Logo - Feel The Words

Clifford Quotes

Jazz brass and Broadway ink

Many of these Clifford quotes celebrate the sound of Bebop trumpeter Clifford Brown, whose recordings still shape how players describe tone and feel.

I sounded like myself. People be saying I sound like Miles or Clifford Brown.

Quotes by Wynton Marsalis

There have been many great musicians that, Clifford Brown is one great example, I mean he died very early, 25.

Quotes by Sonny Rollins

If we are going to list guitar influences, the biggest one by far is Wes Montgomery. Also, Gary Burton was obviously huge for me in a number of ways. But beyond that, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard.

Quotes by Pat Metheny

My father was a jazz tenor sax player. He played in a lot of big bands. So I had that sound around me all the time. The first record that really caught my ear was Clifford Brown's 'Brownie Eyes.' I...

Quotes by Meshell Ndegeocello

Balance Quotes

As an actor, to go and see those shows - great plays like 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' and Clifford Odets's 'Golden Boy' - it's so exhilarating. I'd personally love to perform the role of Jerry in Edward Albee's 'The...

Quotes by Keegan Allen

I really enjoy listening to players on the cusp of swing into bebop like Charlie Shavers, Clifford Brown and Clark Terry. They balance immense facility on their instrument with rhythm, melody, and more complex harmonies of the time.

Quotes by Bria Skonberg

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Clifford do most of these quotes reference?
Most point to jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown, praised for a distinctive sound that later musicians say still echoes in their own playing. His early death at 25 is mentioned as cutting short a remarkable talent.
Is there a Clifford connected to theater as well?
Yes, playwright Clifford Odets comes up through an actor recalling the thrill of seeing his plays performed, including a strong wish to one day take on a role from Golden Boy.
How did musicians first encounter Clifford Brown's music?
One speaker describes a father who played tenor sax in big bands, filling the house with jazz, and recalls a Clifford Brown record as the first one that truly caught their ear.
How is Clifford Brown's style described by other players?
He is tied closely to Bebop, remembered as a trumpeter whose tone shaped how other musicians talk about phrasing and feel.
Is Clifford Brown compared to other jazz greats?
Yes, one quote places him among towering figures like Coltrane, framing his brief career as no less influential for its short length.

Others set Clifford Brown next to peers like Coltrane, a reminder of how short his career was against his lasting influence.