Customer Reviews

Blues-Ette

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If J.J. Johnson was the Charlie Parker of the trombone, then Curtis Fuller was the instrument's Sonny Rollins. Throughout the 50s Fuller made excellent albums for both Savoy and Blue Note, and then in the 60s he joined the Jazz Messengers helping to make the classics "Mosaic" and "Free for All." And here's an interesting factoid, Fuller was also the only trombonist to ever play with Bud Powell and John Coltrane. But let's focus on the album at hand, the magnificent "Blues-ette." The album boasts a classic roster with Benny Golson on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Al Harewood on drums. Golson and Fuller each contribute two compostions, and two of these tunes are basically jazz standards today -- Fuller's title track and Golson's "Minor Vamp." With all of Fuller's Blue Note and United Artists albums not available as individual domestic CDs (they are/were all available as a limited edition box set on the Mosaic label too), this Savoy title becomes all the more essential.

Curtis Fuller was one of the greatest trombone players of the 1950s. He made a sizable number of recordings, most of which included members, current and former, of the "Jazztet," including saxophonist Benny Golson and others. These were solid, creative musicians who played a somewhat lighter, blues-based version of the hard bop school associated with Sonny Rollins, J.J. Johnson, Hank Mobley, and John Coltrane.

As time passed the number of recordings of players like Fuller and Golson still in print dwindled to a precious few. It wasn't until the advent of MP3 technology and the widespread use of downloads as an economical and efficient way to acquire recordings that record companies began rereleasing the back catalogs of players who had been nearly forgotten.

But even before the explosion of re-issues in the last few years, there was always at least one Curtis Fuller album that could be found in any record store with a decent sized jazz section. That album was and is "Blues--ette." It has stayed in print, with occasional exceptions, because it is Curtis Fuller's greatest recording, and one of the finest jazz recordings of the 1950's.

From the first riff of "Five Spot After Dark" you can tell that the band is well rehearsed, inventive, and deeply swinging. An old chestnut like "Undecided" becomes the perfect vehicle for the short staccato lines which characterize Fuller's approach to the trombone. The phrasing of Fuller and Golson is wonderfully matched to the material.

From start to finish, "Blues-ette" never disappoints; it should be in the catalog of any serious jazz collector. With the added bonus of alternate takes of "Blues--ette" and "Five Spot After Dark," this album is a treasure. it is also a great place for those who are stocked up on Miles, Coltrane, Rollins, etc., to begin to explore the great "second tier" of players who populated what is often described as the greatest decade in jazz history. Highly recommended.

Fuller and Golson make a terrific pair in this swinging CD! I would say this is certainly among the best of Fuller's material. He had such a great sound. The sound quality is great, allowing you to enjoy Bennie and Curtis at their finest. They were simply among the top horn players in jazz. Recommended for sure.