Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Harold Land - Clifford Brown & Max Roach

Many a young musician has been sabotaged by his own considerable abilities. So caught up are they in technical execution that they give elements such as emotion and taste short shrift. Trumpeter Clifford Brown was a musical dynamo, a man who was capable of playing many instruments well and who possessed supreme natural instincts and boundless energy. Brown painstakingly practiced and perfected his technique, but when practice time gave way to playing time--there was no other time for him--Brown's command was so deeply ingrained that he was free to concentrate on those other elements: emotion and taste. This reissue of the 1954 recorded debut of the Brown-Roach quintet stands as one of the most exciting works in all of jazz, and it plays as if the ensemble knew it at the time. Brown's trumpet work is fiery, confident, and nimble, tempered slightly by Miles Davis's lyricism; his tone is bright and bold, but the icing on the cake is the joy and tenderness that surface. Drummer Max Roach was already a bop veteran when he formed this groundbreaking hard-bop band and he prances like a dancer throughout. Harold Land's grounded, relaxed, grainy tenor is the perfect yin to Brown's yang. Brown emerges here as the crucial link between Dizzy Gillespie and basically all hot trumpeters to follow, even though he was not yet 24 when he made these recordings. Among the four extra cuts on this remastered reissue are alternate versions of "Daahoud" and "Joy Spring," two Brown compositions that have become hard-bop cornerstones. --Marc Greilsamer Amazon.com

Outstanding

A collaboration among two of the giants of jazz. Few songs are abrupt, overly challenging bop. Most a more smoothly pleasing. Excellent selection of songs that are good for almost any occasion. November 1, 2007

Bebop At It's Finest!!!

I'm not going to talk to much about this album other than, if you're a jazz fan, then you need this album. If you ever want to know where Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan got their inspiration, then look no further than this album. That's all I've got to say about this album!

Highly recommended for the jazz fan. October 11, 2007

Nothing to add....

The best of the best is on this cd. A true classis in this genre of jazz......Listen and see how it is supposed to be done!!! September 29, 2007

awesome drum solos in a great cd

IF YOU ARE A DRUMMER, THIS CD REVEALS THE EARLY MASTERY OF THE DRUMKIT BY MAX ROACH. THE SOLOS ARE INVENTIVE AN MELODIC, NO SOUNDS OF FALLING DOWN THE STAIRS HERE AT ALL. September 24, 2007

Beyond beautiful..

One of the most gorgeous things i have ever heard. Like opening a bougette of spring time. A solid bop sound that swings.

No real jazz fan should be without this album or almost all brown-roach albums. This is truly a combo not just 5 talented individuals and they all fit together so well and nobody plays or played trumpet better than brownie.

The definition of lyrical bop.. January 31, 2007

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