Billboard : 03/03/1962
Four Stars

Curtis Fuller, supported by Jimmy Heath, and Freddie Hubbard, turns in some pleasant solo work on this listenable jazz set. Fuller has had stronger albums, but this will interest his fans. His best work is contained on his original composition, The Clan, plus the familiar In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning. Heath and Hubbard, and pianist Cedar Walton, add much to the date.

—–

Charlotte News
Jerry Reece : 04/28/1962

Curtis Fuller, in many mines, is the new J.J. Johnson. Some see a resemblance in sound, style and ideas between this young jazzman and the master trombonist. Soul Trombone featuring the “Jazz Clan” showcases the talents of Fuller and although this corner found it interesting and in most cases satisfying, we did not find it up to J.J.’s standards.

Joined by Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jimmy Heath on tenor sax, Cedar Walton on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass, Jimmy Cobb (or G.T. Hogan) on drums, Fuller romps through six tunes – three of his own, two ballads and Stan Getz‘s Dear Old Stockholm.

It’s only on the latter that his talent equals that of Johnson’s.

—–

Down Beat : 05/10/1962
John S. Wilson : 2.5 stars

This is a strangely uneven collection, ranging from a superior treatment of Stockholm, on which both Curtis Fuller and Heath take strong, moving solos, to the completely undistinguished playing that characterizes the entire first side of the record. On the three numbers that make up the entire first side – The Clan, Small Hours, and Newdles – Fuller and Heath, along with Hubbard and Walton, string out a dismally empty set of solos.

The Clan opens in a distinctly Miles Davis manner but then proceeds to go nowhere under the meandering ministrations of the soloists. Breeze and Ladies are several cuts above this, largely because of more thoughtful soloing by Fuller, but it is Stockholm that lifts the entire level and rating of the set, for this piece has shape, depth and performance values that are lacking on the rest of the album.

It is collections such as this that make one yearn for the old 78s, on which the padding in evidence on these two LP sides was not necessary.

—–

Liner Notes by Margo Guryan

The Man
Curtis Fuller has been in New York, playing and recording since 1957. In 1959, he was voted New Star on trombone in the Down Beat readers’ poll, and placed second in the Downbeat critics’ poll of this year. It is therefore somewhat inaccurate to hear him occasionally referred to as an “up and coming” trombonist. I am sure, after hearing the music on this album, you will agree that Curtis Fuller has arrived!

Mr. Fuller is a quiet young man with very definite ideas about music. I shall be mostly concerned with these ideas and little with his biography, as Curtis has informed me there is an abundance of this information available on the jackets of his many recordings released on various labels since 1957. Suffice it to say that he became interested in music at 16 years of age, and began his studies in high school with the violin. He later became a trombonist because “all the trombone players graduated.”

Mr. Fuller calls himself a “reservist.” Although somewhat conservative, he is very much aware of the experiments and innovations now taking place in jazz and discusses new techniques enthusiastically. However, being a trained musician, he cannot discard certain traditions as easily as others. He is a great admirer of Strauss, Mendelssohn and Wagner, and feels that 18th and 19th century music is still being listened to and enjoyed because it is “so alive, so free.”

Curtis Fuller is an advocate of discipline in art. “The more restrictions there are, the freer the music becomes,” he states. He greatly admires J.J. Johnson for this reason, feeling that, in addition to being a fine trombonist, Mr. Johnson is one of the most important composers in jazz today. The discussion of Mr. Johnson naturally led me to question Curtis about the comparisons that are always made among musicians who play the same instrument. He feels that this criticism is often unfair. Because they are close friends, Curtis has had many opportunities to discuss music with J.J., and play for him and with him. Curtis maintains it is only natural for him to exhibit the influence of someone he respects so much. However, all musicians are influenced by someone; “they must be inspired by someone to begin playing in the first place,” he commented. “There was a time when Miles sounded like Dizzy, Dizzy like Roy, and Roy like Louis,” Curtis recalls. He also mentioned Bennie Green as a favorite trombonist and possible influence.

Speaking of techniques, Mr. Fuller mentioned the importance of melodic improvisation. He prefers to use simple harmonic structures which give him the opportunity to explore and embellish one chord. This method is particularly apparent in The Clan, an original of Mr. Fuller’s. The piece is based entirely on one chord (D minor); however, the melody outlines other chords which may be related to the main key center in many interesting ways.

Mr. Fuller feels that anything can be used in music, as long as there is a reason for it. He agrees that progress is important in all art forms, yet disliked “weirdness” for its own sake. “No matter what you do on an instrument, you have to maintain tone-quality and consider dynamics.” This statement led Curtis to discuss the more personal nature of music. He feels that many musicians sacrifice musical taste and their own sensitivity for the purpose of establishing identifiable styles. He also feels that certain techniques, used for the same purpose, detract from the masculinity of the player. As music is an expression of personality and character, it must be treated with a certain awareness. “For example,” Curtis explained, “to hear music played in the extreme upper range of a trombone is annoying to me. Also, I dislike hearing a trumpet in the trombone register.”

The Music
Curtis Fuller has given much thought to the planning of this album. He is interested in having his listeners enjoy his music, and chose his material accordingly. You will find old standards performed in a fresh way, as well as several exciting Fuller originals. I feel Mr. Fuller’s views on jazz to be those of a mature, thinking musician, and I hope they will give a clear picture of the man you are about to hear. Mr. Fuller has assembled a fine group of young musicians for this recording, all outstanding soloists in their own right. They are Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; Jimmy Heath, tenor saxophone; Cedar Walton, piano; Jymie Merritt, bass; and Jimmy Cobb, drums. On Stockholm, G.T. Hogan substitutes for Mr. Cobb. The arrangements were written by Mr. Fuller and Mr. Heath.

As the sound of this album is apt to be a bit different from the usual, a word about the recording of it might interest you. Bob Thiele, artists and repertoire director of Impulse Records, felt that too much “echo” would destroy the natural quality of the music as played in the recording studio. It has become customary to add echo, or “reverb,” even after the music is initially taped, in order to give it a “live” sound. When this is done in excess, it gives the music an unnatural sound which is often annoying to sensitive ears. “After all,” said Mr. Thiele, “we are not trying to make a rock ‘n roll record.” You will, therefore, hear the music very much as it sounded on the day it was recorded. The music you are about to hear and the order of soloists are as follows:

The Clan is an original composition of Fuller’s on which the soloists are Curtis Fuller, Freddie Hubbard, and Cedar Walton.

Wee Small Hours is truly a Fuller vehicle in which the trombone plays melody to horn accompaniment and then solos. A short piano solo is followed by the closing melodic statement. It is interesting to note that Curtis has never heard the version of this song recorded by J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding in the early days of their quintet.

Newdles is named for Am-Par executive Larry Newton. This tune might be considered Fuller’s contribution to the world of “soul.” It is a blues converted to a 32-bar type of form by the addition of an eight-measure bridge. The soloists are Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Heath, Curtis Fuller and Cedar Walton.

The Breeze and I receives an interesting treatement, and is another Fuller showcase. He shared the melody with Freddie Hubbard and plays a short solo before returning to the original theme.

Stockholm, a Swedish folk-song, is a ballad that Curtis Fuller has always wanted to record. He gives both melody and rhythm and unusual ad lib interpreation, not reaching the true tempo of the piece until the bridge is played. The following solos are taken by Fuller, Heath, Hubbard, Walton and Merritt. Mr. Fuller returns to the ad lib playing of the melody in the final chorus.

Ladies’ Night, another Fuller original – the trombone alternates with combined trumpet and saxophone on the melody. After Solos by Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, Freddie Hubbard and Cedar Walton, the main theme returns.