While
Curtis Fuller
may have reached his peak in the 1960s, he continued to be an important voice well into the 1970s and beyond. This delightful set features him in a front line with
Pepper Adams
, and the trombone-baritone saxophone combination was a natural. (Curiously, few others have followed this intriguing coupling.) While there is no new ground broken,
Adams
and
Fuller
negotiate tunes mostly written by
, with simple, yet elegant heads. The version of
"Hello Young Lovers"
is characteristically conservative, yet sharp and well rehearsed.
's nasal tone, machine gun-like spurts, and focus on the middle range on his horn complements
' angular, boppish lines. The fine rhythm section of pianist
James Williams
, bassist
Dennis Irwin
, and drummer
John Yarling
never gets in the way, but lets the horns spread their wings. ~ Steven Loewy