Portrait of Lawrence Brown, Pt. II (Podcast #19-014)

Lawrence Brown (1907-88) was a major voice in the Ellington orchestra. He played with Duke for 29 years, longer than any other trombonist in the orchestra. Continue reading

“As a soloist, his taste his impeccable, but his greatest role is that of an accompanist. The old timers used to say, ‘Soloists are made, but accompanists are born’. Lawrence Brown is the accompanist par excellence. During the many years he was with us, records prove that his solo performances had the widest range from classical standard up to, around, and above the jet-swept contour of the vision we almost hear.”

-Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress


 

ellington-1965-15


Lawrence Brown’s interview for the Jazz Oral History Project can be found here.


 



The recordings heard on this podcast episode:



(Under construction…..)

JH four classic albumsGlobe Trotter (CD: “Four Classic Albums” Avid Jazz AMSC999)

Recorded 15 January 1951, New York City

Emmett Berry – trumpet; Lawrence Brown – trombone; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Al Sears – tenor sax; Leroy Lovett – piano; Lloyd Trotman – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.


duke 100Creole Blues  (CD: “Duke Ellington: The Columbia Years 1927-1962” Columbia 5176872)

Recorded 14 July 1960, Los Angeles

Lawrence Brown – trombone; Duke Ellington – piano; Aaron Bell – bass.


hodges the orchestraStardust (CD: “Johnny Hodges, soloist, Billy Strayhorn and The Orchestra” Verve 314 557 543-2)

Recorded 11/12 December 1961, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Cat Anderson, Harold “Shorty” Baker, Bill Berry, Howard McGhee, Eddie “Moon” Mullens – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Quentin Jackson, Chuck Connors – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope; Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Jimmy Jones – piano; Aaron Bell – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums


Great Paris ConcertRose of the Rio Grande  (CD: “The Great Paris Concert” Collectables 7818)

Recorded 1 February 1963, Paris

Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, Cootie Williams, Roy Burrowes – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope; Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Ernie Shepard – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.


recollectionsMinnie the Moocher (CD: “Recollections of the Big Band Era” Warner Bros. 7411628)

Recorded 13 December 1962, Chicago

Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, Cootie Williams, Roy Burrowes – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope; Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Ernie Shepard – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.


Let’s Go Fly a Kite (CD: “The Reprise Studio Recordings” Mosaic Records #193)

Cat Anderson, Herbie Jones, Cootie Williams, Nat Woodard – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope; Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Eddie Johnson, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; John Lamb – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.


I Left my Heart In San Francisco (CD: “The Reprise Studio Recordings” Mosaic Records #193)

Recorded 27 April 1964, New York City

Cat Anderson, Rolf Ericson, Cootie Williams, Herbie Jones – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope; Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Major Holley – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.


Everybody knows Johnny HodgesStompy Jones/Mood Indigo (CD: “Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges” GRP/Impulse! GRD-116)

Recorded 8 March 1965, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Ray Nance, Cat Anderson – trumpet; Lawrence Brown – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton, Harold Ashby – reeds; Jimmy Jones – piano; Richard Davis – bass; Gus Johnson (on “Stompy Jones”), Johnny Hodges, Jr. (on “Mood Indigo”) – drums.


A Beautiful Friendship (CD: “The Reprise Studio Recordings” Mosaic Records #193)

Recorded Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, Cootie Williams, Herbie Jones – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope; Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; John Lamb – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.


hodges davis con saxRabbit Out of the Hat (CD: “Con Soul & Sax/Wild Bill is the Boss” Lone Hill Jazz LHJ10283)

Recorded 17 January 1966, New York City

Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Lawrence Brown – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet; Wild Bill Davis – organ; Billy Butler – guitar; Bob Bushnell – bass; Joe Marshall – drums.


Rockville

— Our closing music —-

0000120517It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.