This summer, acclaimed pianist, composer, and bandleader Zaccai Curtis will bring his vibrant sound to two standout performances in New York. First, he joins percussionist Reinaldo De Jesus for Sounds at Sunset at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Aug. 8. Then, on Aug. 14, Curtis takes the stage as part of Donald Harrison’s Quantum Leap Music Festival at Borghese Vineyard in Cutchogue, NY. Both events offer audiences a chance to experience Curtis’ rich blend of Latin jazz, bebop, and soulful innovation in a live setting.
A Connecticut native now based in New York City, Curtis has spent the past two decades building a powerful presence in the jazz world. As the leader of the Zaccai Curtis Quintet and the co-founder of Sonido Solar, Curtis is known for fusing Afro-Caribbean rhythms with hard-hitting jazz traditions. His performances are marked by deep musicality, rhythmic intensity, and a commitment to honoring the roots of the genre while pushing it forward.
Curtis has shared the stage with an impressive roster of artists, including Christian Scott, Donald Harrison, Santana, Cindy Blackman, Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch, and Avery Sharpe. He and his brother, bassist Luques Curtis, also co-founded TRRcollective (Truth Revolution Recording Collective), a label designed to empower musicians to release music on their own terms. The label is home to Curtis’ previous albums and his upcoming release “Sonoluminescence,” due later in 2025.
In addition to his work as a performer and producer, Curtis is also a respected educator, teaching at the University of Hartford’s Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division and Western Connecticut State University. He has authored two instructional books, “Art of the Guajeo” and “Theory of the Common Voicing,”which are widely used by students of Jazz and Latin music.
A prolific composer and three-time ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award recipient, Curtis has written for his own groups as well as artists like Little Johnny Rivero and Steve Kroon. His talent has taken him around the world, including a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour through South Asia, and earned him prestigious grants like the Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works award.
Though 2025 saw Curtis earn a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for “Cubop Lives!,” it’s his ongoing evolution as an artist and his dedication to live performance that continue to define his career. With summer shows that promise both dynamic rhythm and emotional depth, audiences have the chance to witness one of jazz’s most exciting voices in his element.
Whether on stage, in the studio, or in the classroom, Zaccai Curtis brings precision, passion, and purpose to every note. These upcoming concerts are more than performances; they’re an invitation into a sound that is both rooted and visionary.