Perhaps the greatest trumpeter to ever live - Click Here
"Clifford was born Oct. 30, 1930, in Wilmington, Del., he received his first trumpet from his father upon entering senior high school in 1945, and joined the school band shortly afterward. It was not until a year or so later that the mysterious world of jazz chord changes and improvisation began to shed its veil for Brownie. A talented musician and jazz enthusiast named Robert Lowery was credited by Brownie for the unveiling.
"The teen-aged trumpeter began playing gigs in Philadelphia after in graduating in 1948. That same year, he entered Delaware State College on a music scholarship, but there was one slight snag; the college happened to be momentarily short of a music department.
"Brownie remained there a year anyway, majoring in mathematics, and taking up a little spare time by playing some Philadelphia dates with such preeminent bop figures as Kenny Dorham, Max Roach, J. J. Johnson and Fats Navarro. He acquired considerable inspiration and encouragement from Navarro., who was greatly impressed by the youngster's potential.
"After the year at Delaware State, Brownie had a chance to enter a college that did boast a good music program, namely Maryland State. They also had a good 16-piece band, and he learned a lot about both playing and arranging. One evil evening in June 1950, when, on his way home from a gig, he was involved in the first of three automobile accidents, the last of which was to prove fatal.
"For a whole year in 1950-51, Clifford Brown had plenty of opportunity for contemplation, but precious little for improving his lip. It took just about a year, plus some verbal encouragement from Dizzy Gillespie, to set him back on the path from which he had been so rudely sideswiped.
"He had his own group in Philly for a while, then joined the Chris Powell combo, with which he was working at Cafe Society when the [6/9/53] date with Lou Donaldson was cut. There followed a stint with Tadd Dameron in Atlantic City, after which he joined Lionel Hampton, touring Europe with him until the fall of 1953. In 1954 Brownie won the Down Beat critics' poll as the new star of the year. Moving out to California, he formed an alliance with Max Roach that was to last until death broke up the team."
Liner notes, Memorial Album (Blue Note BST 81526)
Clifford Brown was killed in an automobile accident on June 26, 1956.
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Clifford Brown provided a new model for trumpeters - Click Here
