Clifford Brown's 80th Birthday Celebration

On Saturday, October 30th, WKCR will present the Clifford Brown Birthday Broadcast, celebrating the life and career of the legendary trumpeter by broadcasting twenty-four hours of his music.   Born in 1930 in Wilmington, Delaware, Brown picked up the trumpet at age fifteen, and quickly became one of the most influential jazz voices of his generation.  Combining astonishing technical virtuosity with a warm, welcoming tone, Brown's improvisations were brimming with life and vigor.  After his first recordings in 1952 with Chris Powell and Tadd Dameron, Brown joined the Art Blakey Quintet in 1954, helping to pioneer a style that became known as “hard bop.”  Later that year, he teamed up with Max Roach to form the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet, which became one of the premier jazz groups of the mid-1950s.  Despite Brown’s untimely death in a car accident on June 26, 1956, his style has influenced generations of trumpeters after him.  Tune in on October 30th to experience the continuing legacy of this great musician.  Here's a little taste of Brownie in advance - click here to listen to the classic "Jordu", as recorded in 1955 with Brown on trumpet, Roach on drums, Harold Land on sax, George Morrow on bass, and Richie Powell on piano.