Charlie Parker Influence On Clifford Brown
Born on October 30, 1930, in Wilmington, Delaware, Clifford Brown began playing the trumpet at the age of 13, after his father gave him the instrument as a gift upon entering Howard High School. Showing great skill as a musician early on, Brown played in his high school band and other musical groups, with band instructor Harry Andrews serving as a significant early influence. But it was his jazz instructor, Robert Boysie Lowery, who really made the trumpet click for Brownie, as Brown came to be known.
The bebop sound that Charlie Parker created morphed with Clifford Brown's style of attacking every note, and came to be called "hard bop." What was equally noted, alongside Brown's virtuoso ability, was his nature—kind, hard-working, clean-living,
committed to excellence and humble—a counterpoint to the stereotypical jazz musician's reputation. But Brown's career would soon come to a halt: While returning from a gig in June 1950, the trumpeter was seriously injured in an auto accident, spending nearly a year afterward in the hospital. Fortunately, Brown was able to resume his career. He began recording in March 1952, impressing his contemporaries with his extraordinary ability to synergistically blend his technical expertise with a full, rich and graceful tone. He was especially noted for his masterful improvisations in long, flowing, melodic phrases.
The bebop sound that Charlie Parker created morphed with Clifford Brown's style of attacking every note, and came to be called "hard bop." What was equally noted, alongside Brown's virtuoso ability, was his nature—kind, hard-working, clean-living,
committed to excellence and humble—a counterpoint to the stereotypical jazz musician's reputation. But Brown's career would soon come to a halt: While returning from a gig in June 1950, the trumpeter was seriously injured in an auto accident, spending nearly a year afterward in the hospital. Fortunately, Brown was able to resume his career. He began recording in March 1952, impressing his contemporaries with his extraordinary ability to synergistically blend his technical expertise with a full, rich and graceful tone. He was especially noted for his masterful improvisations in long, flowing, melodic phrases.