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Zaccai Curtis

After graduating from New England Conservatory in 2005, Zaccai Curtis moved to New York City where he performs with artists such as: Ralph Peterson, Brian Lynch, Ray Vega, Antoine Roney, Wallace Roney, Cindy Blackman, Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band, Papo Vasquez, and Donald Harrison.

Zaccai Curtis composes and arranges for his own quartet, trio, solo piano works, Big-Band, Orchestra, as well as large and small ensembles with strings. In 2001 he was commissioned to arrange Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol” to be performed by his 7 piece latin jazz ensemble ‘insight’ with the Hartford Symphony Chamber Orchestra. In 2003 he was chosen as a winner of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s competition and each year consecutively through 2006. Zaccai and his quartet were selected by the U.S. State Department to be in the American Music Abroad (Jazz Ambassadors) program two times in 2006. They performed in Bangladesh, Calcutta, Bangalore, Mumbai, Sri Lanka and Maldives. In 2007, Zaccai was awarded the ‘Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism’s Artist Fellowship’ for original composition.

Zaccai currently performs his own music with his group ‘Curtis Brothers quartet’. Zaccai and brother Luques Curtis are currently releasing their album ‘completion of proof’, after two successful albums, “a genesis” and “Blood spirit land water freedom”. Zaccai is also the head of his own record label ‘truth revolution records’, where music from talented independent artists is released.

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Album Review

Felipe Salles: Tiyo's Songs Of Life

Read "Tiyo's Songs Of Life" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Talk about remarkable origins; the music on Tiyo's Songs of Life, performed by tenor saxophonist Felipe Salles' quartet, was written by Tiyo Attallah Salah-El while he was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in a Pennsylvania prison. In spite of his circumstances, Salah-El never lost his love for life, an upbeat frame of mind that is ever-present in these nine sparkling originals. While imprisoned, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees and founded the Coalition for the Abolition ...

9
Album Review

Felipe Salles, Zaccao Curtis, Avery Sharpe, Jonathan Butler: Tiyo's Songs Of Life

Read "Tiyo's Songs Of Life" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Embarking on an errant path in his youth led saxophonist Tiyo Attallah Salah-El to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. That is about as grim as it gets, but Salah-El, rather than giving in to defeat, turned himself into a behind-the-bars composer, author and activist. He passed in 2018, but his music came to the attention of saxophonist Felipe Sallas via prison abolitionist Lois Ahrens, who had befriended the imprisoned saxophonist Salaah-El, and even provided him with fifty ...

4
Album Review

Ralph Peterson & the Messenger Legacy: Onward & Upward

Read "Onward & Upward" reviewed by Paul Rauch


Generally speaking, legacy bands are created to preserve the music of an artist. They feature innovative interpretations of an artist's compositions or past performances to share with future generations of listeners. In the case of drummer Ralph Peterson, his ambitious efforts to honor the continuum of his mentor Art Blakey are forward thinking, about a collective gathering of resources that stress creative thought and individuality. Just as the true legacy of the Jazz Messengers portends, contributors are charged with replenishing ...

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181

Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 4)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 4)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

All musicians carry strong influences during their early development; the way that they build upon those influences and eventually move away from them defines their artistic personality. Young musicians generally drown themselves in their influences during their developmental years, soaking in every possible lesson from each recording. There's a period where the musicians emulates their influences as closely as possible; the length of this stage depends of the musician's desire to define themselves. A driven young musician will realize the ...

118

Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 3)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 3)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

For many jazz musicians, a move to New York represents many things, but all in every way, it symbolizes a step into the center of the jazz world. Vibrant jazz scenes exist across the country and each one produces a significant amount of creative energy that pushes the music into the next era. Musicians dedicate their lives to jazz communities across the country, doing important work that in many ways equals the artistic output of New York's jazz scene. Still, ...

127

Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 2)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 2)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

Today's crop of young artists are creating music in a very different world than the one occupied by an older generation. The popular music that surrounds them often lowers the bar in terms of musicality, and many people from their generation simply don't value artistry at a high level. They buck the popular consensus though and learn about music in a much different fashion than their elders, spending years piling through musical details at colleges and universities. The schoolroom presents ...

119

Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 1)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 1)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

A childhood immersed in great musical experiences sets the stage for the emergence of a great musician. Listening can be a powerful way to peek interest in a young person, and the more time they spend hearing music, the more it will resonate with them. The more interested a child becomes, the more likely that they will find their way to an instrument. They need large amounts of encouragement and opportunity at this point, but once they have it, they ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Tiyo's Songs Of Life

Tapestry Records
2022

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Onward & Upward

Onyx Music Label
2020

buy

Cohesion

Cellar Records
2012

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Toe Tappin' Tasty

From: Tiyo's Songs Of Life
By Zaccai Curtis

Videos

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