Curson, Ted (actually, Theodore)
Curson, Ted (actually, Theodore)
Curson, Ted (actually, Theodore) , trumpeter; b. Philadelphia, Pa., July 3, 1935. After attending the Granoff school and taking private lessons with Jimmy Heath, he worked locally with John Coltrane and others. After moving to N.Y. in 1956, he worked with Mai Waldron, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, and Cecil Taylor. Curson says he rehearsed every day for a year with Taylor, but they were only able to get one record date and one concert. He had a chance to play with Art Blakey, but turned him down to work with Charles Mingus and Eric Dolphy, including an acclaimed quartet recording in 1960. Curson then co-led a band with Bill Barren, playing with Max Roach, Maynard Ferguson, Charlie Ventura, and his own groups. He worked frequently in Canada (1962–63), then spent most of the late 1960s and 1970s in Europe. He is less well known than he should be at home because he has spent so much time in Europe. His playing displays his natural wit and charm.
Discography
Plenty of Horn (1961); Live at La Tete de L’Art (1962); Fire Down Below (1962); Tears for Dolphy (1964); Flip Top (1964); New Thing and the Blue Thing (1965); Ode to Booker Ervin (1970); Cattin’ Curson (1973); Ted Curson and Co. (1976); Jubilant Power (1976); ’Round About Midnight (1992).
—Lewis Porter