Clifford Brown & Max Roach/EmArcy (Acoustic Sounds Verve Series)/Vinyl reissue [2025]

This recording is my first Clifford Brown LP and a top tip from Jack Graham via his wonderful “Straight Talk with Jack Graham” jazz YouTube channel. Jack has not steered me wrong yet.

Also, I’m not sure why I’m so late to the Clifford Brown party. He’s been a top player recommended by my trumpet-playing colleagues for many years.

So, after a quick stream of this swinging album, it was an easy buy from Amazon with next-day delivery.

Here, Brown is joined in the headline by drummer extraordinaire Max Roach and with the equally extraordinary Harold Land as tenor sideman with George Morrow on bass and Richie Powell on piano. Stellar casting for a great session.

It was recorded in August 1954 (two years before Brown’s fatal car accident) at Capitol in Hollywood. The LP was produced by Bob Shad for EmArcy. Even ChatGPT could not find the original engineer’s name.

This beautifully produced LP is from the Acoustic Sounds Series, reissued from Verve. It’s mastered from the original analogue tapes by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab. It’s pressed on 180g vinyl and ships in a beautiful Stoughton Printing gatefold old-style tip-on jacket.

My record has a dish warp on Side A, but it didn’t interfere with playback. I played the mono pressing on my mono setup with a dedicated turntable/arm, mono cart, mono curve and mono switch on my phono stage.

The set begins with a leisurely but swinging “Delilah” with great trades between Brown and Land. Which propels headfirst into “Parisian Thoroughfare”. But no matter the tempo or style, Brown and Land’s soloing is super tasteful. Every note out of the horns when improvising sounds exactly as you feel they should. Both master players. And ably accompanied by a top rhythm section with the great Max Roach driving everything with his exceptional drumming. His many solos are endlessly inventive.

After leaving Paris, we’re straight into an uptempo “The Blues Walk”. Here, Brown’s explosive dynamics are captured perfectly by Lutthans’ exceptional mastering. His articulation and breath support burst through the speakers, and I was surprised there were no tape artifact nasties hanging around. The tape’s freshness is also apparent on the drum solos. Great cymbal, fade, tom decay and emphatic initial strikes.

The giant steps on Side 1 continue on Side 2. “Daahoud”, “Joy Spring”, “Jordu” and a great up-tempo “What Am I Here For” close a very satisfying set.

Throughout the record, there is a very playful synergy between the two horn soloists. And their playing (and rhythm section) are spread beautifully between the speakers. It sounds like a lush stereo recording but with that special mono immediacy. Brown’s literally in the room.

This is my first Matt Lutthans remaster. Consider me very impressed. Very highly recommended.

Side A

1. Delilah

2. Parisian Thoroughfare

3. The Blues Walk

Side B

1. Daahoud

2. Joy Spring

3. Jordu

4. What Am I Here For