Search - Cleo Brown :: The Legendary Cleo Brown

Cleo's earliest and best work

Robert English | Independence, OR USA | 02/21/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before becoming a Christian and deserting her Jazz sensibilities, Cleo Brown mixed it up brilliantly with some of the better jazz players of her day (Gene Krupa on drums, for instance). This CD features her pre-war Decca sides, when she was a "party girl" who could play some great piano. The remastering work on these 78 rpm originals is quite good - there is only occasional minor disc noise.Those who like the piano work of Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, or Mary Lou Williams will find this disk a delight. From the same period (mid-30's), and of the same swinging sensibility as the three giants mentioned above, Cleo had a unique spin on the music that was all her own.My first exposure was finding one 78 side of hers, "The Stuff is Here (and it's mellow)" which is included here - after playing it I was bewitched by this woman's energetic delivery. She displays a campy sense of humor in her vocal inflection, which takes some getting used to, but once you're used to it, you'll be hooked."