Last updated: 11 hours ago
One of the great swing trombonists, Lawrence Brown tends to be underrated because he spent so much of his career with <a href="spotify:artist:3W4GTSHxlqXfXjdmSNIbTB">Duke Ellington's Orchestra</a>. Actually, Brown's initial solos with <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> upset some of <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Duke</a>'s fans because it was feared that his virtuosity did not fit into a band where primitive effects and mutes were liberally utilized. But over time, Brown carved out his own place in the <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> legacy.
Lawrence Brown learned piano, violin, and tuba before deciding to stick to the trombone. He recorded with Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders (1929-1930) and <a href="spotify:artist:19eLuQmk9aCobbVDHc6eek">Louis Armstrong</a> (with Les Hite's Orchestra in 1930) in Los Angeles before joining <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> in 1932, staying until 1951 when he left to join <a href="spotify:artist:7lRFrrINQTY35g8hq0kXY5">Johnny Hodges</a>' new small group. After 1955, Brown became a studio musician in New York, but then spent 1960-1970 back with <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> (where he reluctantly had to play some solos with a plunger mute) before retiring. Although he only led two albums of his own (a 1955-1956 outing for Clef and 1965's Inspired Abandon for Impulse), Brown was well-featured on many recordings with <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> through the years; "The Sheik of Araby" (1932) and "Rose of the Rio Grande" (1938) were favorites. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
Lawrence Brown learned piano, violin, and tuba before deciding to stick to the trombone. He recorded with Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders (1929-1930) and <a href="spotify:artist:19eLuQmk9aCobbVDHc6eek">Louis Armstrong</a> (with Les Hite's Orchestra in 1930) in Los Angeles before joining <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> in 1932, staying until 1951 when he left to join <a href="spotify:artist:7lRFrrINQTY35g8hq0kXY5">Johnny Hodges</a>' new small group. After 1955, Brown became a studio musician in New York, but then spent 1960-1970 back with <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> (where he reluctantly had to play some solos with a plunger mute) before retiring. Although he only led two albums of his own (a 1955-1956 outing for Clef and 1965's Inspired Abandon for Impulse), Brown was well-featured on many recordings with <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Ellington</a> through the years; "The Sheik of Araby" (1932) and "Rose of the Rio Grande" (1938) were favorites. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
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