Curtis Fuller gear

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DakoJack
Posts: 137
Joined: Apr 17, 2018

by DakoJack »

What does everyone know about Curtis's gear I’ve tried fairly hard to learn as much as i can being a Curtis fan and a bit of a gear head. Far as I can tell he used a king 28 mouthpiece his whole career ,but horn wise a couple horns a 3b in 58' on blue train and bluesette and then a little later an olds Oprah with the jazz messengers and at some point a Yamaha that’s on the cover of fire and filigree. What does everybody know???
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micka572
Posts: 48
Joined: Oct 29, 2019

by micka572 »

Don't know about his gear but if you know why he has always a fluffy sound I'm interested.
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TromboneMonkey
Posts: 271
Joined: May 11, 2018

by TromboneMonkey »

It's a Yamaha 653, if I remember correctly.
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Arrowhead
Posts: 123
Joined: Jun 07, 2018

by Arrowhead »

During the 50's, it was an Olds Opera. If you listen to his solos it sort of translates- lots of legato passages in the staff, or slightly above. Rarely would he play long lines in the high range.
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SaigonSlide
Posts: 78
Joined: Apr 06, 2018

by SaigonSlide »

I remember seeing him play in the early 90s...he was playing with a piece of cloth over his bell that had holes in it. I saw a video on YOuTube with Jimmy Cleveland playing with the same thing.

<YOUTUBE id="YT17H7e8GZA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT17H7e8GZA</YOUTUBE>
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timbone
Posts: 240
Joined: Apr 30, 2018

by timbone »

Another beautiful player. And here, another straight horn player and listen to the personality. How can an instrument so simple- sound so different in so many other hands? His tone and his triplet figure (lick) are standouts which every trombone player should go to school on.

PS Dako- today's Curtis and JJ rolled into one- Steve Davis...!
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micka572
Posts: 48
Joined: Oct 29, 2019

by micka572 »

Love Steve Davis but sometimes his signature lick is too much for me, everywhere.
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DakoJack
Posts: 137
Joined: Apr 17, 2018

by DakoJack »

[quote="timbone"]Another beautiful player. And here, another straight horn player and listen to the personality. How can an instrument so simple- sound so different in so many other hands? His tone and his triplet figure (lick) are standouts which every trombone player should go to school on.

PS Dako- today's Curtis and JJ rolled into one- Steve Davis...![/quote]

Steve Davis is the man, I think alot about the evolution of players and their influences with modern guys there's alot to choose from for influences. For me Michael Dease is a very direct progression in the line of Curtis I hear alot of curtis in his playing.
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timbone
Posts: 240
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by timbone »

I could see that about Michael Dease. I just recently heard his sax playing......OMG......!
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RJMason
Posts: 390
Joined: Jun 05, 2018

by RJMason »

I read Michael Dease decided to put down the sax and play trombone at the end of high school because of Curtis Fuller’s solo on blue train. He got into Juilliard a year later—Definitely a strong connection!