School of Rock
Random article All articles A–Z
2 languages

Ted Curson

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Ted Curson was an American jazz trumpeter, born in 1935 in Philadelphia. He became interested in the trumpet after seeing a newspaper seller play a silver trumpet. His father would rather have seen him on alto saxophone, like Louis Jordan, but at ten he got his first trumpet. He studied at the Granoff School of Music and in 1956, on the advice of Miles Davis, moved to New York. There he played and recorded with Cecil Taylor in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and in 1959 and 1960 was a member of Charles Mingus's band, including on the recordings of Pre-Bird and at the Antibes festival.

Music and breakthrough

After that he led his own groups and played with, among others, Max Roach, Lee Konitz, Andrew Hill, Booker Ervin and Archie Shepp. His composition Tears for Dolphy, a tribute to Eric Dolphy, has been used in many films. He was a familiar face in Finland, where from 1966 he appeared every year at the Pori Jazz Festival. In 1976 he returned to North America and formed a septet. He lived for a long time in Montclair, New Jersey, and died there in 2012.

Influence

Curson played in a style that bridged bebop and the freer jazz of the 1960s. His playing was clear and melodic, and he was known as a musician who could work with both Mingus and Cecil Taylor.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Tears for Dolphy and notice the slow, plaintive melody of the trumpet, which expresses grief without words.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

See also

Categories: Artists