Memorial Album (Rudy Van Gelder Edition) (1963)

"Clifford Brown was incredibly influential for someone who died so young. The Fats Navarro-minded trumpeter was only 25 when a car accident claimed his life in 1956, but his influence remained: Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd, and Carmell Jones were among the many trumpet titans who were heavily influenced by Brown. In the early to mid-'50s, Brown kept getting more and more exciting, year by year. That means that when it comes to Brown's CDs, excellent doesn't necessarily mean essential. Recorded in 1953, the material on this 18-track CD isn't quite as essential as some of Brown's work with drummer Max Roach in 1954 and 1955, but is still superb. The trumpet icon is heard at two different sessions. Brown's solos are consistently expressive; he swings unapologetically hard on up-tempo fare, but is quite lyrical on the ballads. One thing all of the performances have in common is a strong Fats Navarro influence." (Alex Henderson, Allmusic)