Bill Barron & Ted Curson: Now, Hear This for Sale

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Bill Barron & Ted Curson: Now, Hear This For Sale

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Bill Barron & Ted Curson: Now, Hear This:
$19.99

Personnel:

Ted Curson (tp), Bill Barron (ts), Kenny Barron (p), RonnieBoykins (b), Dick Berk (d)

The co-leaders of the Bill Barron-Ted Curson group are bothproducts of the same Philadelphia environment that has produced such greatmodern jazzmen as John Coltrane, Bobby Timmons, and Charlie Ventura.

Bill Barron grew up in a musical family. Inspired to learnmusic by his mother who had studied the piano, young Bill turned first to pianolessons, second-at the age of thirteen-to lessons on the saxophone.

Bill enrolled in the music course at Mastbaum VocationalHigh in Philly, where his classmates included Johnny Coles, Red Rodney, andHoward Reynolds. School couldn't hold him, however, when he was given anopportunity to join the Carolina Cotton Pickers band. Bill traveled with thisband until he was drafted into the army.

In the army, the growing saxophonist grew by leaps andbounds with the help of Ernie Henry, the late alto saxophonist, who helped Billto get a seat in the army band. A later arrival in the same organization wasRandy Weston. Speaking of the pianist, Bill says gratefully, "Randy reallybrought a new sound into our band, and it helped me hear something I hadn't heardbefore."

After his discharge from the army, Barron was still hearingand playing this new sound. He returned to Philadelphia where he soon graduatedfrom the Ornstein School of Music. In and around Philly, Bill played with hisown group and under the direction of Jimmy Heath, Johnny Coles, Mel Melvin, andRed Garland. Finally, he made the big move to New York City. Here Bill hasappeared with Cecil Taylor, Ted Curson, Mingus, Philly Joe Jones, his own band,and, most recently, with the Barron-Curson group.

Ted Curson has arrived at this same point by a remarkablysimilar route. He is also a Philadelphian. His sister played the violin - notprofessionally but enough to interest young Ted in music. At the age of ten hebegan trumpet lessons, sidestepping his father's attempts to start him on thesaxophone.

Like Bill, Ted took the music course at Mastbaum High. Aftergraduation he traveled extensively in the United States and Canada withcarnivals, jazz bands, and stage shows. In the Philadelphia area, he workedwith Charlie Ventura. After he moved onto the New York scene, he played withDuke Jordan, Red Garland, Cecil Taylor, and Charlie Mingus. Then Ted graduatedagain-this time to leading his own group!

The Curson Quartet, sometimes a Quintet, went the rounds ofthe New York clubs-Birdland, the Five Spot, the Jazz Gallery (now defunct),Minton's, the Purple Manor, the Prelude, and Brooklyn's Coronet Bar. Then theband took the road to such- faraway places as Newport, New Haven, Rochester,and Montreal [...]

—Taken from the inside liner notes

TRACKLIST:

01. Around The World (Victor Young) 3:43

02. Big Bill (Bill Barron) 5:09

03. The Leopard (Ted Curson) 6:23

04. Hurdy Gurdy (Bill Barron) 5:08

05. Dwackdi Mun Fundalick (Ted Curson) 4:05

06. Jes Swingin' (Bill Barron) 4:17

07. In A Monastery Garden (Albert W. Ketelbey) 5:33

08. You Are Too Beautiful (Rodgers-Hart) 6:25

Originally issued on 12-inch album as Audio Fidelity AFSD6123

BIll Barron, Ted Curson & Orchestra: