1955 · Album
Study In Brown
Recorded 1954–1956 · EmArcy Records · Produced by Carl E. Madinger
Five Players, One Afternoon, Jazz History
Brown's solo on Cherokee stands among the most acclaimed solos in jazz — proof of what five minutes of clarity can do.
Study in Brown is not Clifford Brown's most famous record, and you won't find it reissued constantly, but it matters. This is a straightforward hard bop session with Max Roach on drums, Harold Land on tenor saxophone, Ray Driscoll on trombone, and Richie Powell on piano. Nothing fancy about the setup — no strings, no orchestral ambitions, just five players doing what they did best, which was swing hard and listen to each other.
The real surprises here are the songs that stuck. Land's "Lands End" and Brown's "Sandu" became jazz standards, which is rare enough that it matters. You hear why immediately — they're well-written melodic lines with enough room for improvisation. But the session is probably best known for Brown's solo on "Cherokee," which genuinely deserves the attention it gets. He's fast and clear and never wastes a note, which is harder than it sounds. "George's Dilemma" — also called "Ulcer Department" — shows Brown's sense of humor and his ability to navigate tricky harmonic turns. The album doesn't overstay its welcome and doesn't try to be more than it is.
In Brown's catalog, this sits somewhere in the middle — not the place to start if you're new to him, but essential once you know his work. It's the kind of record that appeals to people who care about straightforward, well-played hard bop without needing a story attached. Not obscure exactly, but specialist. If you like Brown and want to hear him in a small group setting playing material that challenged him, this is worth tracking down.
Who's playing
George Morrowdouble bass
Richie Powellpiano
Harold Landtenor saxophone
Clifford Browntrumpet
Max Roachdrums
Where next?
More by Clifford Brown
Clifford Brown And Max Roach 1955
Memorial Album 1956
Jazz Immortal 1960
Brown and Roach Incorporated 1955
The musicians on this record
Deeds, Not Words 1958
Max Roach
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
Jam Session 1954
George Morrow
plays double bass here
plays double bass here
