Curtis Fuller gear

[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???

[micka572]

Don't know about his gear but if you know why he has always a fluffy sound I'm interested.

[TromboneMonkey]

It's a Yamaha 653, if I remember correctly.

[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.

[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.

[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...!

[micka572]

Love Steve Davis but sometimes his signature lick is too much for me, everywhere.

[DakoJack]

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...!

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.

[timbone]

I could see that about Michael Dease. I just recently heard his sax playing......OMG......!

[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!