The Bebop Shop : Now's The Time: Bud, Bird & Bebop : Clifford Brown
May 28 was the opening night of a week-long engagement for the Max Roach-Clifford Brown Quintet, featuring Sonny Rollins on tenor sax, Richie Powell (Bud Powell's younger brother) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. Despite the exceptional talent of the individual band members, the quintet proved to be more than the sum of its parts. The Cleveland Cotton Club performances contained on this package -issued here for the first time ever- were recorded on amateur equipment and include sets played by the quintet on May 28, May 29 and June 1, 1956.
As a bonus to these amazing performances, there is another previously unissued set: a radio broadcast by the same quintet coming from the Town Casino, in Buffalo, New York, recorded on February 26, 1956. (Absolute Distribution) Price: £21.99
This astonishing trumpeter was fluid, fiery and fully formed on his first two sessions in 1953. From the stunning ballad interpretation of "Easy Living" to hip modern compositions by Elmo Hope, Gigi Gryce and Quincy Jones, Brownie plays magnificently. (Blue Note) Price: £8.99
A BEBOP SHOP MILESTONE- An essential recording for your jazz CD shelf Price: £9.99
However, this fantastic formation was destined to end in tragedy, for in the early morning hours of June 26, 1956, Clifford Brown died in a car accident (at the age of 25) along with pianist Richie Powell. In the short time between Rollins arrival and Brownies death, the group had the chance to enter the recording studios on three occasions. The results of those three sessions the quintets only official legacy- originally appeared on these two studio albums (the Basin Street album was not recorded live at that club). The line-up is : Clifford Brown (tp), Sonny Rollins (ts), Richie Powell (p), George Morrow (b) and Max Roach (d). (Discovery Records) Price: £9.99