Ted Curson - Flip Top

Ted Curson - Flip Top

I discovered Ted Curson the same moment I discovered Eric Dolphy, when someone laid a cassette of Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus on me my first month of school. It was a revelation in every aspect, from the compositions to the free improv to the blurred lines in between, to the raw sound of a piano-less Mingus quartet, to the seemingly instinctual communication between the musicians, especially Danny Richmond and Mingus. Ted Curson's name was etched in my mind, although I could not find him on another Mingus record. I barely found him at all except for his Tears for Dolphy album, a 1964 session recorded in Paris. Flip Top features more tunes from that session with tenor saxophonist Bill Barron and two of his tunes (Desolation and Light Blue) on side one. Side two is a different story. Recorded live at the 1966 Yugoslavia Jazz Festival, Curson is featured with the Zagreb Radio Orchestra on three of his compositions. He blows some great solos, and the arrangements are tight enough to fly, loose enough to vamp, and an interesting look at a composer with a couple years under Mingus's baton on his resume. Makes me wonder why on one ever gave Mingus the Zagreb Radio Orchestra.

All compositions by Ted Curson except where noted.

1.		Searchin´ For The Blues
2.		Desolation (Barron)
3.		Light Blue (Barron)
4.		Quicksand
5.		Straight Ice
6.		Flip Top

1-3
Ted Curson - Trumpet
Bill Barron - Tenor Sax
Herb Bushler - Bass
Dick Berk - Drums
recorded Paris, 1964

4-6
Ted Curson with the Zagreb Radio Orchestra, arr. Zita Carno
recorded live at 1966 Yugoslavia Jazz Festival

Arista/Freedom, 1977

24/96 LP transfer, V0 mp3 download.
TedCurson-FlipTop.zip (66.4 MB)

24/96 LP transfer, 24/96 FLAC download.
TedCurson-FlipTop[FLAC].zip (666.4 MB)

Light Blue - Arthur Blythe Plays Thelonious Monk

I had a passionate affair with Arthur Blythe's cello-guitar-tuba band a few years ago. I had heard Lenox Avenue Breakdown and I had In The Tradition, but the bug didn't bite me until I happened upon Illusions. From there I found Blythe Spirit and was on my way to  discovering this band and the haunting, unforgettable Blythe tone. About five years ago in 2007 I found Light Blue at the old Underdog Records in lower Queen Anne. By then I was actively looking for this group, but I didn't know they did a Monk album, now one of my favorite Monk interpretations. My old cold beer buddy asked for a copy so I figured this was a good enough reason to start posting these discoveries.

All compositions by Thelonious Monk

1. "We See" - 6:30
2. "Light Blue" - 5:12
3. "Off Minor" - 6:48
4. "Epistrophy" - 8:38
5. "Coming On the Hudson" - 6:05
6. "Nutty" - 6:45

Arthur Blythe - alto saxophone

Abdul Wadud - cello

Kelvyn Bell - guitar

Bob Stewart - tuba

Bobby Battle - drums

Columbia Records, 1983

24/96 LP transfer, V0 mp3 download. 
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?y5nw4db34yqu76w

24/96 LP transfer, 24/96 FLAC download.

ArthurBlythe-LightBlue[FLAC].zip (753.3 MB)