Brownie: Homage to Clifford Brown explained

Brownie: Homage to Clifford Brown
Type:	studio
Artist:	Helen Merrill
Cover:	homagebrown.jpeg
Released:	1994
Recorded:	January 21–23, 1994
Genre:	Jazz
Length:	62:47
Label:	Verve
Producer:	Helen Merrill, Jean-Philippe Allard
Chronology:	Helen Merrill
Prev Title:	Helen Merrill with Strings
Prev Year:	1994
Next Title:	You and the Night and the Music
Next Year:	1998

Brownie: Homage to Clifford Brown is an album by Helen Merrill, recorded in tribute to the trumpeter Clifford Brown.^[1]

Merrill had recorded an album with Brown in 1954.

Reception

AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow stated: "Throughout the often emotional date, Helen Merrill is heard in top form, giving plenty of feeling to the lyrics while leaving room for the guest trumpeters".^[1] The Penguin Guide to Jazz described it as a "classic session [... that] acted as a superb vehicle for Merrill's individual approach to time".

Track listing

1. "Your Eyes" (Clifford Brown, Helen Merrill) – 6:17
2. "Daahoud" (Clifford Brown) – 2:58
3. "(I Was) Born to Be Blue" (Mel Tormé, Bob Wells) – 5:16
4. "I Remember Clifford" (Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks) – 7:00
5. "Joy Spring" (Brown) – 3:59
6. "I'll Remember April" (Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye) – 7:14
7. "Don't Explain" (Arthur Herzog Jr., Billie Holiday) – 6:18
8. "Brownie" (Torrie Zito) – 5:04
9. "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" (Cole Porter) – 4:33
10. "I'll Be Seeing You" (Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal) – 4:53
11. "Memories of You" (Eubie Blake, Andy Razaf) – 3:52
12. "Gone with the Wind" (Herb Magidson, Allie Wrubel) – 2:28
13. "Largo" (Samuel Barber, Antonín Dvořák) – 2:55

Personnel

Musicians

• Helen Merrill – vocals
• Roy Hargrove – flugelhorn, trumpet
• Tom Harrell
• Wallace Roney – trumpet
• Lew Soloff
• Roy Soloff
• Torrie Zito – arranger, director, keyboards, music direction
• Kenny Barron – piano
• Rufus Reid – double bass
• Victor Lewis – drums

Production

• Helen Merrill – producer
• Patrice Beauséjour – art direction
• Mark Agostino – assistant engineer
• Brian Kinkland
• Arthur Friedman
• Jay Newland – engineer, mastering, mixing
• Aissa Martin – hair stylist, make-up
• Beth Kelly – photography
• Cheung Ching Ming
• Jean-Philippe Allard – producer

Notes and References

1. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=brownie-homage-to-clifford-brown-r204445|pure_url=yes}} Brownie: Homage to Clifford Brown]. Allmusic. April 22, 2011.