort and a beautiful one it remains. Brownie's solo on Kern's "Yesterdays" is a never to be forgotten gem (In fact on one of the CDs sold by Starbuck's Coffee...one of those featuring the favorite and most influencial recordings of certain major artist of today, I found Clifford's "Yesterdays" listed by Elvis Costello a genius of alternative rock and more.). The same may be said of "Embraceable You,""Memories Of You," and "Star Dust" among the remaining standards. Just hear this one and do yourself a favor. (I can't mention jazz artists with strings without including my favorite soloist Art Pepper's string session on Galaxy, "Winter Moon" which is also a masterful collection and an essential set of this orchestral setting.)

Fortunately, for us, Clifford went to Europe and recorded fairly prolifically there. His albums "Clifford Brown Quartet in Paris" and "The Complete Paris Sessions," Vols. three or four on LP now on two CDs rank among the very choice recordings from Brown. Also, it comes to mind, that you may run across some odd-ball LPs while searching for Clifford material...such as "Clifford Brown At the Bee Hive" a live, two LP set (from Columbia I think) released toward the end of the LP record, that carried a disclaimer on the front cover: "Warning...the sound on this record may not be up to current hi-fi standards but the historical importance must not be overlooked." Words to that effect but they were, and are, accurate. Boost the treble, turn on your filters, even burn to CD for digital clearity but this is as good musically as anything I've heard from the period. Find it on eBay perhaps.

If you don't want to create an investment portfolio of Clifford Brown recordings one final suggestion of material that gives one a pretty complete picture of this master of music. "The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings Of Clifford Brown" a three CD collection (or maybe four...I haven't played it in a couple of months) with an excellent booklet and complete discographical info. Tom and all group members...or lurkers...buy this one as you'll never regret it. Much of the package was recorded live at The Jazz Corner Of the World" Birdland with Max Roach on drums, Lou Donaldson, sax, Horace Silver, piano and I forget for the moment but an all-star cast. Charts include, "Quicksilver,'"Daahoud,""Night In Tunisia (an extended version),""Wee Dot," and "Joy Spring" on one of the discs. Just killer, knock-out, essential to any collection stuff.

Clifford Brown should be discussed a great deal more than he is today. His contributions to jazz and especially the art of jazz trumpet can not be over-stated or overrated. This man was and is a giant of world music. I mean, consider the number of brilliant musicians this art has given us and then try to think of any who have a gorgeous, tribute melody such as "I Remember Clifford" written in their memory such as Benny Golson's classic. One night recently I inadvertently found myself in the middle of an "I Remember Clifford" festival. I played the Woody Herman album "Live East and West" featuring the song with Goyko Goanovich (sp?)(can't remember his last name spelling damn-it) on breathtaking horn...one of Woody's forgetten stars (one of the best I've ever heard), then a segue to "Spanish Grease" by Willie Bobo featuring a shorter, jazz-pop version then to Jazz Lab-ers Donald Byrd and Gigi Gryce and on and on. I must have played six or eight versions of Golson's masterpiece. Clifford Brown was beyond special and the stength of his legacy over fifty years after his untimely death is acknowledgement to those special qualities. I mean, who else? Louis, Bix, Bunny, Miles, Fats Navarro, Dizzy, Roy Eldridge, Harry James, Clifford Brown and not too many others...in well over a century of jazz. If you don't know or believe in Clifford as yet read Dizzy's autobiography "To Be Or Not to Bop" or "Trumpet Blues: The Harry James Story" by Peter Levinson for confirmation as quoted by two of the greatest "young men with a horn." This is all great stuff.

Joe