I Remember Clifford (Hendricks)

'I Remember Clifford' is an instrumental jazz standard written by jazz tenor saxophone player Benny Golson in memory of Clifford Brown, the influential and highly regarded jazz trumpeter who died in an auto accident at the age of 25. The first recording was by Don Byrd & Gigi Gryce on March 13, 1957 for Columbia.

English lyrics were soon added by Jon HENDRICKS:

I know he'll never be forgotten, he was a king uncrowned
I know I'll always remember, the warmth of his sound
Linger so long, I'm sure he's still around
For those who heard, they repeat him yet
So those who hear, won't forget
The sound of each phrase echoes the time uncountable by days
The things he played are with us now and they'll endure should time allow
Oh yes, I remember Clifford
I seem to always feel him near somehow

Every day, I hear his lovely tone
In every trumpet sound that has a beauty all it's own
So how can we say someone so real has really gone away?
I hear him now, and always will believe me, I remember Clifford still.

Recordings exist by Dinah Washington (1957), Carmen McRae, Kenny Dorham, Greetje Kauffeld, Mark Murphy, The Manhattan Transfer, Ernestine Anderson w/ George Shearing, Helen Merrill, Solveig Slettahjell, Ellynne Plotnick, Lisa Yves, Anna Kolchina, etc.