| Jazz |
Here is a magnificent jazz album offered by trumpeter Curtis Taylor. Taylor has performed and recorded with Patrice Rushen, Billy Childs, Gary Novak, Bob Sheppard, Ed Motta, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Rodney Whitaker, Antonio Hart, and prominent figures in gospel music such as Karen Clark-Sheard, Kierra Sheard, and the Singletons. Specifically, Taylor’s stint with jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut included a remarkable performance at the Kennedy Center recorded for NPR’s Jazzset, an appearance at the Spoleto Jazz Festival, and a week-long residency at Dizzy’s Club in New York. So, this album is only surprising to those who have yet to discover it—a profound sense of melodies and arrangements, and an album that passes in a flash, with joyful melodies. It’s as enjoyable as it is impressive, benefiting from excellent musicians: Marcus Elliot on tenor saxophone, Theron Brown on piano, Johnathon Muir-Cotton on double bass and electric bass, Alex White on drums, and percussionist David Castaneda.
Just from its description, this lineup sets the tone for an album that leaves nothing to chance—everything is carefully crafted, and the various soloists’ contributions are truly remarkable. Curtis Taylor’s trumpet playing is particularly interesting, hinting at his ability to break away from convention at any moment, in a restrained yet forceful manner. In 2014, Taylor moved to Southern California where he developed a musical relationship with his friend and mentor Kamau Kenyatta. Kenyatta, a Grammy Award-winning producer for jazz vocal star Gregory Porter, chose Taylor for the trumpet position while assembling the musical team for Porter’s album “Liquid Spirit.” Kenyatta praised Taylor for “embellishing the session with his elegant solos and precise ensemble playing” and noted his professionalism as “impeccable.” Gregory Porter’s “Liquid Spirit” won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2014.
Taylor’s talent, confirmed by this album, will undoubtedly become indispensable in your music collection. Albums like this are the ones we love to listen to repeatedly—sincere, generous, brilliant. This one will unquestionably be one of the great albums of 2024 in the jazz world.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, February 29th 2024
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To buy this album (April 12 th)