Search - Curtis Fuller :: Imagination

Fuller's imagination

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 12/08/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was Curtis Fuller's third of five albums he made for Savoy, the last four all within the span of a year. Interestingly, each album had a different personnel. On this one Curtis is joined by Thad Jones (tp) Benny Golson (ts) McCoy Tyner (p) Jimmy Garrison (b) and Dave Bailey (d).



KACHIN opens with a repetitive, vaguely Oriental theme, but then goes into straight 4/4, with fine solos by everyone. BANG BANG is a way-up blues, done too fast actually (it's amazing to hear Curtis play a slide trombone that rapidly - reminiscent of Frank Rossolino): the quality of the music suffers from the quantity of notes. Then, on the other hand, we get the title track (IMAGINATION) which is taken too slowly, at least until Tyner picks things up a bit. BLUES DE FUNK is a medium blues and Golson takes a bold (and funky) solo. I'd rate this only an average outing in terms of all his Savoys, but in spots it contains excellent music."