Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ted Curson: In Paris: Live at the Sunside

184

Ted Curson: In Paris: Live at the Sunside

By

View read count
Ted Curson: In Paris: Live at the Sunside
Ted Curson is still very active as a trumpeter and flugelhornist in his seventies, when most players formerly had to give up the instrument for health reasons. Surrounding himself with a strong, young band made up of enthusiastic French musicians, plus several vocalists, Curson's two-CD set compiles highlights from a pair of nights at the Sunside in Paris.

Like Dizzy Gillespie, Curson's intonation and power aren't what they were as a younger man, but his solos are still full of risk-taking moments. The obvious highlights of the first disc are the instrumentals, including smoldering up-tempo interpretations of "Caravan and "Dig, a swaggering "Woody 'n You (featuring the leader's spirited flugelhorn), plus a strutting "Cantaloupe Island, that showcases pianist Alain Jean-Marie and adds conga player Julie Saury. The vocal numbers are a bit uneven by comparison. Curson's "Tears For Dolphy (written in 1964) now features a heartfelt lyric, but the singers backing vocalist Janika Ventsel prove distracting. The trumpeter's vocals on the moving "'Round Midnight and a warm "Georgia On My Mind are sincere, mixing nostalgia with just a touch of humor. But his bluesy vocal of "Piima Boogie (evidently a popular brand of buttermilk) is strictly for laughs.

The second disc is a bit more consistent, starting with the rollicking "Reava's Waltz, a piece Curson named in honor of his mother but actually penned with Charles Mingus in mind (a favorite of Curson's mother). Saury returns on congas for a slinky interpretation of "Tin Tin Deo that also adds Guilaume Naturel on flute, while Curson sounds reminiscent of Gillespie late in his career. The band's blistering takes of "Confirmation and "Milestones work well, though Curson's decision to sing lead in "Lover Man (a woman's song if there ever was one) is rather odd, while "Cherokee benefits from Curson's lively scat and lead vocals.

Track Listing

Caravan; Tears For Dolphy; Dig; 'Round Midnight; Woody 'n You; Georgia on My Mind; Pilma Boogie; Reava's Waltz; Blueberry Hill; Tin Tin Deo; Lover Man; Milestones; Summertime; Cherokee; Confirmation; Blues Medley.

Personnel

Ted Curson
trumpet

Ted Curson: trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals; Alain Jean-Marie-piano; Gilles Naturel: bass; Philippe Sorat: drums; Pierrick Pedron: alto saxophone; Guilaume Naturel: flute; Julie Saury: percussion; Daiva Staarinskaite: vocals; Evrim Ozsuca: vocals; Sylvia Howard: vocals; Ferhat Oz: vocals; Jaanika Ventsel: vocals.

Album information

Title: In Paris: Live at the Sunside | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Blue Marge

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.