Artist: Clifford Brown

Clifford Brown was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", and "Daahoud" have become jazz standards. 

Brown was influenced and encouraged by Fats Navarro. His first recordings were with R&B bandleader Chris Powell. He worked with Chris Powell, Tadd Dameron, Lionel Hampton and J. J. Johnson, before forming a band with Max Roach. 

One of the most notable developments during Brown's period in New York was the formation of Art Blakey's Quintet, which would become the Jazz Messengers. Blakey formed the band with Brown, Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver, and Curley Russell, and recorded the quintet's first album live at the Birdland jazz club.

A week at Club Harlem in May 1952 featured alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and Brown. Brown later noted that Parker was impressed by his playing, saying privately to the young trumpeter "I don't believe it." 

Max Roach and Brown formed the joint Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet in the mid-1950s, with tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Richie Powell, and bassist George Morrow, with Rollins taking Land's place in 1955.

in forming the band, they settled upon the standard bebop quintet of trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums, with saxophone, piano, and bass players needed. The bandleaders settled upon former Count Basie bassist George Morrow, pianist Carl Perkins, and tenor saxophone player Teddy Edwards as the first group. Although that line-up was short-lived, it "sent shock waves throughout the jazz community" according to Sam Samuelson. 

As the band was still deciding on its personnel, Brown and Roach met alto saxophone player and multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, who had his own apartment where he hosted jam sessions. Among the jam session's musicians were future quintet members Harold Land and George Morrow. Bud Powell's  brother Richie arrived in the L.A. area around this time and was recruited as the quintet's pianist. The band accepted recording session offers and Brown composed several tunes that were adopted by the new quintet. Meanwhile, a larger, fully arranged band was organized for one of the upcoming recording sessions by Jack Montrose of Pacific Coast Jazz Records. 

Released in 1956, the final "official album" by the quintet – At Basin Street – introduced tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. The album was a "hard bop classic," and "highly recommended" by Scott Yanow. While previous quintet albums included original compositions, this album consisted mostly of jazz standards, although it did have a couple Richie Powell compositions.