1955 · Album
With Strings
Recorded 1954-1955 · EmArcy Records · Produced by Carl Jefferson
Elegance and Fire in String Arrangements
Clifford Brown's trumpet sings over lush strings without losing its bite or speed.
With Strings sits in an interesting place in Clifford Brown's catalog—it's not where most people start, but it shows a side of him that his hard bop records don't quite capture. By this point in his career, Brown was already known for his clean tone and technical facility with Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and others. This session takes that same horn and puts it in a completely different context, one that was actually pretty common in the 1950s but sometimes gets overlooked now. The string arrangements here aren't schmaltzy or diluting; they give Brown's playing room to breathe in ways that pure bebop sometimes doesn't allow. You get real melodic development, space to hear exactly what he's doing with his phrasing, and that distinctive sweetness in his upper register that made him stand out from other trumpeters. The rhythm section—with Max Roach on drums—keeps things grounded and swinging even when the orchestration gets lush. Tracks like the ballads show Brown as a romantic player without being sentimental about it. He's not hiding behind the strings; he's using them as a partner. This is a good record to put on if you want to hear Brown in a different mood from his quintet work, something more introspective and arranged. It's not essential in the way that his work with Roach is, but it's worthwhile—it shows he could move between contexts without losing what made him great. For someone who already loves his hard bop sides, this reveals another dimension. New listeners should probably start with Clifford Brown and Max Roach (1954) or Joy Spring (1956), but once you've got those down, this offers a legitimate alternate view of his artistry.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Clifford Brown
All 12 albums →
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
