Tonight, Zaccai will perform two sets of Latin jazz with the musicians who appeared with him on the Grammy Award-Winning album, Cubop Lives. Their repertoire is inspired by Zaccai’s investigations and transcriptions of the music of the celebrated Puerto Rican pianist, Noro Morales. You will hear music that marries numerous rhythms of Afro-Cuban music with the harmonic and melodic language of bebop. This is an adaptation of Cubop, a sub-genre of Latin jazz that was originally pioneered by Dizzy Gillespie, Machito, Mario Bauza and Chano Pozo (among others) in the 1940s. The instrumentation of piano, bass and three percussionists was used by Noro Morales and other Latin pianists, but none of them fully embraced the bebop language. The application and development of Cubop to this instrumentation is where Zaccai Curtis makes his mark.

To assist in listening to Curtis’s music, it is helpful to revisit the term “Cubop.” According to Curtis’s Bandcamp page, “Cubop refers to the cultural and musical fusion of Cuban music with bebop.” In tonight’s concert you will hear how Zaccai has deliberately aligned the arrangements and selections of his repertoire to acknowledge luminaries such as Machito and his Afro-Cubans, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Mario Bauzá and Chano Pozo. His concept represents a 21st-century development of this fusion.

This evening, Zaccai will appear with the same group that recorded Cubop Lives! Curtis says, “There are only a handful of people that can pull off this style of music as they do. These arrangements were developed to highlight each individual’s unique voice.”

Timbalero Willie Martinez has been active professionally since the late 1970s. He has performed or recorded with Chico O’Farrill, Ray Santos, Hilton Ruiz, Bebo Valdés, Bill Easley, and the Curtis Brothers, as well as pop artists including Jewel and Faith Hill. As a bandleader, Martinez is best known for leading La Familia Sextet, a powerful Latin-jazz ensemble blending Afro-Caribbean traditions with contemporary jazz harmony.

Conguero Camilo Molina’s work bridges Afro-Caribbean traditions, jazz, and contemporary Latin music. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Molina grew up immersed in the island’s rhythmic heritage, especially bomba, plena, and Afro-Cuban folkloric styles. After moving to the United States, Molina took third place in the Thelonious Monk International Afro-Latin Hand Drum Competition and quickly became a sought-after musician on New York’s Latin-jazz scene. Molina has performed and recorded with the Curtis Brothers, Eddie Palmieri, John Santos, Papo Vasquez, Elio Villafranca, La Familia Sextet, and others.

Also hailing from Puerto Rico, bongocero, Reinaldo DeJesus began playing percussion at a young age, absorbing the rhythmic language of bomba, plena, and salsa while also studying classical percussion and drum set. After relocating to the United States, DeJesus became a prominent voice on the New York jazz and Latin-music scenes. He has performed and recorded with Eddie Palmieri, Giovanni Hidalgo, John Benítez, Miguel Zenón, Jerry González, and the Curtis Brothers, among others. He is also an active clinician and educator.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, bassist Luques Curtis developed early foundations in Afro-Caribbean rhythms, salsa, and jazz. He trained at the Artists Collective, founded by Jackie and Dollie McLean. He has performed and recorded with Eddie Palmieri, Harold Lopez-Nussa, Jacky Terrasson, Gary Burton, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Christian Scott (Chief Adjuah), Sean Jones, Nicole Zuraitis, Orrin Evans, Ralph Peterson, Donald Harrison, Stefon Harris, Miguel Zenón, Francisco Mela, and many others.

After winning the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz album, Zaccai commented, “I’m so honored to be recognized and contribute to the Latin jazz and jazz tradition (America’s Classical Music). The importance of musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, Mario Bauzá and Machito cannot go unsung as we all proudly continue to build on the backs of their work.”