Curtis Brothers MusicCurtis Brothers Music | Curtis Brothers Music

Curtis Brothers at Dizzy’s Coca Cola Club

zaccai — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:21:56 +0000

Zaccai Curtis – piano

Luques Curtis – Bass

Richie Barshay – Drums

Mauricio Herrera – Congas

Curtis Brothers Quartet

Curtis Brothers CD Release Video – Zinc Bar NYC

zaccai — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:31:10 +0000

Curtis Brothers CD release party in NYC. The Zinc Bar was packed with energy and music! I hope this captures a bit of that!

Ed Larose Curtis Brothers Print Sold at CD Release Party

zaccai — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:29:09 +0000

On December 9th 2011 the Curtis Brothers had their CD release party in NYC at the Zinc Bar. This night featured, Ralph Peteron – Drums, Donald Harrison – Alto Sax, Jimmy reene – Tenot Sax and Brian Lynch – Trumpet! For the packed house there, this was a special night…. where can you find those four incredible musicians on the same stage! They killed it and so many people came out to support the Curtis Brothers while debuting this new band! Thank you sooooo much to all of you!

Also… we also presented a special print of the Curtis Brothers album cover at the release party for sale that night. It was was signed by all the artist there and sold by its creator, Edward Larose. Congratulations Ed and to the owner of that incredible piece of pencil artwork!

Zaccai Curtis and Message Plays Outkast

zaccai — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:48:38 +0000

New Video from the Curtis Brothers Quartet

zaccai — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:26:04 +0000

Curtis Brothers in the Hartford Courant

zaccai — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:46:07 +0000

Thanks to Owen McNally and all of you who keep Hartford swinging! We HAVE to mention a list of names that made that incredible show happen.

Andres Chapparo, Ted and Abby Curtis, Meghan Stabile and Revive Da Live, Joel Harinstein, Jordy Freed and DL Media, Tiffany Ente, Natalie Fernandez, Syra Kebbeh, Dana Wahlbeck, Donald Harrison, Brian Lynch, Jimmy Greene, Ralph Peterson, Reinaldo De Jesus, Tony Salvo, Owen McNally, Larry Blumenfeld, Madison, Karina Guzman, Julie Acosta, Wadsworth Atheneum, Zinc Bar, all the photographers, videographers and documenters, the Hartford Jazz Society and all there contributors. If there is anyone I missed we apologize, let us know and we will include you in this list right away.

Curtis Brothers are so proud to have Hartford as our base! As those of you know, that attended the concert last Friday, Donald Harrison ripped it up! With incredible solos and his huge sound. Brian Lynch owned the music… his technique and expressive execution was off the charts. Jimmy Greene brought his power back to Hartford after being away in Canada for a while and he really tore it up when Ralph Peterson was let loose during a duet solo for “Manifest Destiny!” Ralph Peterson shocked the audience and after performing with Ralph for more then 6 years, he keeps getting better and better. This was one of the hottest shows the Curtis Brothers have ever done and just the start. We hope to come full circle and perform after our tours and maybe even a live CD. Be back soon and if you have any reviews of your own please feel free to post them here on our site! peace -Z&L

The Weekend’s Jazz: Curtis Brothers At Wadsworth

December 08, 2011|By OWEN MCNALLY, Special to The Courant, The Hartford Courant

With much to celebrate thanks to their new, triumphant album, Hartford’s Curtis Brothers and their high-powered guests throw a CD release party Friday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St., Hartford.

Thanks to Owen McNally and all of you who keep Hartford swinging! We lote you all and appreciate your support. The Curits Brothers are so proud to have Hartford as our base

A terrific follow-up to their acclaimed debut release, “Blood-Spirit-Land-Water-Freedom,” the new disc is called “Completion of Proof.” It crackles with the freshness, boldness and spirit of independence that have become the hallmarks of the brothers, pianist Zaccai Curtis and bassist Luques Curtis.

The brothers’ sophomore release features striking original compositions by Zaccai; robust hard-bop grooves sometimes seasoned with a Latin tinge; and a posse of power-packed guests hungry to dig into Zaccai’s savory compositions. In line with the brothers’ self-reliance and strong aversion to the conformist/corporatist thinking of established record companies, they’ve released “Completion of Proof” on their own Indie label, Truth Revolution Records. (www.truthrevolutionrecords.com)

They’re joined on the disc by drummer Ralph Peterson, trumpeter Brian Lynch, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene and alto saxophonist Joe Ford. They’ve incorporated Pan African percussive ingredients applied individually on several tracks by percussionists Pedro Martinez, Rogerio Boccato and Reinaldo De Jesus.

For the brothers’ CD celebration at the downtown museum, their guests are the awesome foursome of Lynch, Harrison, Greene and Peterson.

Lynch, Harrison and Peterson were once aligned with Art Blakey, the late legendary drummer/bandleader. Blakey’s advocacy of hard swing and soul has greatly influenced the Curtis Brothers’ well-wrought aesthetic rooted in their contemporary consciousness and awareness and appreciation of the rich history of the music.

What promises to be an outstanding concert wraps up the 2011 season for the city-sponsored “Pork Pie Hat Jazz Series,” the brainchild of Andres Chaparro. With this show’s all-star lineup and the genuine cause for celebration over the brothers’ fine new disc, Chaparro may well have outdone himself in his role as a concert producer seeking top-quality music that both challenges and swings.

Through their music, which brings tidings of comfort and joy for all seasons, the brothers also celebrate a wide-array of serious, extra musical, real-life themes on “Completion of Proof.” These subjects range over the fundamental importance of the family; the value of self-reliance and the courage to speak out against injustice; the dangers of repressive corporate power; robotic, Lemming-like conformity and imperialism masked as a divinely inspired form of manifest destiny.

The CD’s opening piece, “Protestor,” for example, is dedicated to the revolutionary hero, “Tankman,” the anonymous Chinese rebel with a cause who stood up against a column of armed tanks in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, making his courageous solo stand against tyranny.

Closer to home, Zaccai dedicates a song called “Madison” to his niece, a tune that echoes with the sound of her name and resounds with his theme that “family is the most important structure to society.” In his liner notes, Zaccai explains: “Your family is your army, safety net, bloodline, teacher, doctor, bank, store and job.”

In his well-constructed, three-part “Manifest Destiny Suite,” the composer/pianist creates not just fine, smart music, but also, in his programmatic liner notes, asserts democratic and humanitarian principles about the need for freedom of expression and freedom from oppression. His views, he writes, are inspired by this quote from Albert Einstein: “The world is a dangerous place, not because people do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”

Many of the Curtis Brothers’ collaborators on the new disc have been mentors for the young men since they were youths building a large, loyal following in Hartford, on through their successes as adult musicians in the jazz world.

Greene, the splendid saxophonist who grew up in Bloomfield, for example, mentored the Curtis Brothers during their early days at the Artists Collective. Harrison gave the brothers their first touring band experience. “He really showed us how to act, play, and what not to do on the road,” Zaccai explains of the on-the-job training with Harrison.

Ford, the sadly underrated alto great, has been an influence on the brothers since they were kids. Zaccai and Luques play in Lynch’s band and alongside Ford with Jerry Gonzalez’s Fort Apache Band as occasional subs for bassist Andy Gonzalez and pianist Larry Willis.

In a press release the new disc is called the brothers’ “affirmation of basic root sources of jazz” as demonstrated in their music, which is “rife with blues, swing rhythms in recognition of the Africa-Caribbean-New Orleans lineage, and the basic core elements that make the music such a spicy, hard bop melting pot.”

In fact, the statement continues, the CD is “a refutation of what they view from some of their peers as a denial or dismissal of those root sources.”

“Fast forward to today’s modern jazz,” Zaccai says on the issue of root sources, “and you are lucky to hear just one of those elements come from a performance or recording.

“Blues harmonies seem to be replaced with simplified classical harmonies. Drums and rhythms have been mixed down in the modern recording so you can barely hear them! Swing has been ripped from the music. In most cases there are no elements of the jazz language…never mind bebop,” he continues.

“This CD is a response to this modern, swing-less, no-language ‘jazz’ that the labels are pushing, just like the Hard Bop response to Cool Jazz in the ’50s and ’60s,” he adds.

Of the new disc, Zaccai says: “It’s great to play with the masters on this recording and to see how they bring it to life! We hope that each CD gets better as we grow older and study more. We are patient though. We know you can’t fake experience.”

There’s nothing fake about “Completion of Proof.” You hear the roots and know they’re real, are deep, nourish inspiration and yield a bumper crop of fresh expression.

Tickets: $15, general admission; $10, students. Reservations: Andres Chaparro at 860-757-4895.

BLUE NOTE WITH NINETY MILES (Japan)

zaccai — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:31:29 +0000

The Curtis Brothers go on tour with the Ninety Miles Project mid December this year.

We will be playing at the Blue Note in Japan on 12/17 and 12/18

They’ve been working with the Concord All-Star band featuring, David Sanchez – Tenor, Stefon Harris – Vibes, and Christian Scott – Trumpet.

Backing this band is Mauricio Herrera – Congas, and Henry Cole – drums and of course the Curtis Brothers.

This will be Zaccai’s first time in Japan but Luques has been there many times…. looking forward to it and see you in Japan!

We’ve been having a great time with this band and you can check more information on this project at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ninety-Miles-Project/154035317984626

Critically acclaimed jazz musicians vibist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott have collaborated to create a distinctly unique collection of songs, Ninety Miles. Recorded over the span of a week in Havana, Cuba, the US based trio recruited local Cuban musicians including pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa to create the 9 song collection. The result is a true Cuban American musical collaboration that defies political borders. Ninety Miles will be released on Concord Picante on June 21st, 2011.

Hopefully we will get to see you at one… or more of these gigs here or abroad!

CURTIS BROTHERS NYC CD RELEASE!

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:55:15 +0000

CURTIS BROTHERS IN THE TRR STORE

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:37:04 +0000

CURTIS BROTHERS VIBES FOR HAITI CONCERT

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:38:16 +0000

Curtis Brothers Band at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Vibes For Haiti Concert 2/11/2010 Vibes For Haiti!
Luques Curtis
Zaccai Curtis
Reinaldo De Jesus
Obed Calvaire
Orlando Vega
Giovanni Almonte
Jean Caze
Marcus Strickland
John Michell
Albert Rivera
Renato Thoms
The Nuyorican Poets Cafe and All that came out to this event.
www.CurtisBrothersMusic.com www.TruthRevolutionRecords.com
Photo by Albert Rivera