Certain artists deliver such strong statements on their first albums, that their second releases become highly anticipated events in the Latin Jazz world. Building true excitement around a sophomore release involves a seriously interesting and involved freshmen album, and honestly, many bands don’t provide sufficient depth in their first album. The shock of a developed artistic sensibility at a young age certainly grabs our attention, but the appeal of their music remains much more deeply embedded than a surface assessment. These artists provide albums where we simply can’t stop listening, and we walk away craving more music. We search for a continued connection to their music, looking for any link possible. When they regularly perform in our local communities, we become fixtures at their gigs, observing every possible detail and getting to know their artistic personalities intimately. If we don’t have local access to the artists, we search online, checking into their MySpace, Facebook, or YouTube pages, jumping at the opportunity to hear live recordings or exclusive new tracks. Each passing chance to hear their music simply builds the anticipation around another album or the next concert. By the time these artists give us that second album, we find ourselves chomping at the bit to hear it, curious about their new musical direction, and enthusiastically supportive of their artistry.

While I certainly follow a number of Latin Jazz musicians and look forward to their new musical statements, there is one album that sits on the top of my upcoming listening list in 2009, Blood-Spirit-Land-Water-Freedom from The Curtis Brothers. Pianist Zaccai Curtis and his bass playing brother Luques stand at the forefront of the new Latin Jazz generation, and the depth of their refined and highly crafted artistry has just begun to appear. Their 2007 release A Genesis, released with their group Insight, contains distinctly modern jazz that reflects a rich knowledge of Cuban and Puerto Rican traditions while brimming with originality and personality. One listen to this engaging album shows the potential behind the Curtis Brothers’ musicality, leaving a true Latin Jazz fan wishing for more. Fortunately, The Curtis Brothers are frequent collaborators with many Latin Jazz artists, and they can be found fairly easily. Zaccai recently appeared with Papo Vazquez and the Mighty Pirates on the album Marooned/Aislado and has become an important piece of the Waitiki 7. Luques regularly joins the legendary pianist Eddie Palmieri on tour, forming an essential piece of his band. These two in-demand musicians always find time to return to their own project though, and fortunately, they’ve recently finished and delivered their latest album.

At this point, I still haven’t heard Blood-Spirit-Land-Water-Freedom, and I simply can’t wait to get more music from The Curtis Brothers. So today’s Latin Jazz Video Fix is dedicated to the incredible music coming from these musicians, filling the void until I hear the album. We’ve got some old and new footage, showing Insight in an older clip and a montage of video pieces from performances at The Nuyorican Poet’s Café. Enjoy!

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The Curtis Brothers & Insight Performing “Ulterior Motive”

The Curtis Brothers Performing At The Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe

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Want to hear more from The Curtis Brothers? Check out some of their last album.

A Genesis

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Do you have a video to contribute to satisfy our weekly Latin Jazz video fix? If so, send it in - it’s time to feed our addiction. I’m looking for live performances, from any context. I’ll most likely be posting one video per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz videographers, musicians, and fans - let’s share some of our memorable videos! Get my contact info HERE

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Jazz Now: Extending The List
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Sofia Tosello
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Yosvany Terry and Dafnis Prieto
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Sofia Rei Koutsovitis & Avantrio

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