active until the end of the 1970s, when each sibling elected to pursue other work.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Brecker remained active as a sideman and leader performing with Eliane Elias, Jaco Pastorius, Bob Berg, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Henderson, and Conrad Herwig. Brecker was one of the top recorded trumpet players during this time and was frequently used in big bands including the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra and the Mingus Big Band. During the 2000s, Brecker released numerous recordings and continued to appear as a soloist and leader while maintaining an active schedule presenting workshops and performing at jazz festivals worldwide. Several books and transcriptions of Brecker’s solos have been made available.
BRICKTOP’S
A term for the nightclubs in Paris, Mexico City, and Rome that were owned by singer Ada “Bricktop” Smith.
BRIDGE
A term for a section of a song containing melodic material that is in contrast to the other section. A common form in jazz is AABA, in which the A sections are all similar to each other and the B section may contain a modulation in key. “I Got Rhythm” and “Confirmation” are examples of jazz standards with an AABA form. See also RELEASE.
BRIDGEWATER, DEE DEE (1950–)
A jazz singer, Bridgewater is a three-time Grammy Award winner and a Tony Award–winning actress. She performed with musicians including Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, and Max Roach, among many others. She was the host of National Public Radio’s syndicated program JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater for 23 years. In 2017, Bridgewater was named an NEA Jazz Master. In addition to numerous jazz recordings, she has also recorded as a rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul singer, reflecting her roots in Memphis, Tennessee. Bridgewater has been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan and the Berklee College of Music and is a United Nations goodwill ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization.
BRITISH RHYTHM SOCIETY
A New York–based record label established in 1948, it was created as part of Dante Bolletino’s Globe Industries. It was one of the first record labels to release reissues of early jazz that had previously been released without authorization during the 1920s.
BROOKMEYER, ROBERT “BOB” (1929–2011)
One of the most significant players to perform on valve trombone, Brookmeyer’s career is a combination of working as a leader, sideman, and arranger for many groups. After freelancing for several years in New York during the 1950s with musicians like Claude Thornhill, Woody Herman, and Tex Beneke, Brookmeyer was hired by Gerry Mulligan. The two created a formidable pairing and toured frequently throughout the end of the decade.
During the 1960s, while still working and recording with Mulligan, Brookmeyer began to develop as a composer and wrote compositions for Mulligan, Clark Terry, and the Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Orchestra. Brookmeyer’s affiliation with the Jones-Lewis band was significant and led eventually to his being given the role of musical director for the group. During the 1970s, he split time leading his own small groups and doing studio work. Brookmeyer’s presence overseas increased, and he found much work there during this time as well. Among Brookmeyer’s best-known arrangements is his interpretation of the ballad “Skylark.” Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Brookmeyer became increasingly more involved in education and joined the faculty of the New England Conservatory.
BRÖTZMANN, PETER (1941–)
A highly influential free jazz saxophonist, Brötzmann was born in Germany. He learned several instruments as a youth until settling on the saxophone. Recording as a sideman and under his own name in the 1960s, Brötzmann would work with many of Europe’s finest free jazz musicians, including Evan Parker and William Parker. Brötzmann continued to experiment with a variety of jazz styles throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including the expanded use of electronic instruments. Beginning in 1997, he toured and recorded regularly with the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet before disbanding the group in 2012. He has recorded more than 50 albums as a bandleader.
BROWN, CLIFFORD (1930–1956)
Despite passing away much too young, trumpet player Brown was one of the most influential jazz figures of the 1950s and remains highly influential today. Developing his style and improvisation skills in Philadelphia, Brown worked with Tadd Dameron and Lionel Hampton in the early 1950s. After a famous but short stint with Art Blakey, Brown forged a relationship with Max Roach, creating the now famous Clifford Brown–Max Roach Quintet. Sidemen for the group included Harold Land, Sonny Rollins, and Richie Powell, and the group released several classic albums on the EmArcy label. On the way home from a performance with the group, Brown was involved in a fatal car accident along with Powell. Brown’s legacy is carried on through the recordings he made, in addition to the influence he had on trumpeters including Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. See also HARD BOP.
BROWN, (RAY)MOND MATTHEWS (1926–2002)
Brown was a bassist, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who was influenced early in his life by the bass playing of Duke Ellington’s bassist, Jimmy Blanton. He moved to New York City at the age of 20, eager to experience the growing jazz scene. He began almost immediately working with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and soon played with established musicians including Art Tatum and Charlie Parker. While playing in Gillespie’s band, Brown performed in the rhythm section alongside vibist Milt Jackson, drummer Kenny Clarke, and pianist John Lewis. After vocalist Ella Fitzgerald joined the band in 1947, the two married. Though they divorced 1953, they would continue to perform together for many years. From 1951 to 1965, Brown was a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio. Brown recorded extensively as a session musician for producer Norman Granz during the 1950s, often with Peterson.
After leaving the Peterson trio, Brown moved to Los Angeles, California. During the following decades, he performed and recorded a number of albums. He led his own trios and in his later years recorded and toured extensively with pianist Gene Harris. Collaborations included Monty Alexander, André Previn, Joe Pass, and guitarist Herb Ellis, among others. Brown continued to perform until his death in 2002.
BRUBECK, DAVE (1920–2012)
One of the most popular jazz musicians of all time, Brubeck began his career in California while attending the University of the Pacific. His early career included work with several different-sized groups, including a 12-piece band, and eventually his own trio. Much of Brubeck’s fame came from his compositions, most notably “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” both composed in the 1950s when he was in his prime and working with what would be considered his most famous group, a quartet featuring alto saxophonist Paul Desmond. Brubeck spent much time in the 1960s and 1970s composing for large and small groups, in addition to raising three children who would themselves develop into established musicians. Toward the end of his career, Brubeck was presented many lifetime achievement awards for the work he had done as a composer and performer. See also WEST COAST JAZZ.
BRUNSWICK
An important record label established in the 1910s in Iowa. Brunswick acquired many other record labels throughout the 1920s and 1930s, including Vocalion. Artists to record for Brunswick in the 1920s and 1930s included Fletcher Henderson, the Original Memphis Five, Teddy Wilson, and Billie Holiday. Brunswick