Clifford Brown & Max Roach – Study in Brown – 180 Gram Vinyl Record

Description

Clifford Brown & Max Roach – Study in Brown – 180 Gram Vinyl Record

Study in Brown captures the Clifford Brown–Max Roach Quintet at a creative peak in 1955. With Harold Land on tenor saxophone, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass, the co-led band combines bebop precision, hard-bop weight, and an unusual generosity of ensemble sound. Brown’s trumpet brilliance is central, but the record succeeds as a group statement.

“Cherokee” opens at a formidable tempo and contains one of Brown’s most celebrated solos, yet the performance never feels like speed for its own sake. His articulation remains clear, Roach shapes the momentum with melodic drumming, and the written passages give the improvisation a strong frame. “Jacqui” and “Swingin’” then show the band’s lighter, more lyrical side.

Land’s “Lands End” and Brown’s “George’s Dilemma” broaden the harmonic language, while “Sandu” delivers a blues line that became a jazz standard. Powell’s piano helps connect the horns through concise voicings, and Morrow’s bass gives Roach the freedom to comment around the pulse.

The closing stretch—“Gerkin for Perkin,” “If I Love Again,” and “Take the ‘A’ Train”—moves from compact original writing to standards without any drop in character. The album demonstrates why this short-lived quintet remains a model: virtuosity is always tied to melody, arrangement, and collective swing.

This Verve Acoustic Sounds Series edition presents the original nine-track album on 180-gram vinyl, mastered from analog sources and packaged for an audiophile reissue program. It preserves the full EmArcy sequence without later bonus material.

Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic

Track Listing

1. Cherokee

2. Jacqui

3. Swingin’

4. Lands End

5. George’s Dilemma

6. Sandu

7. Gerkin For Perkin

8. If I Love Again

9. Take The "A" Train