Recent Links :: 12 July 2015

Louis Armstrong: The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong discusses Armstrong's 1970 birthday celebration in Newport.

Art Blakey: Night Lights features a podcast about Art Blakey's 1957 band, which included saxophonists Jackie McLean and Johnny Griffin, as well as trumpeter Bill Hardman.

Clifford Brown: All About Jazz announces "Brownie Speaks at Newport," an event planned for July 30, on the eve of the Newport Jazz Festival to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Brown's performance at that festival.

John Coltrane: Night Lights features a podcast about John Coltrane's 1957, the year that he kicked his drug and alcohol addictions and made his first recordings as a leader.

Erroll Garner: Eric R. Danton reviews the Erroll Garner album, The Complete Concert By the Sea, at The Wall Street Journal. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Thelonious Monk: New Jazz United shares a clip of the Thelonious Monk Quintet playing "Think of One." (The song is available on the album, The Complete Prestige Recordings, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

Jaco Pastorius: New Jazz United shares a video of Jaco Pastorius and Toots Thielemans playing "Sophisticated Lady" at a 1982 New York City concert.

Sonny Rollins: According to JazzTimes, Sonny Rollins will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Foundation of America.

Sonny Rollins: Night Lights shares a podcast about Sonny Rollins and 2957, the year he recorded the iconic album, A Night at the Village Vanguard. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Wayne Shorter: At MacSparky, David Sparks discusses Wayne Shorter's song, "Witchcraft," from the 1966 album, Speak No Evil. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Robert
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RIP, Clifford Brown (1930-1956)

Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown died on June 26, 1956, while driving from Philadelphia to Chicago. He was buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, in Wilmington, Delaware, where he had been born just 25 years earlier.

Brown was an incredibly gifted musician whose career lasted just four years, but in that short space of time, he "played with a full-toned, linear lyricism which proved to be the only vital alternative during the 1950's to Miles Davis's understated melodic style," according to Len Lyons. Sonny Rollins, who worked for seven months with Brown, said simply, "He had it all."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Clifford Brown's The Quintet, Vol. 1 (EmArcy/Mercury), but that album is nearly impossible to find and is only available in vinyl. Jim Determan recommends two alternatives:

• Clifford Brown and Max Roach (EmArcy/Polygram). Purchase at Amazon.com.)
• Study in Brown (PID/Polygram). Purchase at Amazon.com.)

A few weeks before he died, Brown sat in with a local band at a small jazz club in Philadelphia.  Three numbers were taped.  One of them, "A Night in Tunisia," can be heard here:

Robert
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Recent Links :: 18 April 2015

Louis Armstrong, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard: As part of its "Building a Jazz Library" series, All About Jazz lists the best jazz trumpet albums, including:

• Louis Armstrong, Plays W.C. Handy. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Clifford Brown, The Beginning and The End. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Miles Davis, Miles Ahead. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Dizzy Gillespie, An Electrifying Evening with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Freddie Hubbard, Above And Beyond. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock: At All About Jazz, Victor L. Schermer reviews the April 11 concert by Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock at Philadelphia's Academy of Music.

Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter: The finalist nominees for the Jazz Journalists Association 2015 Jazz Awards have been announced. These include:

• Louis Armstrong's The Columbia & RCA Victor Live Recordings, liner notes by Ricky Riccardi for Best Liner Notes of the Year. (Purchase the album from Mosaic Records.)
• John Coltrane's Offering: Live at Temple University, liner notes by Ashley Kahn for Best Liner Notes of the Year. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• John Coltrane's Offering: Live At Temple University for Historical Record of the Year.
• Chick Corea for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz.
• Chick Corea for Musician of the Year.
• Chick Corea for Pianist of the Year.
• Chick Corea for Keyboards Player of the Year.
• Miles Davis's Miles at the Fillmore (Miles Davis Bootleg Series Vol 3) for Historical Record of the Year. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Herbie Hancock: Possibilities by Herbie Hancock with Lisa Dickey for Best Book About Jazz of the Year. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
• Wayne Shorter for Soprano Saxophonist of the Year.
• Wayne Shorter Quartet for Mid-Size Ensemble of the Year.

Robert
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Recent Links :: 28 February 2015

Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Fats Waller: According to The Jazz Line, the following jazz albums and songs will be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015:

• Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Sonny Rollins's The Bridge. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz." (The song is available on the album, Fats Waller 1942-1943, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

John Coltrane: Open Culture discusses John Coltrane's album, A Love Supreme, which was released 50 years ago, in February 1965. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Herbie Hancock: At Investors.com, Scott S. Smith highlights Herbie Hancock as an innovator.

Clifford Brown, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker: At All About Jazz, Roger Crane provides a list of recordings of jazz musicians performing jazz with string sections. The albums include:

• Clifford Brown: With Strings. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Bill Evans: Bill Evans Trio With Symphony Orchestra. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Wes Montgomery: Fusion! (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Charlie Parker: With Strings. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Robert
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Recent Links :: 3 November 2014

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses Armstrong's recording of "We Have All the Time in the World."

Clifford Brown: On October 30, his birthday, Clifford Brown was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Miles Davis: New Jazz United shares a video of the Miles Davis tune, "Nature Boy." (The song is available on the album, Blue Moods, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

Duke Ellington: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares a short 1937 film, "Ellington Makes a Record."

Bill Evans: At Brain Pickings, Maria Popova discusses Bill Evans's ideas about the creative process.

Herbie Hancock: Larry Blumenfeld discusses Herbie Hancock's new book, Possibilities, at Blu Notes. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)

Bud Powell: According to Jeff Tamarkin at JazzTimes, ESP-Disk is re-issuing Bud Powell’s Live at the Blue Note Café, Paris 1961. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Robert
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Happy Birthday, Clifford Brown

Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown was born on October 30, 1930, in Wilmington, Delaware. Brown was an incredibly gifted musician whose career lasted just four years, but in that short space of time, he "played with a full-toned, linear lyricism which proved to be the only vital alternative during the 1950's to Miles Davis's understated melodic style," according to Len Lyons. Sonny Rollins, who worked for seven months with Brown, said simply, "He had it all."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Clifford Brown's The Quintet, Vol. 1 (EmArcy/Mercury), but that album is nearly impossible to find and is only available in vinyl. Jim Determan recommends two alternatives:

• Clifford Brown and Max Roach (EmArcy/Polygram). Purchase at Amazon.com.)
  
• Study in Brown (PID/Polygram). Purchase at Amazon.com.)
  

Clifford Brown plays "Stardust" here:

Robert
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Recent Links :: 22 October 2014

Louis Armstrong: According to Allan Kozinn at the New York Times, the Louis Armstrong House Museum has opened an exhibition of Armstrong memorabilia from the collection of one-time jazz club owner Jack Bradley, who amassed what is said to be the world’s largest private collection of Armstrongiana.

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses the apocryphal story that, in the late 1950s, Vice President Richard Nixon unwittingly carried Louis Armstrong's marijuana stash across customs.

Clifford Brown: At All About Jazz, Victor L. Schermer interviews Don Glanden, the Division Head of Graduate Jazz Studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, about his documentary on Clifford Brown, "Brownie Speaks."

Chick Corea: At The Guardian, John Fordham reviews the Chick Corea album, Trilogy. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Bill Evans: In his October 18 Weekend Wax Bits, Marc Myers reports that Concord will release Bill Evans's The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961, in November. He also shares a video of Tony Bennett with Bill Evans. (Pre-order the album from Amazon.com.)

Dizzy Gillespie: On October 21, his birthday, Dizzy Gillespie was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Jelly Roll Morton: On October 20, his birthday, Jelly Roll Morton was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Annie Ross: At All About Jazz, John Ephland reviews the upcoming album Annie Ross: To Lady with Love.

Horace Silver: At All About Jazz, Marc Davis reviews the Horace Silver album, Six Pieces Of Silver. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Robert
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Recent Links :: 14 September 2014

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses the Louis Armstrong song, "Some of These Days." (The song is available on the album, Louis In New York, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

Anthony Braxton: Julian Eidenberger reviews Trio New Haven 2013 by Anthony Braxton, Tomas Fujiwara, and Tom Rainey at The Free Jazz Collective. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Clifford Brown: At All About Jazz, Victor L. Schermer reviews "Brownie Speaks," a video documentary about the life of trumpeter Clifford Brown. (Purchase the DVD from Jazzbooks.com.)

Joe Sample: Joe Sample, who was one of the founding members of the Crusaders, passed away on September 12. Among those remembering his life are:

• Chicago Now
• Houston Chronicle
• Los Angeles Times
• The Jazz Line
• Jazz Times
• NPR
• Toshiba

Horace Silver: At All About Jazz, Marc Davis reviews the album, Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers . (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Robert
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Recent Links :: 31 August 2014

Clifford Brown: At All About Jazz, Nick Catalano shares a recording of Clifford Brown being interviewed by Willis Conover for Voice of America radio in 1956, shortly before Brown's untimely death.

John Coltrane: At All About Jazz, Robert Bush reviews the John Coltrane album, Offering: Live At Temple University. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Charlie Parker: At Night Lights, David Brent Johnson discusses Charlie Parker's work with big bands.

Charlie Parker: At JazzWax, Marc Myers discusses Charlie Parker's work with string orchestras.

Charlie Parker: At Take the "A" Train, Ehsan Khoshbakht discusses Charlie Parker's appearance at the Royal Roost, a New York jazz club, in 1949.

Wayne Shorter: At Today is the Question, Ted Panken shares an interview with Wayne Shorter on the musician's favorite Blue Note recordings and other topics.

Lester Young: On August 27, his birthday, Lester Young was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Lester Young: At New England Public Radio, Tom Reney shares a video of Lester Young playing with Lee Young's Esquires of Rhythm in Hollywood in May 1941.

Robert
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Recent Links :: 23 August 2014

Count Basie: On August 21, his birthday, Count Basie was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Clifford Brown: At All ABout Jazz, Obert Davis recommends the album, Clifford Brown With Strings. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Dave Brubeck: At his blog, About Last Night, Terry Teachout shares a video of Dave Brubeck playing in Holland in 1961.

Chick Corea: According to Jeff Tamarkin at JazzTimes, Chick Corea will release a live 3-CD eet, Trilogy, in early September. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Herbie Hancock: At The Guardian, John Fordham reviews the 3-CD set, Herbie Hancock: The Warner Bros. Years (1969-1972). (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Charlie Parker: At All About Jazz, Jimmy Heath recommends the 1950 Charlie Parker album, Charlie Parker With Strings. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Annie Ross: At All About Jazz, Jack Bowers reviews the new Annie Ross album, To Lady with Love.

Robert
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Recent Links :: 11 August 2014

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi recaps the 14th annual Satchmo Summerfest. Mick Carlton also reviews the event at JazzTimes.

Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Max Roach: At MacSparky, David Sparks discusses the May 1953 Massey Hall concert with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. (Purchase the album, The Quintet: Jazz at Massey Hall, from Amazon.com.)

Clifford Brown: "Brownie Speaks," a documentary about Clifford Brown, has a Facebook page.

Herbie Hancock: At The International Review of Music, Don Heckman reviews the Hollywood Bowl concert featuring Herbie Hancock, Gregory Porter, and the Robert Glasper Experiment.

Sonny Rollins: At JazzWax, Marc Myers recaps the Sonny Rollins / New Yorker controversy and shares links to reactions by Larry Blumenfeld, Tom Raney, and Howard Mandel.

Robert
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Recent Links :: 11 July 2014

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses the new Mosaic Records album, Columbia and RCA Victor Live Recordings of Louis Armstrong and the All Stars. (Purchase the album from Mosaic Records.)

Clifford Brown: At Weekend Wax Bits, Marc Myers shares a 1956 radio interview with Clifford Brown.

Bill Evans: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares some videos of Bill Evans playing piano from 1965 and 1966.

Keith Jarrett: Peter Hum lists his favorite jazz albums of 2014 (so far) at The Ottawa Citizen. His list includes Last Dance by Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Rollins: James Hale lists his favorite jazz albums of 2014 (so far) at Jazz Chronicles. His list includes:

• Offering: Live at Temple University by John Coltrane. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Last Dance by Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Road Shows, Vol. 3 by Sonny Rollins. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Charlie Parker: At The Ottawa Citizen, Peter Hum discusses what he calls Charlie Parker's "raunchiest gig."

Art Tatum: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares several videos of Art Tatum playing piano.

Joe Zawinul: On his birthday, July 7, Joe Zawinul was the Jazz Musician Of The Day at All About Jazz.

Robert
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Recent Links :: 3 July 2014

Louis Armstrong: Marc Myers has a long piece about Louis Armstrong and his All Stars at JazzWax.

Clifford Brown: At The New York Review of Books, Christopher Carroll discusses the "mellow agility" of Clifford Brown.

Bill Evans: At JazzWax, Marc Myers discusses the influence of jazz pianist Bill Clifton on Bill Evans.

Keith Jarrett: At The Ottawa Citizen, Peter Hum reviews the June 2014 Keith Jarrett concert in Montreal.

Bud Powell: At All About Jazz, Marc Davis discusses the Bud Powell albums, The Amazing Bud Powell, Volumes 1 And 2. (Purchase Volume 1 from Amazon.com and Volume 2 from Amazon.com.)

Sonny Rollins: Open Culture shares several interviews with Sonny Rollins, who discusses the importance of his yoga practice.

Horace Silver: At All About Jazz, Marc Davis reviews the Horace Silver album, The Hard Bop Grandpop. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Horace Silver: According to All About Jazz, Horace Silver's memorial service has been set For Monday, July 7, 2014, at St. Augustine Of Hippo Episcopal Church in New York.

Horace Silver: At All About Jazz, Nick Catalano remembers Horace Silver's days at Birdland in the 1950s.

Robert
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RIP, Clifford Brown (1930-1956)

Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown died on June 26, 1956, while driving from Philadelphia to Chicago. He was buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, in Wilmington, Delaware, where he had been born just 25 years earlier.

Brown was an incredibly gifted musician whose career lasted just four years, but in that short space of time, he "played with a full-toned, linear lyricism which proved to be the only vital alternative during the 1950's to Miles Davis's understated melodic style," according to Len Lyons. Sonny Rollins, who worked for seven months with Brown, said simply, "He had it all."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Clifford Brown's The Quintet, Vol. 1 (EmArcy/Mercury), but that album is nearly impossible to find and is only available in vinyl. Jim Determan recommends two alternatives:

• Clifford Brown and Max Roach (EmArcy/Polygram). Purchase at Amazon.com.)
• Study in Brown (PID/Polygram). Purchase at Amazon.com.)

A few weeks before he died, Brown sat in with a local band at a small jazz club in Philadelphia.  Three numbers were taped.  One of them, "A Night in Tunisia," can be heard here:

Robert
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Recent Links :: 22 May 2014

Clifford Brown, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk: According to Jeff Tamarkin at JazzTimes, Blue Note Records has announced four new releases in its “Blue Note Select” collections: multi-CD sets from Clifford Brown, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk.

Miles Davis: At All About Jazz, Ian Patterson reviews the Miles Davis album, Miles At The Fillmore - Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Erroll Garner: At About Last Night, Terry Teachout shares a video of Erroll Garner playing "Earl's Dream."

Sun Ra: At NPR's A Blog Supreme, Patrick Jarenwattananon discusses the career of Sun Ra and lists his five "essential" tracks.

Sun Ra: At NPR's Morning Edition, Joel Rose discusses Sun Ra and shares a video of his tune, "Saturn." (The song is available on the album, Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Greatest Hits, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

Sun Ra: Tim Niland shares links to several Sun Ra articles at Music and More.

Fats Waller: On his birthday, May 21, Fats Waller was the Jazz Musician Of The Day at All About Jazz.

Robert
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Recent Links :: 1 May 2014

Clifford Brown: At MacSparky, David Sparks discusses the album, Clifford Brown and Max Roach and, in particular, Brown's composition, "Joy Spring." (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Miles Davis: At The Notes You Don't Play, Peter Blasevick shares an interview with Miles Davis from 1985.

Miles Davis: fathom.info features an interactive infographic showing Miles Davis's recording sessions and the artists with whom he played.

Duke Ellington: On his birthday, April 29, Duke Ellington was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Ella Fitzgerald: On April 25, her birthday, Ella Fitzgerald was the Jazz Musician Of The Day at All About Jazz.

Charles Mingus: At The New York Review of Books, Christopher Carroll has a long piece on Charles Mingus.

Charles Mingus: On April 22, his birthday, Charles Mingus was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Wes Montgomery: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares four videos of Wes Montgomery.

Robert
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Recent Links :: 23 February 2014

Clifford Brown: New Jazz United shared a clip of Clifford Brown and Max Roach playing "Joy Spring." (The song is available on the album, Clifford Brown & Max Roach, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

Betty Carter: Talk About Jazz shares a clip of Betty Carter singing "The Sun Died." (The song is available on the album, Finally, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

John Coltrane: New Jazz United shares a clip of John Coltrane's "Ascension." (The song is available on the album, Ascension, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

Keith Jarrett: At JazzTimes, Michael J. West reviews the Keith Jarrett album, No End. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Jaco Pastorius: According to Jeff Tamarking at JazzTimes, in April, Omnivore Records will release Modern American Music ... Period! The Criteria Sessions, a set of demo recordings made by Jaco Pastorius.

Sonny Rollins: According to JazzTimes, Sonny Rollins will release Road Shows, Volume 3 in May.

Robert
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Recent Links :: 3 November 2013

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses Louis Armstrong's "deep" response to the integration crisis in the southern United States in 1957.

Art Blakey: At All About Jazz, Anton Rasmussen explores the music of Art Blakey, "the musical drummer."

Clifford Brown: On October 30, his birthday, Clifford Brown was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Miles Davis: At All About Jazz, Nenad Georgievski reviews the Mile Davis album, In a Silent Way. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Miles Davis: Miles Davis Online reports that a deal on the Miles Davis movie is closer to being reached.

Charlie Parker: At The New York Review of Books, Adam Shatz reviews Stanley Crouch's book, Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)

Charlie Parker: Open Culture shares a 1950 video clip of Charlie Parker playing with Coleman Hawkins, Buddy Rich, Lester Young, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Robert
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Happy Birthday, Clifford Brown

Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown was born on October 30, 1930, in Wilmington, Delaware. Brown was an incredibly gifted musician whose career lasted just four years, but in that short space of time, he "played with a full-toned, linear lyricism which proved to be the only vital alternative during the 1950's to Miles Davis's understated melodic style," according to Len Lyons. Sonny Rollins, who worked for seven months with Brown, said simply, "He had it all."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Clifford Brown's The Quintet, Vol. 1 (EmArcy/Mercury), but that album is nearly impossible to find and is only available in vinyl. Jim Determan recommends two alternatives:

• Clifford Brown and Max Roach (EmArcy/Polygram). Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Study in Brown (PID/Polygram). Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
  

Clifford Brown plays "Stardust" here:

Robert
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Recent Links :: 29 October 2013

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses the album, Louis Armstrong and The Commanders. (According to Riccardi, Moments to Remember has the complete session. Purchase that album from Amazon.com.)

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi talks about the 80th anniversary of Louis Armstrong and His Hot Harlem Band.

Louis Armstrong: Jazz Lives recommends Ricky Riccardi's book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years. Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)

Clifford Brown: Jason Crane asked people to name their favorite Clifford Brown performances, and he shares the results at The Jazz Session.

Miles Davis: At All About Jazz, Chris Davis review the CD/DVD set, Legendary Concerts. (Purchase the set from Amazon.com.)

Dizzy Gillespie: JazzWax features a video of Dizzy Gillespie's 1966 appearance on the British TV show, "Jazz 625."

Robert
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