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Insight

“Insight” has a new beginning. After six years of working together around the world, they have grown to learn that the world is in desperate need of a wake-up call. “Insight” will try to be that alarm. World events and research fuel the energy in their music while love has become their purpose. As with all American music, their concept is African-based with influences from Puerto Rico, Cuba, South and Central America, Europe and Asia. The result has a profound impact on the listeners allowing them to experience a powerful new interpretation of musical expression and communication.

While the members of “Insight” collectively produce a sound that is fresh, individually, they are or have been side-men for some of the greatest musicians alive such as Herbie Hancock, Eddie Palmieri, Jimmy Greene, David Valentin, Ralph Peterson, Brian Lynch, Gary Burton, and Donald Harrison. Each member brings his own experiences to the table to contribute to the collective grooves, melodies, and compositions of this ensemble. One of their main objectives is to never have a dull moment on stage. If they can keep it fresh for themselves, then they can keep it fresh for the audience.

As a group, “Insight” has traveled and performed in festivals in Cuba and at venues all over the United States, but still recognize that they have a long way to go. In “Insight’s” efforts to make “swinging” music, they have managed to gain recognition and respect by some of the most important performing artists on the Jazz and Latin Jazz scene today. “Insight” has performed with some of the world’s greatest living artists, such as Wynton Marsalis, Danilo Perez, Andy Gonzalez, David Valentin, Tito Puente, Nelson Gonzalez, Jimmy Greene, John Patittucci, Steve Davis, David Sanchez and even the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

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335
Album Review

Insight: A Genesis

Read "A Genesis" reviewed by Chip Boaz


Artists may travel different roads to create a unique Latin Jazz voice. Some musicians follow the established formula, repeating the success of the genre's “legends. Other artists explore a more unique approach, delving into influential musicians outside the genre's popular success stories. A smaller group looks into the most challenging avenues, finding connections between diverse concepts while staying true to tradition. The Curtis brothers and their band Insight take this road less traveled on A Genesis, bringing together diverse influences ...

264
Album Review

Insight: A Genesis

Read "A Genesis" reviewed by Terrell Kent Holmes


Brothers Zaccai and Luques Curtis are the driving force behind the group Insight, whose A Genesis is a spirited blend of Latin jazz with elements from other genres. Pianist Zaccai composed most of the songs and the music is arranged and performed with skill and energy. Latin burners like “Necessity and the passionate “Ulterior Motive propel the album. Guest star Jimmy Greene's fierce tenor is the highlight of “Story In Three, which moves from a waltz to ...

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1

Interview

Andrea Brachfeld & Insight: 'Evolution'

Andrea Brachfeld & Insight: 'Evolution'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

One of the finest jazz flutists around today is Andrea Brachfeld. She studied with Hubert Laws, Jimmy Heath and George Coleman, among others, and has released 10 CDs as a leader. Andrea's latest, with her trio, Insight, is Evolution (Origin). And what a trio: pianist Bill O'Connell, bassist Harvie S and drummer Jason Tiemann. After hearing Andrea on Evolution and becoming smitten by her playing, I reached out for an email interview. To fully understand Andrea's grace, spiritual energy and ...

5

Recording

Andrea Brachfeld & Insight with Bill O'Connell, Harvie S, and Jason Tiemann release 'Evolution' on May 20

Andrea Brachfeld & Insight with Bill O'Connell, Harvie S, and Jason Tiemann release 'Evolution' on May 20

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

A central figure of jny: New York City’s jazz & Afro-Cuban scenes over the last five decades, flutist Andrea Brachfeld, like most artists over the last two years, found a great amount of time to reflect on their art, community and humanity. For Evolution, Brachfeld’s writing was affected by her dive into children’s issues and the ongoing need of basic necessities even in the best of times. The added pandemic led her to a wide-range of musical sources, each reflecting ...

1

Performance / Tour

Flutist Andrea Brachfeld & Her Quartet Insight To Perform At The Triad Theater, NYC, Monday, June 18

Flutist Andrea Brachfeld & Her Quartet Insight To Perform At The Triad Theater, NYC, Monday, June 18

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

Flutist/composer Andrea Brachfeld will perform a CD release show for her new Jazzheads recording, If Not Now, When?, at the Triad Theater on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Monday, June 18 at 9:30pm. The “incredible clarity of purpose” Brachfeld gained after spending 2016 in deep introspection about her life and music generated the nine original compositions on her exhilarating new album. The quartet outing, featuring the dynamic rhythm section of pianist, arranger, co-composer, and co-producer Bill O'Connell, a longtime collaborator, ...

1

Music Industry

B2B Marketing Insights from the New Music Seminar

B2B Marketing Insights from the New Music Seminar

Source: HypeBot

By Jamie Sandler, an awarded Digital Marketing and PR consultant. More atjasminesandler.com. With the continued growth of subscription-based online radio, fan-based online communities, and peer-to-peer-based campaigns, there are countless opportunities for B2B marketers in the digital music space. As I kept hearing the word “engagement" in relation to content marketing and social media across B2B marketing conferences including ClickZ Live, B2B networking events, and B2B client conversations this year, I took it upon myself to give B2B marketers an insiders' ...

2

Career

5 DIY Music Marketing Myth-Busting Insights

5 DIY Music Marketing Myth-Busting Insights

Source: HypeBot

Dotted Music's Andrew Apanov shares his take on music marketing myths with Ilpo Kärkkäinen of Resoundsound. Along the way he busts myths of meritocracy, one-size-fits-all business assumptions and social media number chasing. In the process he shares a number of ideas worth considering on their own. Here are 5 insights he shared in this myth-busting conversation: People Start Listening With Their Eyes “You may think all that matters is your music, but I tend to say that people start listening ...

Recording

Vocalist Carol Duboc Offers Insight into Trials and Triumphs of Love with New Album, "Smile", on Gold Note Music, Inc.

Vocalist Carol Duboc Offers Insight into Trials and Triumphs of Love with New Album, "Smile", on Gold Note Music, Inc.

Source: DL Media

Since her emergence onto the adult contemporary/urban jazz scene in the early 2000s, Carol Duboc has generously shared her wisdom and insight about love and romance in song-via both compelling original material and uniquely stylized covers of pop classics, as on her most recent recordings Songs For Lovers (2008) and Burt Bacharach Songbook (2009). On her multi-faceted new album Smile, the sultry singer and songwriter-who penned songs for top pop/R&B artists like Patti Labelle, Chante Moore, Stephanie Mills and Jade ...

Book / Magazine

10 Insights from Andrew Dubber's "The 360 Deal" - Connecting with People is Part of the Business

10 Insights from Andrew Dubber's "The 360 Deal" - Connecting with People is Part of the Business

Source: HypeBot

“The 360 Deal“ is not actually about contracts that seek to involve a label in everything an artist does in order to expand the label's revenue streams. Instead it's a collection growing to include “360 words of wisdom by 360 musicians and music professionals“ with a minimum price of $3.60. More importantly it's full of useful advice and insights from many different perspectives that should be of value to any musician or music industry worker seeking to build a life ...

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Trends

Kyle Bylin: 3 Insights into Future of Geosocial Music

Kyle Bylin: 3 Insights into Future of Geosocial Music

Source: HypeBot

The geosocial revolution (see Foursquare and Facebook Places) promises to connect us to the places we visit and the people who frequent them, while helping us discover music in new ways, too. Over the past year, a number of startups have released location-based music apps—each aspiring to revolutionize the way we listen to music. Wahwah.fm, the most innovative of them, enables users to listen to music and simultaneously “broadcast" the session to a larger community. Meanwhile, other users can join ...

141

Recording

Lee Konitz, with Frank Wunsch - Insight (2011)

Lee Konitz, with Frank Wunsch - Insight (2011)

Source: Something Else!

An interesting recording from a period in which Lee Konitz wasn't always all that interesting. The saxophonist appears on these dates, recorded between 1989-94, alone and with German pianist Frank Wunsch. Konitz completists will remember his 1990 Nabel recording S'Nice with Munsch's trio, a graceful if not all that interesting aside. Here, however, we find Konitz returning—during three of the eight tracks found on the new Jazzwerkstatt recording Insight—to the solo format that propelled him past an early-career generalization as ...

197

Interview

Dr Cal's Hour of Insight Featuring Mwalim - Monday 2/28 - 4PM

Dr Cal's Hour of Insight Featuring Mwalim - Monday 2/28 - 4PM

Source: Mwalim DaPhunkee Professor

NEW YORK—On this Monday at 4PM (EST) Dr. Cal's Hour of Insight, the interviews continue with the music of Mwalim (Wal-leem), playwright and Associated Professor of English & African American Studies at UMass Dartmouth. He has won many Awards. Call in at 4PM (EST) and speak with Mwalim (Wal-leem) on (760) 542-3931. Dr Cal, musician, producer and radio personality has been hosting his show since November 2010. Dr Cal's Hour of Insight offers interviews with established and up and coming ...

"Artist-in-residence Eddie Palmieri is in the audience... He is a huge influence on Insight, the Latin Jazz ensemble. After their set, the master was all smiles, saying, 'Give them another two years, and Insight will blow any band off the stage!'" NPR.org, February 2005

“Co-led by Zaccai and Luques Curtis, on piano and bass respectively, the group exhibited one of the most exciting sounds on the scene today, distinguished by tightly-played serpentine arrangements that melded memorable melodies, sophisticated harmonies and a dazzling array of AfroCarribean rhythms.” -Russ Musto (All About Jazz)

Primary Instrument

Band / ensemble / orchestra

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Yellow Noise

Unknown label
2013

buy

Timecode Sample

Unknown label
2013

buy

Untill We Meet Again

Unknown label
2011

buy

Stranded On Earth

Unknown label
2011

buy

A Genesis

Curtis Brothers
2007

buy

Videos

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