By: Troy Dostert, All About Jazz
It says something about Art Blakey‘s decades-long mentorship of younger musicians that many of them continue to pay it forward, bringing into maturity a new generation of hard-boppers who are maintaining Blakey’s indomitable spirit. Enter the Curtis Brothers—pianist Zaccai and bassist Luques—who have benefited enormously from the Blakey disciples they’re partnered with on their latest release, Algorithm. Saxophonist Donald Harrison, trumpeter Brian Lynch and drummer Ralph Peterson all had deep roots with Blakey, and they have brought their accumulated wisdom and stellar chops to the Curtis Brothers band since its Completion of Proof (Truth Revolution Records, 2011). Together the five demonstrate convincingly that there’s a lot of life left in the hard-bop tradition, especially when played with the verve and dedication these guys bring to the job.
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