Another drummer-led piano trio with connections to our last salon: Ralph Peterson’s TriAngular III trio features @exuberance brother-alums—Zaccai Curtis on piano and Luques Curtis on bass. Ralph’s original 1988 TriAngular trio included the late Geri Allen on piano and Essiet Essiet (who just played our sold-out September salon) on bass. In 2000, TriAngular 2 featured our September pianist Dave Kikoski and bassist Gerald Cannon (who will visit @exuberance in November with Rick Germanson).
Which is to say that we are mining a rich vein of this music that flows from the hard-bop legacy of Art Blakey. “Every time I play the drums it is in tribute to Art,” says Ralph Peterson, who began his professional career as second drummer in the Jazz Messengers until Blakey’s death. Since then he’s played with the likes of Walter Davis, Jr., Michael Brecker, Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, David Murray, Roy Hargrove, Steve Coleman, Stanley Cowell, Uri Caine, Betty Carter and The Roots over a nearly thirty-year career....
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Another drummer-led piano trio with connections to our last salon: Ralph Peterson’s TriAngular III trio features @exuberance brother-alums—Zaccai Curtis on piano and Luques Curtis on bass. Ralph’s original 1988 TriAngular trio included the late Geri Allen on piano and Essiet Essiet (who just played our sold-out September salon) on bass. In 2000, TriAngular 2 featured our September pianist Dave Kikoski and bassist Gerald Cannon (who will visit @exuberance in November with Rick Germanson).
Which is to say that we are mining a rich vein of this music that flows from the hard-bop legacy of Art Blakey. “Every time I play the drums it is in tribute to Art,” says Ralph Peterson, who began his professional career as second drummer in the Jazz Messengers until Blakey’s death. Since then he’s played with the likes of Walter Davis, Jr., Michael Brecker, Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, David Murray, Roy Hargrove, Steve Coleman, Stanley Cowell, Uri Caine, Betty Carter and The Roots over a nearly thirty-year career.
A full professor at Berklee College of Music, his students have included Ari Hoenig, Justin Faulkner, EJ Strickland, Rodney Green, Tyshawn Sorey, Antonio Sanchez, Dana Hall, and Obed Calvaire, not to mention his current trio bandmates Zaccai and Luques Curtis.
The Curtis Brothers recruited Ralph and Blakey veterans Donald Harrison and Brian Lynch for their glorious Completion of Proof album in 2011 that invokes hard bop at its finest while contemplating social justice.
Zaccai Curtis brilliantly composes and arranges for his own quartet, trio and big band. Last year he won a “Jazz New Works” grant from Chamber Music America. He plays with Donald Harrison, Cindy Blackman Santana, Eddie Palmieri, Christian Scott, T.K. Blue, Brian Lynch, Ray Vega, and Eric Person amongst others.
Luques Curtis is perhaps best known as bassist for the incomparable Eddie Palmieri. He began studying bass with Andy Gonzalez in high school. He already appears on over 75 recordings with the likes of Brian Lynch, Christian Scott, Sean Jones, Orrin Evans, Albert Rivera, Etienne Charles, Gary Burton and the late Dave Valentin. Luques’ genial countenance connects to his playing whatever the pocket. It is impossible to listen to him and not feel good.
So what’s the meaning of “TriAngular”? Peterson credits Walter Davis, Jr. with teaching him in the tradition of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk to think of a piano trio in conversation—“not that bass and drums lay down a carpet, but always three-way conversation, with input and dialogue and conversation from all the components in the ensemble.”
No carpets. Just real listening, thinking, swinging, on-the-spot interactive jazz—for my money the very best kind. Hearing these 3 in conversation is guaranteed to reward us.
Ralph Peterson's Triangular III
7-10 pm Thursday, October 25
1220 N. Mascher St. (steps away from the Girard Ave. El stop) [map]
We contemplate a $25 donation to support the musicians and provide appropriate refreshments.
Click RSVP to this invitation to get on the guest list. Invitation expires when we reach 85 attendees. Looking forward to seeing you.
Matt Yaple
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@exuberance parties at Matt’s are by invitation only to provide a dignified, comfortable and acoustically ideal setting for worthwhile art and ideas. Cellphones and other devices are to be holstered during the performances. Between sets, conviviality rules.
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