Curtis Fuller belongs to the select group of trombone players who have managed to play themselves out of the horn section of a big band. Together with illustrious colleagues like Joe ‘Tricky Sam’ Nanton, J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding, Fuller as a soloist was able to develop a language, in which he could tell his musical stories to the listener in a clear and compelling manner. In his ‘army band’ he coincidentally played with Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley. Fuller established his name with the Jazztet of Benny Golson and Art Farmer and with The Jazz Messengers of Art Blakey, the drummer he played with from 1961 until 1965. Curtis Fuller still is a trombone player who keeps on developing the hardbop idiom on his instrument. He is one of the few jazz legends still alive, you must have heard once. Luckily that’s still possible.
