The collective personnel above mask a series of Fuller’s ‘name’ albums made, respectively and in sequence, for Blue Note (The Opener), Prestige (New Trombone), Savoy (Blues-ette) and Impulse! (Soul Trombone). Fuller, born 1934 in Detroit, moved to New York and became a seemingly perpetual presence in the city’s recording studios in this period, lauded for his powerful, JJ Johnson-inclined solo style. Much is made in the literature of Fuller’s imaginative leaps and his agility, this coloured by his harmonic awareness and he is certainly capable of holding his own in the fast company he keeps throughout this Avid double-CD compilation. His sound is less ripe than JJ’s on his exposition of the melody on the ballad-tempo ‘A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening’, Timmons clipped and imaginative in his follow-up. Fuller’s ‘Hugore’ is declamatory, Mobley picking his way carefully though the harmonic diversions, Fuller’s own solo gaining energy. ‘Lizzy’s Bounce’ moves well. Timmons impresses throughout. New Trombone with the acerbic altoist Sonny Red benefits from a tighter rhythm section, Hayes in control, Jones fluent as ever, Fuller more engaged, though I wish he could have let himself go even more. There’s some vivacity here, Watkins laying down a swinging line, Kyner eloquent on ‘Blue Lawson’. Fuller worked with Golson and they fit together well on the jaunty ‘Five Spot after Dark’ from Blues-ette, another Detroiter Tommy Flanagan again showing his class in his contributions, the swing neatly wrought. The intricate album title-track has Golson channeling his inner Lucky Thompson in his speaking-in-tongues solo, while Golson’s ‘Minor Vamp’ is the epitome of hard bop. Soul Trombone is something else, as they say, easily the pick of the bunch with Impulse!’s in-your-face sound, the arrangements by Fuller or Heath inviting and receiving a strong response from the assembled line-up. Fuller is animated and more assertive on his ‘The Clan’, Hogan’s drums prominent, Hubbard quite shrill even if the flow of ideas is impressive. Heath, like Fuller still active, is terrific on ‘Dear Old Stockholm’. If this is at best a dip into Fuller’s early discography rather than a definitive over-view, that’s OK, for there’s plenty here to admire.