By: Paula Edelstein, AXS Contributor
Jun 11, 2015
‘Reflections of Brownie’ by Rayford Griffin is available on RazorEdge Records.
Courtesy of Two for the Show Media. Photo by Lena Ringstad. Used with permission.
The arrival of the bebop style of jazz during the 1940s posed a serious change to the landscape of jazz. Jazz audiences shifted from dancing to swinging big bands in dance halls to frequent visits to intimate jazz clubs where they could do some serious listening to such leading modern jazz performers as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and of course Clifford Brown.
Later, in the 1950s, Clifford Brown, now with hard-bop drummer Max Roach, brought a measure of the cool jazz aesthetic Miles Davis was playing to Roach’s band as he continued to make it one of the most important working bands of the decade until his tragic death in 1956 at age 25.
Numerous accolades and tributes followed but none is more heartwarming than Reflections of Brownie, a new 6-track recording offered by Brown’s nephew, Rayford Griffin. Here, Rayford Griffin, a producer/drummer and a coterie of award-winning musicians pay tribute to Brownie’s tone control, his ‘fat’ sound and flawless execution. They successfully marry both concert hall polish with the unbridled energy and creative impetus of modern jazz on such great jazz standards as “Daahoud,” “Jordu,” and “Joy Spring,” among others. All songs were produced and arranged by Rayford Griffin for RazorEdge Productions.
The guest musicians include Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Roy Hargrove, saxophonist Everette Harp, the late George Duke, bassist Brian Bromberg and trumpeters Michael “Patches” Stewart, Rick Braun and Nicholas Payton. Phillipe Saisse, Doug Webb, Dan Lutz, Ian Martin, Barone Brown, Hanz Zermuehlen, Keith Jones, Micheal Hunter, Bobby English, Clifford Brown Jr. & Clifford Brown III also add their musical visions.With this lineup, I can assure you that you, as a listener, are in for some real musical treats.
Clifford Brown’s jazz standard “Daahoud,” is the opening track. Here the unison heads typical of bop is replaced with harmonized trumpeting by Roy Hargrove, Rick Braun, Nicholas Payton and Michael ‘Patches’ Stewart who smooth the edges of hard bop and round everything off with finesse. As the ensemble emphasizes the composition and arrangement, they add an interesting twist to this great song.
Roy Hargrove’s finesse as an interpreter of the jazz repertoire for trumpet for both big band and small ensembles is apparent on “Cherokee.” The shifting meters of Hargrove’s reflection and Griffin’s syncopated drumming are blended as disparate streams that become a coherent style but still shows an underlying allegiance to the hard bop tradition Clifford Brown helped to flourish.
The hard bop style that became the dominant mainstream sound of modern jazz as evolved by Clifford Brown during his time with Max Roach is given an updated approach on “Jordu,” a work that Brown often graced with exceptional trumpet soloing. Here George Duke offers an inspired synth solo while Rick Braun goes the extra mile with a medium-tempo muted trumpet sound that is indicative of Brown’s virtuosity. Michael Stewart also highlights the more assertive style of this group as does Nicky Payton. Griffin’s drum solo is virtuosic and lends an air of Max Roach’s influence to the song.
The fiery performances are climaxed by Brown’s composition “Joy Spring” and a dazzling series of solos that pay tribute to the maturity of Brown’s compositional integrity. Overall, Rayford Griffin does his uncle proud and after hearing Reflections of Brownie, you will smile that proud smile too.