The Beginning and the End has some incredible music. Trumpeter
Clifford Brown is heard at the beginning of his tragically brief career, taking solos on a pair of R&B sides by Chris Powell's Blue Flames. The remainder of the package features
Brown on the last night of his life, just a few hours before his death in a car accident. Performing in his hometown of Philadelphia before a loving crowd, the 25-year-old is heard playing at his absolute peak. He performs "Walkin" with a local sextet that includes Billy Root on tenor and pianist Sam Dockery (a future member of
Art Blakey's
Jazz Messengers), "A Night in Tunisia" with a quintet, and concludes both his night and his career with a quartet rendition of "Donna Lee" that is simply brilliant.
Brown's death was one of the great tragedies in jazz history and his "goodbyes" to the audience are ironic and, in retrospect, quite sad; don't listen to them twice. But
Clifford Brown's playing on this date is so memorable that the LP is essential for all jazz collections. ~ Scott Yanow