Absolutely brilliant album by sax player Curtis Amy and trumpeter Dupree Bolton. All the way through a mesmerizing session which features both individual brilliance and collective magic when this sextet tackles six outstanding tunes. It’s a great mix with lots of variety and it begs for repeated listening.
Texas born Curtis Amy is a cat that has been off my radar through the years. But I’ve been aware of this album for quite a while now, but haven’t really listened to it until just recently. Great player on both tenor and soprano.
The co-leader on this date is trumpeter Dupree Bolton, another under the radar cat, but what a player. He delivers some virtuosic stuff on his horn. A flamboyant player, just like his hero Fats Navarro, he commands his instrument with amazing skill. But he also shared a drug addiction with Fats and he was in and out of prison during most of his adult life. He played in a San Quentin prison band with Art Pepper, Frank Morgan and Frank Butler among others.
Most notably he played on Harold Land’s ”The Fox” and the album I’m posting here. There is other material with him released on CD. Not sure if there is anything more. I wish there were more recordings with him on vinyl from back in the day. Fabulous musician.
What an enlightening experience it is to sit here and listen to this album on original vinyl in mono. Love all of the tunes and the sound is wonderful, a beautiful recording. One of my favorite finds of the year so far.