Zaccai Curtis

Zaccai Curtis is a pianist and composer known for his work in the Latin jazz and Afro-Caribbean traditions, and for carrying the Cubop language into a contemporary setting. Born in 1981, he studied at Jackie McLean's Artists Collective in Hartford, Connecticut and graduated from the New England Conservatory in 2005 before settling in New York. He leads the Zaccai Curtis Quintet and the group Sonido Solar, and with his brother, bassist Luques Curtis, co-founded the artist-run label TRRcollective. His album Cubop Lives! won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album. Alongside his performing and recording, he teaches in the Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division at the University of Hartford.