2/10/16:</br>The Curtis Brothers

The intersection of jazz and latin is, to my mind, the hippest streetcorner on earth. The Curtis Brothers occupy a place on that crowded corner where Jelly Roll Morton, Mario Bauza, Dizzy and Machito used to live before the Gonzalez brothers and a raft of today’s most exciting musicians moved in. This is sophisticated, accessible, intoxicating modern music in which a range of latin rhythms and influences suffuse and interpolate straight-ahead jazz sensibilities.

Victor Puentes hipped me to the Curtis Brothers in 2011 as they were in the midst of producing the stunning Completion of Proof—an album of such urgency, musical integrity, rhythmic conviction and swing it remains among my all-time favorites. They kill on last year’s Triangular III collaboration with Ralph Peterson. And they come out swinging this year with Syzygy—their newest release. 

Luques Curtis is an uncommonly genial bass player—genial like mentor Andy Gonzalez or Ray Brown. You can’t listen to Luques without smiling. Look up and you’ll notice that he is smiling too. Luques has an unbelievable feel that obtains no matter who he’s playing with—Eddie Palmieri, Orrin Evans or his brother Zaccai.

Zaccai Curtis is the brains of the outfit—a genius composer and a pianist of uncommon skill and taste. When he’s not composing or playing with the likes of Christian Scott, Donald Harrison or Brian Lynch, he’s curating and producing a host of artists for the brothers’ Truth Revolution Recording Collective label.

The Curtis Brothers represent the best of this music and we are proud and thrilled to present them here @exuberance.

@exuberance parties at Matt’s are by invitation only to provide a dignified, comfortable and acoustically ideal setting for worthwhile art and ideas. Cellphones and other devices are to be holstered during the performances. Between sets, conviviality rules.