The New Thing & The Blue Thing by Ted Curson

20 Feb

Written by Lee Prosser
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When most folks talk about the great trumpet players of the 60s, you know they're going to mention Miles, Lee Morgan, Kenny Dorham & Freddie Hubbard, but rarely - oddly enough - do they mention Ted Curson. He played with Mingus in the early 60s and he's still active today. Go figure, but Koch Jazz has reissued a rare album of his from 1965, originally on Atlantic, and it's a timeless piece of work. Curson has a bristling tone (like Hubbard) that features strong (yet implicit) blues & gospel elements, but with an awareness of "the new thing" (Don Cherry, John Coltrane, etc.) of that era.

Maybe that's why he's not better known - his style is too edgy for the "traditionalists" and he plays too "inside" for the "out" crowd. Most of this session is fairly straightahead hard-bop, played with great but unsurprising elan, recalling the Blue Note & Prestige glory days. But the last two tunes, "Reava's Waltz" and "Elephant Walk," Curson & Co. really soar with some fiery solos and some jagged, volatile Mingus-inspired writing and ensemble playing. Modern trumpet fans should look into this and check out his recent work (also dandy, on labels like Evidence) as well.

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Ted Curson
CD Title: The New Thing & The Blue Thing
Genre: BeBop / Hard Bop
Year Released: 1999
Record Label: Koch Jazz
Tracks: Includes Reavas Waltz and Elephant Walk'
Musicians: Ted Curson (trumpet) Bill Barron (tenor sax), Georges Arvanitas (piano), Herb Bushler (bass), Dick Berk (drums)
Label Website: -
Rating: Five Stars