The incomparable trumpeter Clifford Brown's star was just starting to ascend when he recorded two sessions as a leader for Blue Note in 1953 a co-led quintet date with alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson and a sextet date under his own name that were later compiled on the 12" LP Memorial Album (BLP 1526) shortly after his tragic death in a car accident in 1956.

Side 1 presents the sextet with alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce, tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist John Lewis, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Art Blakey on a blistering version of "Cherokee", the stunning ballad performance of "Easy Living", the Quincy Jones bebop theme "Wail Bait", and more. Side 2 finds the Donaldson-Brown Quintet with Heath on bass, Elmo Hope on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums cooking through a set including Brown's briskly paced original "Brownie Speaks", Hope's grooving "De-Dah", and the resplendent ballad "You Go To My Head".

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180 gram vinyl at Optimal.