Clifford Brown – Memorial Album LP (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)

Clifford Brown - Memorial Album LP (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)

The incomparable trumpeter Clifford Brown’s star was just starting to ascend when he recorded two sessions as a leader for Blue Note in 1953 — a co-led quintet date with alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson and a sextet date under his own name — that were later compiled on the 12" LP Memorial Album (BLP 1526) shortly after his tragic death in a car accident in 1956. Side 1 presents the sextet with alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce, tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist John Lewis, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Art Blakey on a blistering version of “Cherokee,” the stunning ballad performance of “Easy Living,” the Quincy Jones bebop theme “Wail Bait,” and more. Side 2 finds the Donaldson-Brown Quintet with Heath on bass, Elmo Hope on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums cooking through a set including Brown’s briskly paced original “Brownie Speaks,” Hope’s grooving “De-Dah,” and the resplendent ballad “You Go To My Head.”

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Tracklist:
A1: Hymn Of The Orient
A2: Easy Livin
A3: Minor Mood
A4: Cherokee
A5: Wail Bait

B1: Brownie Speaks
B2: De-Dah
B3: Cookin’
B4: You Go To My Head
B5: Carvin’ The Rock

Label: Blue Note Records
Released: 1953/2023