I asked folks on Twitter and Facebook for their favorite performances by trumpeter Clifford Brown. Here’s what they said:
Alison Wedding, Justin Smith and Nicholas Urie said “Delilah.” Nicholas said, “They cultivated such an incredibly clear atmosphere in Delilah. The arrangement is also incredible — it is just great! This was one of the first jazz records I bought in junior high. I picked up the Brown/Roach record on a recommendation and Ornette’s Double Quartet record because I liked the cover. I listened to them both on repeat for the better part of a year.”
Chris Forbes, Dalten Ridenhour and Luis Bonilla all said “Joy Spring.” Luis is particularly fond of Harold Land’s performance and Dalton said it has “the best intro in jazz.”
Richard Kamins said “Daahoud.”
Taylor Haskins said both “the whole album with Helen Merrill,” “Once In While” from A Night At Birdland With Art Blakey, and the bootleg of Brown practicing “Cherokee.”
Rich Nichols said “Kiss and Run” from Sonny Rollins + 4.
Noah Baerman chose “Pent-Up House” from Sonny Rollins + 4, about which he said: “On the 2nd chorus of his solo he plays a line that is impossibly long (I make students listening to it hold their breath for the length of the phrase to drive that point home), and yet still lyrical and totally swinging.”
Ralph Alessi named “Donna Lee” from the album The Beginning & The End. Jeremy Danneman cited this whole album, calling it “a great Clifford Brown album, which documents his little known roots in Delaware River Delta music.” From Andre Canniere: “For me it’s gotta be ‘Walkin’ from the Beginning and the End! Such energy and it was the first thing I ever heard from Clifford.”
Mark Stryker said “‘Night in Tunisia’ from The Beginning & The End includes maybe the greatest 8 bars Brownie ever played: 2nd bridge, 2:24. The entire Night in Tunisia solo is perfect. Melodic flow is off-the-chart, rhythmic/melodic rhyme, phrase endings, fire & grace.”
