Biography
Lenny McBrowne personifies hard bop drumming at its most archetypal, pushing his ride cymbal swing aggressively forward as though an attacker brandishing a scimitar. Any solid anthology of the style tends to include several tracks featuring him, often alongside forceful saxophonists such as Booker Ervin or Sonny Criss. He also supported guitarist Kenny Burrell on multiple standout sessions, spurring the guitarist forward in the manner of a board pressed against the back of the brow. Some listeners attribute his distinctive rhythm-section approach to double-bass studies pursued at the New York School of Music during the late 1940s, an endeavor that proved beneficial rather than detrimental. Percussion training began around the same period under respected instructors that included Max Roach and Sticks Evans.
In the ensuing years McBrowne concentrated on drums while collaborating with alto-saxophone master Ernie Henry, known for his stinging, biting tone; the robust, gruff baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne; and pianist Randy Weston, whose pronounced North African musical leanings motivated the drummer, even though tenor colossus Sonny Rollins, who favored blistering tempos that left McBrowne appearing to lag, remained unmoved. Dreamy pianist Paul Bley, by contrast, evidently welcomed the alert quality of McBrowne’s cymbal playing, a reaction shared by audiences when present. Between 1959 and 1961 the drummer assumed leadership duties with his own ensemble, the Four Souls. After relocating to New York City he performed with vocalist Sarah Vaughan and the high-energy vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan. Throughout the 1960s he continued associations with Weston and Ervin while also accompanying more mainstream figures such as Ray Bryant and Teddy Wilson.
Although Ben Riley is often identified as the regular drummer in Thelonious Monk’s quartet, McBrowne actually occupied the drum chair for the pianist’s initial Japanese tours; live documents from those engagements reveal McBrowne tempering his customary hard-bop drive in favor of the more refined, space-conscious manner associated with Riley, responding sensitively to Monk’s strategic deployment of silence. Nevertheless, the aggressive posture remained the one most closely identified with McBrowne, especially during his close partnership with Ervin from 1966 through the remainder of the decade, which encompassed some of the saxophonist’s most intense outings. Younger colleagues such as trumpeter Charles Tolliver and pianist John Hicks generated sufficient heat to leave the drummer perspiring, an intensity he appeared intent on moderating by the early 1970s.
Subsequent activities took on a more relaxed character as McBrowne recorded and toured with Burrell and trumpeter Blue Mitchell while settling into the comparatively unhurried San Francisco music community. Occasional workshop appearances and sessions with players such as Sam Noto and Dave Pike followed, yet new recording credits largely ceased after the early 1970s.
In the ensuing years McBrowne concentrated on drums while collaborating with alto-saxophone master Ernie Henry, known for his stinging, biting tone; the robust, gruff baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne; and pianist Randy Weston, whose pronounced North African musical leanings motivated the drummer, even though tenor colossus Sonny Rollins, who favored blistering tempos that left McBrowne appearing to lag, remained unmoved. Dreamy pianist Paul Bley, by contrast, evidently welcomed the alert quality of McBrowne’s cymbal playing, a reaction shared by audiences when present. Between 1959 and 1961 the drummer assumed leadership duties with his own ensemble, the Four Souls. After relocating to New York City he performed with vocalist Sarah Vaughan and the high-energy vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan. Throughout the 1960s he continued associations with Weston and Ervin while also accompanying more mainstream figures such as Ray Bryant and Teddy Wilson.
Although Ben Riley is often identified as the regular drummer in Thelonious Monk’s quartet, McBrowne actually occupied the drum chair for the pianist’s initial Japanese tours; live documents from those engagements reveal McBrowne tempering his customary hard-bop drive in favor of the more refined, space-conscious manner associated with Riley, responding sensitively to Monk’s strategic deployment of silence. Nevertheless, the aggressive posture remained the one most closely identified with McBrowne, especially during his close partnership with Ervin from 1966 through the remainder of the decade, which encompassed some of the saxophonist’s most intense outings. Younger colleagues such as trumpeter Charles Tolliver and pianist John Hicks generated sufficient heat to leave the drummer perspiring, an intensity he appeared intent on moderating by the early 1970s.
Subsequent activities took on a more relaxed character as McBrowne recorded and toured with Burrell and trumpeter Blue Mitchell while settling into the comparatively unhurried San Francisco music community. Occasional workshop appearances and sessions with players such as Sam Noto and Dave Pike followed, yet new recording credits largely ceased after the early 1970s.