NoteA trombonist with Duke Ellington’s orchestra for decades, Lawrence Olen Brown (1907 – 1988) ranks with trombone innovators J. C. Higginbotham and Jack Teagarden, artists who carved out distinct voices in the early days of jazz trombone. Brown’s sweet ballads and fast flowing lines displayed a technical virtuosity recognized by peers such as Tommy Dorsey, Bill Harris and Quentin Jackson. Brown’s career began as a professional jazz musician in regional California bands including stints with Charlie Echols band and Paul Howard’s Quality Serenaders (1929-1930), and made recordings with Louis Armstrong in the Les Hite Orchestra before joining Ellington in 1932. Brown played in the Ellington orchestra for 19 years until leaving to play with the Duke’s star tenor player Johnny Hodges. With only two outings as a leader Brown left an extensive discography throughout his lengthy career as a sideman and studio musician but hung up his trombone in 1970 to work as a music agent for the musicians union.

NotePortions of the publicly available digital files for this transcript have been altered to restore them to their original state.

Genreoral histories, interviews

Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3QJ7M3K

Languageeng

CollectionJazz Oral History Project

Organization NameRutgers University. Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University. Institute of Jazz Studies

RightsThe Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) promote the use of its collections, and strives to protect the integrity of its materials. We offer digital reproductions of IJS materials subject to U.S. copyright law and other legal obligations.

NOTICE OF WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, US Code) governs the reproduction of copyrighted material.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not “to be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

Materials viewed by patrons online or supplied to patrons online are reference copies. Our supply of copies does not constitute copyright permission for further uses and is not an authorization for any further uses involving reproduction, distribution, display, performance, or creation of derivative works, including their use in publications and web sites. It’s the patron’s responsibility to obtain permissions that may be required to use works for purposes other than private study, scholarship, or research, or in excess of fair use.

Now Playing: Tape 1Close

Now Playing: Tape 2Close

Now Playing: Tape 3Close

Now Playing: Tape 4Close

Now Playing: Tape 5Close

Now Playing: Tape 6Close

Now Playing: Tape 7Close

Now Playing: Tape 8Close

Now Playing: Tape 9Close

Now Playing: Tape 10Close

Now Playing: Tape 11Close

Citation & ExportHide

Simple citation

Export

Description

Now Playing: Tape 1
Close

Now Playing: Tape 2
Close

Now Playing: Tape 3
Close

Now Playing: Tape 4
Close

Now Playing: Tape 5
Close

Now Playing: Tape 6
Close

Now Playing: Tape 7
Close

Now Playing: Tape 8
Close

Now Playing: Tape 9
Close

Now Playing: Tape 10
Close

Now Playing: Tape 11
Close

Citation & Export
Hide