"C" is for CURSON - Ted Curson

OK, this'll sound like a broken record but it has to be said: why the hell didn't Ted Curson become a star in the jazz world? He was the go-to trumpet player for Mingus for many years. He played for Cecil Taylor. And Gil Evans. And Eric Dolphy... But then his musical comrade in arms, Bill Barron suffered the same fate. Both were outstanding players who were ahead of their time from the git go (why else would Mingus and Taylor enlist them?). I suspect they were deemed members of the avant-garde by the music world when they really weren't. Curson became disillusioned with the American music scene and moved to Europe, eventually settling in Denmark. He returned to the U.S. in 1976.

Curson's music was heavily soaked by the blues. He possesses a big, fat tone (think Lee Morgan in his prime). Simply put: I love his music.

The playlist spans a fair portion of is career - 1962 - 1999 and looks like this:

1. Ted's Tempo (The New Thing and the Blue Thing, 1965)

2. Fire Down Below (Fire Down Below, 1962)

3. Tears For Dolphy (Tears For Dolphy, 1964)

4. Typical Ted (Cattin' Curson, 1973)

5. Milestones (Sugar 'N Spice, 1999)

6. Blue Piccolo (Ted Curson & Co., 1976)

7. Blast Off - Bill Barron (Modern Windows Suite, 1961)

The albums from which the selections were taken are:

Enjoy!