On this day in 1954, Clifford Brown and Max Roach began recording “Clifford Brown & Max Roach”. The album was well received and includes several two tracks that have become jazz standards (“Daahoud” and “Joy Spring”).” Another track, “Delilah”, was selected by the Village Voice as the outstanding jazz track of 1954. The album is part the Grammy Hall of Fame and is #34 in “Jazz: A Critic’s Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings”. Along with Clifford and Max, George Morrow (bass), Harold Land(tenor sax) and Richie Powell (drums) also appear on this work.
“Joy Spring”, mentioned above, was written by Clifford for his wife, whom he referred to as “Joy Spring”. An interesting story about the couple: she was introduced to Clifford (by Max) while she was working on a student thesis that “jazz was inferior to her field of classical music”. Clifford and her somehow got past this and were married.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Brown did not use drugs and was somewhat abstemious with alcohol. Other jazz musicians of the time found him a great influence during their drug recovery. It seems that many were under the belief that you had to use drugs to find that artistic breakthrough.
Clifford Brown died in a fatal automobile accident in 1956. Brown and Richie Powell were being driven to Chicago late one night when Powell’s wife lost control of the car during a torrential rainstorm on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and all three lost their lives. A very tragic story and a great loss for jazz music. In memory of Clifford, Benny Golson wrote “I Remember Clifford”, which has also become a jazz standard.
Brown’s influence lives on through the Clifford Brown Jazz Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization founded by his widow, LaRue Brown Watson. The mission of the foundation is to inspire a love for jazz among young people. The Foundation is currently directed by Brown’s grandson, Clifford Brown III, who is a respected Bay Area trumpeter and music producer.
Here’s Clifford with Max Roach with “Joy Spring“.
Track listing:
- “Delilah” (Victor Young) – 8:06
- “Parisian Thoroughfare” (Bud Powell) – 7:19
- “Daahoud” – 4:05
- “Joy Spring” – 6:50
- “Jordu” (Duke Jordan) – 7:50
- “The Blues Walk” (Chris Woods) – 6:47
- “What Am I Here For?” (Duke Ellington, Frankie Laine) – 3:11
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