Tom Browne gained some fame for his R&B-ish/funk recordings cut for Arista and GRP during 1979-1986. In those days he would often record an occasional straight-ahead number in the middle of his crossover sets; 1981's
Yours Truly has a fine version of "Lazy Bird." In 1986
Browne was dropped by GRP and since then he has become a commercial pilot. On the liner notes of his comeback album, he disavows his earlier recordings, saying that at heart he was a hard bop player all along. During this 1996 set
Browne, who is most influenced by
Freddie Hubbard and
Lee Morgan, occasionally has inventive ideas that his chops cannot quite play; it can be tough being a part-time player. The music is strictly straight-ahead in the Blue Note vein with plenty of solo space for Javon Jackson's tenor and pianist
Larry Goldings and fine support offered by bassist
Ron Carter and drummer
Idris Muhammad. With the exception of "In a Sentimental Mood," all of the numbers were either composed by or associated with a trumpeter, and even with an occasional misstep,
Tom Browne's playing in this setting is well worth hearing. ~ Scott Yanow