Clifford Brown - The Complete Paris Collection (1953) [1987]

In a way, Brown was the Wynton Marsalis of his time; like Marsalis, Brown came on the jazz scene following a period of significant stylistic change. However, unlike Marsalis (who rejected the free jazz made famous by the generation just preceding his own), Brown chose to embrace the innovations of his immediate elders. In the process, Brown became one of the great post-Gillespie trumpeters, developing a voice that spoke the language of bebop with a distinct, personal inflection. In September 1953 – having just recorded his first dates as a leader for Blue Note – Brown went to Europe with Lionel Hampton.

While in Paris, Brown recorded a series of sides with mostly French rhythm sections for the Vogue label, several of which are reissued here. Half the cuts feature Brown as a featured soloist with a big band comprised of Hampton's bandmembers and led by alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce. Gryce's tunes are solid, but the date would be unmemorable without Brown, whose flair for spontaneous invention elevates the banality of the context. The final tracks present Brown and Gryce in a sextet, and the results are more compelling. Gryce's Bird-derived improvisations are pleasant, and his tunes and arrangements seem to bear up better when written for a small group. Brown was one of the most technically accomplished trumpet players jazz had produced to that point, yet his solos never had that preconceived air that characterized the work of later chopsmeisters like Marsalis. Brown was an improviser par excellence, and his work here presents him in fine form. The rhythm section is blandly metronomic, but that's hardly an issue given Brown's consistent excellence. Considering the fact that his career was so short, this is a valuable document not to be missed.


Tracks:

CD 1:
01. Brown Skins (#1)
02. Brown Skins (#2)
03. Deltitnu
04. Keepin' Up With Jonsey (#1)
05. Keepin' Up With Jonsey (#2)
06. Conception (#1)
07. Conception (#2)
08. All The Things You Are (#1)
09. All The Things You Are (#2)
10. I Cover The Waterfront / 水辺にたたずみ
11. Goofin' With Me
12. Minority (#1)
13. Minority (#2)
14. Minority (#3)


CD 2:
01. Salute To The Band Box (#1)
02. Salute To The Band Box (#2)
03. Strictly Romantic
04. Baby (#1)
05. Baby (#2)
06. Quick Step (#1)
07. Quick Step (#2)
08. Quick Step (#3)
09. Bum's Rush (#1)
10. Bum's Rush (#2)
11. Bum's Rush (#3)
12. No Start No End
13. Venez Donc Chez Moi
14. Hello


CD 3:
01. ALL Weird (#1)
02. All Weird (#2)
03. All Weird (#3)
04. Blue And Brown
05. I Can Dream Can't I? (#1)
06. I Can Dream Can't I? (#2)
07. I Can Dream Can't I? (#3)
08. The Song Is You (#1)
09. The Song Is You (#2)
10. Come Rain Or Shine (#1)
11. Come Rain Or Shine (#2)
12. It Might As Well Be Spring (#1)
13. It Might As Well Be Spring (#2)
14. You Are A Lucky Guy (#1)
15. You Are A Lucky Guy (#2)
16. You Are A Lucky Guy (#3)

Personnel:

CD 1:
Clifford Brown - trumpet
Art Farmer - trumpet (Tr.1-5)
Quincy Jones - trumpet (Tr.1-5)
Walter Williams - trumpet (Tr.1-5)
Fernand Verstraete - trumpet (Tr.1-5)
Fred Gerard - trumpet (Tr.1-5)
Gigi Gryce - alto sax
Anthony Ortega - alto sax (Tr.1-5)
Clifford Solomon - tenor sax (Tr.1-5)
Henri Bernard - tenor sax (Tr.1-5)
Henri Jouot - baritone sax (Tr.1-5)
Al Hayse - trombone (Tr.1-5)
Jimmy Cleveland - trombone (Tr.1-5)
Bill Tamper - trombone (Tr.1-5)
Henri Renaud - piano
Jimmy Gourley - guitar (Tr.6-14)
Pierre Michelot - bass
Alan Dawson - drums (Tr.1-5)
Jean-Louis Viale - drums (Tr.6-14)

Recording Date:
1953.09.28: Tr.1-5 as Gigi Gryce & His Orchestra
1953.09.29: Tr.6-11 as Gigi Gryce - Clifford Brown Sextet
1953.10.08: Tr.12-14 as Gigi Gryce - Clifford Brown Sextet


CD 2:
Clifford Brown - trumpet
Art Farmer - trumpet (Tr.6-11)
Walter Williams - trumpet (Tr.6-11)
Quincy Jones - trumpet (Tr.6-11)
Gigi Gryce - alto sax
Anthony Ortega - alto sax (Tr.6-11)
Clifford Solomon - tenor sax (Tr.6-14)
Andre Dabonneville - tenor sax (Tr.6-11)
William Boucaya - baritone sax (Tr.6-14)
Jimmy Cleveland - trombone (Tr.6-14)
Al Hayse - trombone (Tr.6-11)
Benny Vasseur - trombone (Tr.6-11)
Henri Renaud - piano
Jimmy Gourley - guitar (Tr.1-5, 12-14)
Pierre Michelot - bass (Tr.1-11)
Marcel Dutrieux - bass (Tr.12-14)
Jean-Louis Viale - drums

Recording Date:
1953.10.08: Tr.1-5 as Gigi Gryce - Clifford Brown Sextet
1953.10.09: Tr.6-11 as Gigi Gryce & His Orchestra
1953.10.10: Tr.12-14 as Gigi Gryce Octet


CD 3:
Tr.1-3
[Gigi Gryce Octet]
Clifford Brown - trumpet
Gigi Gryce - alto sax
Anthony Ortega - alto sax
Clifford Solomon - tenor sax
William Boucaya - baritone sax
Jimmy Cleveland - trombone
Quincy Jones - piano
Jimmy Gourley - guitar
Marcel Dutrieux - bass
Jean-Louis Viale - drums

Tr.4-16
[Clifford Brown Quartet]
Clifford Brown - trumpet
Henri Renaud - piano
Pierre Michelot - bass
Benny Bennett - drums

Recording Date:
1953.10.11: Tr.1-3 as Gigi Gryce Octet
1953.10.15: Tr.4-16 as Clifford Brown Quartet