Marshall Brown
Encyclopedia
Marshall Brown was a jazz
musician and educator. He played trombone
s and, less often, bass trumpet
or euphonium
. He played the valve trombone.
Brown was little recorded, and devoted most of his career to education. He earned a music degree from New York University
, as a member of the Zeta Psi Fraternity.
Marshall Brown was also a High School Band Director leading the Farmingdale New York 'Daler' band from the early 1950s through 1957.
Brown was the first High School band director to initiate a jazz education program, which he did in his tenure at Farmingdale High.
By 1956 his stage band (jazz big band) the Daler Dance Band was so formidable and impressive (boasting future jazz stars Michael Abene on piano, Andrew Marsala,
saxophone, and whiz drummer Larry Ramsden) that one night at the'56 Newport Jazz Festival, Count Basie, late for his appearance, as he
entered the festival grounds heard the Daler band performing their set and exclaimed, "Damn, they started already", mistaking the 'Dalers'
for his band! The average age of the band members was 14!
Brown received some attention for performing in a quartet with Pee Wee Russell
in the early 1960s. While Russell was most often associated with Dixieland
or swing music, their quartet performed more adventurous, free jazz
-oriented pieces, including songs by Ornette Coleman
and John Coltrane
.
Brown also performed or recorded with Ruby Braff
and Beaver Harris
and Lee Konitz
.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician and educator. He played trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s and, less often, bass trumpet
Bass trumpet
The bass trumpet is a type of low trumpet which was first developed during the 1820s in Germany. It is usually pitched in 8' C or 9' B today, but is sometimes built in E and is treated as a transposing instrument sounding either an octave, a sixth or a ninth lower than written, depending on the...
or euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
. He played the valve trombone.
Brown was little recorded, and devoted most of his career to education. He earned a music degree from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, as a member of the Zeta Psi Fraternity.
Marshall Brown was also a High School Band Director leading the Farmingdale New York 'Daler' band from the early 1950s through 1957.
Brown was the first High School band director to initiate a jazz education program, which he did in his tenure at Farmingdale High.
By 1956 his stage band (jazz big band) the Daler Dance Band was so formidable and impressive (boasting future jazz stars Michael Abene on piano, Andrew Marsala,
saxophone, and whiz drummer Larry Ramsden) that one night at the'56 Newport Jazz Festival, Count Basie, late for his appearance, as he
entered the festival grounds heard the Daler band performing their set and exclaimed, "Damn, they started already", mistaking the 'Dalers'
for his band! The average age of the band members was 14!
Brown received some attention for performing in a quartet with Pee Wee Russell
Pee Wee Russell
Charles Ellsworth Russell, much better known by his nickname Pee Wee Russell, was a jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but eventually focused solely on clarinet....
in the early 1960s. While Russell was most often associated with Dixieland
Dixieland
Dixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
or swing music, their quartet performed more adventurous, free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
-oriented pieces, including songs by Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
and John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
.
Brown also performed or recorded with Ruby Braff
Ruby Braff
Reuben "Ruby" Braff was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Gary Moore TV show and described Ruby as "The Ivy League Louis Armstrong."Braff was born in Boston...
and Beaver Harris
Beaver Harris
William Godvin "Beaver" Harris was an American jazz drummer, who worked extensively with Archie Shepp.-Biography:...
and Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
.
Discography
With Pee Wee RussellPee Wee Russell
Charles Ellsworth Russell, much better known by his nickname Pee Wee Russell, was a jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but eventually focused solely on clarinet....
- Ask Me Now!Ask Me Now!Ask Me Now! is an album by American jazz clarinetist Pee Wee Russell featuring trombonist Marshall Brown recorded in 1963 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1963)