Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter (Hardcover)

by Nick Catalano (Author) "If you don't practice, I'll whip you," said Joe Brown, addressing his family at one of the frequent songfests at their house on Poplar Street..." (more)
Key Phrases: young trumpeter, east siders, alternate take, Clifford Brown, New York, Max Roach (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In the early '50s, Clifford Brown was one of the most dominant trumpeters of the Hard Bop period. Nick Catalano, professor of literature and music at Pace University, has written the first book on this important artist, and it's a winner. "In addition to his artistic achievements, Brown exuded virtue and magnanimity," Catalano writes. "He wasn't just a 'nice guy'; he was much more than that." At a time when jazzmen where generally portrayed as drug addicted hustlers, Brown was the exception. He was college educated, rarely smoked or drank, and was a positive role model to other musicians. Had he not been killed in a tragic car accident at the tender age of 25, he may have altered the future of jazz. As it is, he has left a lasting impression on the art form.

Beginning with his nurturing childhood in Wilmington, Delaware, Catalano chronicles Brown's extraordinary rise as a Dizzy Gillespie-inspired upstart, to a seasoned professional who continued to practice and play R&B dates despite terrible pain from a near-fatal car accident. Catalano highlights Brown's work with heavyweights like Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones, John Lewis, and Art Blakey, and his analyses of Brown's crisp trumpet style and compositions, including "Joy Spring" and "Dahooud," are detailed and entertaining. At the summit of his career, while co-leading a trailblazing combo that featured Max Roach and Sonny Rollins, Brown perished on the rain-soaked Pennsylvania Turnpike on the way to a gig in Chicago. Catalano shows that, even in death, his influence lives on in trumpeters like Freddie Hubbard and Wynton Marsalis, and in the Tony Award-winning Broadway play, Sideman. If there is such a thing as a jazz saint, Clifford Brown was it. --Eugene Holley Jr.

From Publishers Weekly
Long known as the jazz trumpeters' trumpeter, Clifford Brown has yet to gain wider recognition for his influence over the development of bebop. Born in Wilmington, Del., in 1930, Brown's trumpet playing was often described as uninspired, but intense practice led to a technically superb style that was lauded by such greats as Dizzy Gillespie. The modest, unpretentious trumpeter lived an unruffled life; his great discipline offered a different model for jazz musicians long under the influence of Charlie Parker's drug abuse. Catalano, the director of performing arts at Pace University, presents Brown's abbreviated life (he died in a car crash at age 25) in a terse, matter-of-fact manner, with scrupulous attention to detail. A vivid account of his 1953 adventures with Lionel Hampton's band (which included Art Farmer and Quincy Jones) in Europe is one of the few sections that delves deeply into Brown's musical genius, describing solos and specific performances, and praising his high energy and fun approach to trading fours with Farmer. In another chapter, Catalano recalls Brown's friendship with Max Roach, paying homage to such landmark recordings as "Delilah" and "Darn That Dream." While some jazz fans may tire of the meticulous recounting of facts, true buffs will be enthralled with the honest interviews and wide breadth of research this bio offers.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195100832
• ISBN-13: 978-0195100839
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,004,743 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting for the anecdotes..., May 16, 2000

By	Hollis Burridge (USA) - See all my reviews

For those interested in more details of Brown's life and some insight into his character and musical discipline, this is a valuable source. Discussions of musical examples are often naive and somewhat inaccurate, but the book is interesting for the informative quotes from musicians and friends and an entertaining read for fans of the late Clifford Brown.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best History of Clifford Available, November 28, 2006

By	Michael Romanik (East Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter (Paperback)

To my knowledge, this is the only full biography of Clifford Brown ever written. It covers his entire life, from his birth, through his Blue Flame days, all the way to his historical work with Max Roach. The book also includes 8 or so pages of pictures in the middle, which is great for those of you whom haven't seen brownie, and a nearly complete discography in the back of the book. Simply put, Clifford Brown is one of the best jazz trumpeters of all time (my favorite, personally), and quite possibly the most tragic loss in jazz history. Any jazz musicians, Clifford fans, or general jazz aficionados should check this book out if they are looking to learn about one of the greats.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clifford Brown-Maybe The Ultimate 'Tough Sell' Book', January 4, 2006

By	Brian Schiff "jaywilton" (Detroit Mi. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter (Paperback)

Clifford Brown really was 'too good to be true'...didn't drink,do drugs...incredible jazz musician.Nick Catalano really
does an "impossible job" in telling the story of the great trumpeter who died tragically way before his time-and Catalano's anaysis of Brown's recordings makes the case that Brown is a man who "coulda been king"(even though he sorta was anyway).
.