The 2012
Clifford Brown three-disc anthology
The EmArcy Master Takes, Vol. 2: The Singers Sessions collects all of the tracks
Brown recorded with vocalists
Dinah Washington,
Sarah Vaughan, and
Helen Merrill during one magical five-month period in 1954. All of these sessions are now considered classic recordings and landmarks in the careers of each singer, as well as legendary trumpeter
Brown. Coming off a four-year ascent that found him moving from working as a sideman with the R&B band
the Blue Flames in 1951, to playing as a member of the
Lionel Hampton band in 1953, to co-leading his innovative quartet with drummer
Max Roach in 1954,
Brown was a bona fide star by the mid-'50s and considered by many, including trumpeter
Dizzy Gillespie, to be the best trumpeter of his generation. Tragically,
Brown's career was cut short when he died in a car accident in 1956. Thankfully,
Brown was well recorded before his death, and these sessions display both his adept gift for virtuosic improvisation and empathetic ear for subtle, tender accompaniment of vocalists. Having already begun developing a strong group aesthetic -- later showcased on its own
EmArcy recordings in 1954 -- that mixed thoughtful arrangements with adventurous improvisation, the
Brown and
Roach band was a superb choice for showcasing singers where arrangements and strong dynamic shifts are central to a good performance. Backing the vocalists here are not just the
Brown/
Roach band with tenor saxophonist
Harold Land and pianists
Richie Powell and
Junior Mance, but also lineups including such stellar musicians as tenor saxophonist
Paul Quinichette, flutist
Herbie Mann, drummer
Roy Haynes, bassists
Milt Hinton and
Oscar Pettiford, and, as on the
Merrill sessions, arrangements by
Quincy Jones. Featuring a hardbound book with photos of the original front and back album covers, as well as new liner notes from
Down Beat magazine's
Aaron Cohen,
The Singers Sessions is essential listening for both
Brown fans and jazz vocal fans alike. ~ Matt Collar
