Great Bone
Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 07/19/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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 (however, they are all available as a limited edition box set on the Mosaic label), this Savoy title becomes all the more essential."
Golson is one of my favorite writers/arrangers. and yet,
douglasnegley | Pittsburgh, Pa. United States | 09/09/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I can not give this the all-time 5-star rating. It is a good CD, with Tommy Flanagan playing brilliantly, and Fuller in top form. I think it is, ironically, Golson's playing that I am not as enamored of here. The Trane influence seems to have pushed his own sense of musicality which made him so great someplaces where it is sometimes not appropriate. Even in "Blues-ette", I mean, where are the blues in his solo? It is so cerebral and harmonically complicated when all that's required is a great blues/bop statement. Geez, this is Benny Golson I'm taking to task here! One of my heroes... There are stand-out tunes here, too, "Undecided" is a great vehicle for both Fuller and Flanagan, yet Golson's sporadically frenetic solo is out of place, and doesn't seem to match the spirit of everyone elses grooving. I KNOW I'll be skewered for this review, but this is how I feel about it. My favorite tune is "Love Your Spell Is Everywhere", and Golson starts beautifully with great phrading, even in the Trane mode, but then goes frenetic again in the middle. All in all, it is his best solo, but nobody else goes that far out there on this wonderful, lyrical tune. Fuller's attempts make more sense, and Flanagan does it like it's supposed to be done. He doesn't play Powell in the middle (well, not too much!) "Blues-ette" lovers forgive me; I know how good this is. I also know how good it could have been."
Truly enjoyable jazz
JEONG CHEOL JOO | 04/28/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I haven't heard much trombone music until I heard Curtis Fuller. One day, while listening to the John Coltrane's Blue Train album, I noticed a warm and fascinating trombone sound, looked up the name of the player, and finally got this album. Every single song is a real gem and I really love this album."
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1
