GONE TOO SOON - Jazz Legends who died young

[Fiftyfifty]

Here is Clifford Brown performing a medley of 'Oh, Lady be Good' and 'Memories of You'.
Oh, Lady Be Good! is a 1924 song by George and Ira Gershwin. A 1947 recording of the song became a hit for Ella Fitzgerald, notable for her scat solo. The song became identified with Fitzgerald, and she sang it many times in live performance.

(Audiophiles may cringe at the quality of the recording, but I wanted it to be a video, not just audio, portraying his unique style)

 

[Fiftyfifty]

 

[Fiftyfifty]

Charlie Christian. Innovator. Influenced so many people. Died at 25.

I have this on LP and as a back up bought it on CD! Please see how he swings and so melodic. In fact it can come on the other chat as well.

Sushant can be up your street as well. Including stuff with Benny Goodman. Was part of swing and influenced bebop, cool jazz, even perhaps rock and roll.

What a legend, Vivek! Thanks for posting.

If I recall correctly, he was the first to use amplification on his guitar, which enabled him to showcase the guitar as a 'lead' instrument for the first time. Amazing technique too.

 

[Sushant Sharma]

Charlie Christian. Innovator. Influenced so many people. Died at 25.

I have this on LP and as a back up bought it on CD! Please see how he swings and so melodic. In fact it can come on the other chat as well.

Sushant can be up your street as well. Including stuff with Benny Goodman. Was part of swing and influenced bebop, cool jazz, even perhaps rock and roll.

you keep pulling out these gems, Vivek. thanks. That acoustic strum in the back especially and the lead reminds me of Django Reinhardt. I haven't heard him before. Its playing now. thanks

 

[Jayant_S]

Thanks. Watched it and have picked up a bunch of reading material. Cleared up for me that he did make a lot albums in the 10 years that sets the 2 albums apart. It was more for rock selling out arenas and making so much money and jazz on a decline then just to "change the game" that he shifted gears. I still like the album and it provided an impetus for bands like Weather Report and Mahavishnu and a even Herbie Hancock (maybe only for a short while) taking that direction. I started out with posting about the fusion/rock genre being more familiar to me in cluing me in to a jazz fusion album and went into extolling the virtues of rock on a thread titled "jazz". thanks for going easy on me.

Thanks. Watched it and have picked up a bunch of reading material. Cleared up for me that he did make a lot albums in the 10 years that sets the 2 albums apart. It was more for rock selling out arenas and making so much money and jazz on a decline then just to "change the game" that he shifted gears. I still like the album and it provided an impetus for bands like Weather Report and Mahavishnu and a even Herbie Hancock (maybe only for a short while) taking that direction. I started out with posting about the fusion/rock genre being more familiar to me in cluing me in to a jazz fusion album and went into extolling the virtues of rock on a thread titled "jazz". thanks for going easy on me.

Hey Sushant, glad you liked the documentary.
For the longest I've been a Blues fan, John Lee Hooker, The 3 Kings, Muddy Waters, SRV...greedily consumed them all while I was side stepping Jazz.
Only when I realized how closely related the two forms are did I "get" Jazz and start listening and appreciating it more.
We all have our unique journeys with music so keep going and posting your insights. I for one am learning something new almost every time I visit HFV and read these threads

 

[Jayant_S]

He formed a legendary band with Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, who played together on many landmark recordings. Brown is credited with 13 compositions, including 'Joy' and 'Dahoud' that have become jazz standards.

These recordings with Max Roach occupy pride of place in my collection. I just can't get enough of Clifford Brown!

 

[Fiftyfifty]

These recordings with Max Roach occupy pride of place in my collection. I just can't get enough of Clifford Brown!

That's fantastic. LP or CD? Do list the albums for us!

 

[vivek_r]

These recordings with Max Roach occupy pride of place in my collection. I just can't get enough of Clifford Brown!

I did the reverse there. Had it on CD. Backed it up on LP

this Is a lovely thread. Can’t wait for the oldies. May they be immortal. Sonny Rollins and Ahmad Jamal.

 

[himadri]

I hope he is there somewhere ,

JACO: The Film

Subscribe for exclusive & original interviews with the best musicians. Plus extras from the feature length documentary, "JACO" produced by Metallica's Robert...

www.youtube.com

 

[vivek_r]

I am sure this is mentioned in you presentation so apologies for jumping right in ..
I remember Clifford was written by Benny Golson in memory of Clifford Brown who died at the age of twenty five. The irony was that unlike the jazz men of his times he lead a clean life and it was an accident that took him away.

And lucky Bombay had Arturo Sandoval recently. Again famous album “I remember Clifford”

 

[Jayant_S]

That's fantastic. LP or CD? Do list the albums for us!

These three always on the lookout for more LPs

 

[Fiftyfifty]

I hope he is there somewhere ,

JACO: The Film

Subscribe for exclusive & original interviews with the best musicians. Plus extras from the feature length documentary, "JACO" produced by Metallica's Robert...

www.youtube.com

Yes Himadri, how can he not be there! He's the one who demolished the notion that the bass guitar is a backing instrument by bringing it right out in front. In his prime, he was a genius. Tragic life though, to end up as a street dweller beaten to death by a bouncer in a nightclub

 

[Fiftyfifty]

View attachment 45358
These three always on the lookout for more LPs

This is the only lp I have

 

[Fiftyfifty]

And lucky Bombay had Arturo Sandoval recently. Again famous album “I remember Clifford”

Bombay was also so lucky to have Jazz Yatra How many thousand rock fans for interested in jazz thanks to the jazz yatra events

 

[vivek_r]

Bombay was also so lucky to have Jazz Yatra How many thousand rock fans for interested in jazz thanks to the jazz yatra events

Off topic but shutting down Rang Bhavan (albeit living there must have been painful) was a blow. NCPA is great but too stiff for jazz shows and too much coughing for classical!

 

[Fiftyfifty]

I REMEMBER CLIFFORD

This moment in jazz never fails to give me goosebumps!

Art Blakey introduces the innocent, talented 19 year old Lee Morgan. Benny Golson, the composer, is here playing the sax. (Don't miss Bobby Timmons' piano solo)

I Remember Clifford" is an instrumental jazz threnody (lament) written by jazz tenor saxophonist Benny Golson in memory of Clifford Brown. Brown and Golson had done a stint in Lionel Hampton's band together. The composition became an instant standard, as musicians paid tribute to Brown by recording their personal reading of it. Arturo Sandoval (Cuban trumpeter) recorded the album I Remember Clifford as a tribute to Brown, who was a great influence on Sandoval.

More about Lee Morgan in upcoming posts - one of the most poignant stories in jazz history....

 

[Jayant_S]

I REMEMBER CLIFFORD

This moment in jazz never fails to give me goosebumps!

Art Blakey introduces the innocent, talented 18 year old Lee Morgan. Benny Golson, the composer, is here playing the sax. (Don't miss Bobby Timmons' piano solo)

I Remember Clifford" is an instrumental jazz threnody (lament) written by jazz tenor saxophonist Benny Golson in memory of Clifford Brown. Brown and Golson had done a stint in Lionel Hampton's band together. The composition became an instant standard, as musicians paid tribute to Brown by recording their personal reading of it. Arturo Sandoval (Cuban trumpeter) recorded the album I Remember Clifford as a tribute to Brown, who was a great influence on Sandoval.

More about Lee Morgan in upcoming posts - one of the most poignant stories in jazz history....

Thanks for sharing this, Kishore. Brought a tear to my eye...
Looking forward to the Lee Morgan biopic.

 

[moktan]

Fats Navarro predeceased Clifford Brown and probably at about the same age.

 

[Fiftyfifty]

Fats Navarro predeceased Clifford Brown and probably at about the same age.

Yes, another big loss. A bit older, he influenced Brown to a great extent

 

[moktan]

Though this is a thread on jazz artists who died young .. here is April 4th from Jimmy Greene’s April 2020 release While Looking Up .. his third album that deals with the theme of loss .. Greene lost his beautiful 6 year old daughter in a mindless shooting at Sandy Hooke Elementary School in 2012 ..While Looking Up is that rare album that elevates grief and loss into something higher - a message of hope , may not cheerful in a sunny kind of way but fresh with the dewy iridescence of a new morning ..

And here is Good Morning Heartache sung best by Billie Holiday ...