Curson was born in
Philadelphia. Curson's father, however, wanted him to play
alto saxophone like
Louis Jordan. At the suggestion of
Miles Davis, he moved to New York in 1956. His composition "Tears for Dolphy" has been used in numerous films. He was featured in a profile on composer
Graham Collier in the 1985
Channel 4 documentary,
Hoarded Dreams. He was a familiar face in Finland, having performed at the
Pori Jazz festival every year since it began in 1966. A longtime resident of
Montclair, New Jersey, Curson died from a heart attack in the township on November 4, 2012. ==Discography==